Houzz Tour: A Fresh and Family-Friendly Pre-war Home in New York
A designer infuses a pre-war apartment with vibrant colour, textiles, furniture and art
New York City apartments in pre-war buildings can look dated. But after an extensive renovation, this home to a young growing family is anything but. Interior designer Robin Henry layered in a mix of light and vibrant colours and eye-catching textiles and artwork, making the unit a happy home.
The room needed to be flexible and include a workstation for one of the homeowners. Henry added this work table in front of new built-ins. The table can double as a game table and the chairs can be moved around the room as needed.
The window treatments match the wall colour. Henry added embroidered edges by Holland & Sherry.
The window treatments match the wall colour. Henry added embroidered edges by Holland & Sherry.
The homeowners already had this banquette, which fit perfectly next to the fireplace. One of the homeowners is of Indian descent, so Henry brought a bit of India into the room by layering the blue textile over the banquette. The side tables are Thai metal rain drums, which are traditionally kept outside to make wonderful sounds in the rain. Petite floor lamps make this a cozy spot for reading.
Though the fireplace is original, most of the mouldings are part of the renovation.
Wall paint: Noodle, C2; textile on sofa: Quadrille
Though the fireplace is original, most of the mouldings are part of the renovation.
Wall paint: Noodle, C2; textile on sofa: Quadrille
This room is from the second apartment, so it mirrors the first living room with the same radiator and fireplace. Henry used the same strategy of adding a bookshelf. But this space also incorporates the dining room and is open to the kitchen.
Wall and millwork paint: Dorian Gray, C2
Wall and millwork paint: Dorian Gray, C2
“We wanted this room to be bright and light but not just white,” Henry says. “Instead we found this very friendly pale blue. It also helps integrate the kitchen into the room.”
The photo over the sofa is of a beach in India. “This was such a neat find. There is a cow in the middle of the beach,” Henry says.
Pops of blue on the scalloped side table, loveseat and coffee table complement the wall colour and liven things up. The coffee table is wrapped in painted linen. A Greek key rug delineates the living room within the open space.
Photo: Yiorgos Kordakis via Voltz Clarke Gallery
The photo over the sofa is of a beach in India. “This was such a neat find. There is a cow in the middle of the beach,” Henry says.
Pops of blue on the scalloped side table, loveseat and coffee table complement the wall colour and liven things up. The coffee table is wrapped in painted linen. A Greek key rug delineates the living room within the open space.
Photo: Yiorgos Kordakis via Voltz Clarke Gallery
This space serves as the home’s only dining area. Henry designed it to go from casual family time to more formal dinner parties. It also had to be durable. She chose a woven indoor-outdoor fabric for the banquette in a dark colour. “You can literally scrub this if you spill anything on it,” she says. The chairs are a midcentury modern design, and Henry chose a woven abaca textile for the upholstery. “It kind of looks like horsehair, but it’s very wipeable,” she says. The table is a vintage piece by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings.
The light fixture is midcentury modern Italian and fits nicely into all of the spaces, floating near the ceiling. “They eat all of their meals here and it can go from very casual to very elegant,” Henry says.
Chair fabric: Holland & Sherry
The light fixture is midcentury modern Italian and fits nicely into all of the spaces, floating near the ceiling. “They eat all of their meals here and it can go from very casual to very elegant,” Henry says.
Chair fabric: Holland & Sherry
The kitchen was gutted as part of the renovation. The area you see between it and the entry area is a pantry. Panels there open to reveal stored items, and there’s also room to stash the vacuum and broom.
In the master bedroom, the textiles on the shams and the shape of the headboard nod to India. The room has Roman shades layered over beautiful scrims. “The view here is not great and they keep these down all the time,” Henry says. “This is one of my all-time favourite fabrics; the pattern is printed on a sheer that the light comes through.”
Wall and trim paint: Paper Clip, C2; bed: John Robshaw; sham fabric: Saffron Marigold; bed cover: custom, Julia B.; window scrim: Peter Fasano
Wall and trim paint: Paper Clip, C2; bed: John Robshaw; sham fabric: Saffron Marigold; bed cover: custom, Julia B.; window scrim: Peter Fasano
“My client fell in love with this embroidered Lulu DK fabric we used on the window treatments and wanted her older daughter’s room designed around it,” Henry says.
“Laying out the twin beds like this is kinda fun,” she says. “There are storage drawers underneath them.” A glass floral ceiling light, pink patterned bedding and elephant side table add whimsical touches.
Painting: “Girl Dog,” Sugarboo; elephant stool: Safavieh; bedding: Roberta Roller Rabbit
“Laying out the twin beds like this is kinda fun,” she says. “There are storage drawers underneath them.” A glass floral ceiling light, pink patterned bedding and elephant side table add whimsical touches.
Painting: “Girl Dog,” Sugarboo; elephant stool: Safavieh; bedding: Roberta Roller Rabbit
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their three little girls
Location: New York City
Size: 2,500 square feet (232 square meters); four bedrooms and three bathrooms
Designers: Architect Anik Pearson and interior designer Robin Henry Studio
A previous renovation had combined two apartments years earlier, and the results were awkward. Henry and architect Anik Pearson guided the family through a renovation to give the two spaces a comfortable flow. They began by taking out odd walls and partitions, creating better built-ins and adding beautiful mouldings appropriate to the building.
“The views out the windows are just to another building and the apartment was not that bright,” Henry says. “We wanted to make this room as bright as possible and fresh-looking.” The freshness begins underfoot, with a lively green rug. “Federica Tondato makes these incredible embroidered modern rugs. It is full of vibrant, fresh colour, is young-looking and is a fun contrast with the ‘granny’ look associated with these kinds of pre-war buildings,” Henry says.
More colour comes in via the purple-blue mohair sofa. “My client has beautiful red hair and it inspired this colour,” Henry says. The artwork helps bring in a view of nature that the windows don’t provide.
Painting: Alex Schuchard; rug: Fedora Designs