My Houzz: Vibrant Palette in a West Village Apartment
Smart storage solutions, color and pattern add life to a New York couple’s 800-square-foot interior
For designer and stylist Cristina Soriano, the 100-year-old wood floors, exposed brick walls and working fireplace make her New York City apartment feel like home. The native of the Philippines had been missing her country, and she wanted her new place to feel welcoming and warm. She found her haven in an 800-square foot space where every nook and cranny has a specific function.
The four black-and-white pictures above the sofa are photographs of Manila, Philippines, in the 1920s. “My mum gave them to me for my birthday, and I absolutely love them,” Soriano says. The lamp was purchased at ABC Carpet & Home when she first moved to the city, and it has traveled with her from boarding school to college and now to this apartment. “The accent pillow on my couch was made using an old scrap of suzani, and the drawing above the console bar table is by Andy Warhol,” she says. “When Ascanio and I first came across it, we were immediately drawn to the subject’s character and the simplicity of line.”
The two ancestral paintings above the dining table hung in Soriano’s house when she was growing up, and although she had always loved them, her siblings were always afraid of them. “I love the way the garments are painted, and I am attracted to the mystery of the chiaroscuro,” Soriano says. “The juxtaposition of the antique paintings with a pop of color is, to me, very appealing.”
Soriano loves bringing fresh flowers into the home and visits the flower market every week to buy new blooms. “It’s my ritual, my ‘me’ time,” she says.
Soriano loves bringing fresh flowers into the home and visits the flower market every week to buy new blooms. “It’s my ritual, my ‘me’ time,” she says.
The eye-catching ottoman was custom-made using an ikat fabric Soriano found at a fabric store in the garment district. “I knew I wanted something bright, textured and patterned, and when I saw this particular textile, I fell in love,” she says. Because it’s too uneven to set drinks on, two large trays from West Elm provide a sturdy surface and a place for home accessories.
The coral accent pillow on the couch is by Tadeco, a Philippine home furnishings company. It’s made of banana fiber and small wood beads.
The coral accent pillow on the couch is by Tadeco, a Philippine home furnishings company. It’s made of banana fiber and small wood beads.
Above the sofa, a dramatic Heidi Specker artwork picturing marble is half photo and half painting. “It’s a classic example of trompe l’oeil, and I love the juxtaposition of being placed on a brick wall,” Soriano says.
Soriano purchased the red chair at Pearl River Mart. “I wanted to add more color into the furniture, but I also wanted to tie in the colors of the ottoman with the rest of the space,” she says. A neutral area rug and couch help balance out the colors in the room.
The French doors dividing the bedroom from the living area are original to the space. Soriano loves that they let light from the bedroom window into the living area.
The bed directly faces the living room fireplace and makes for leisurely Saturday mornings or breakfast in bed with a roaring fire. “I wanted to make my bedroom a little quieter and a little softer, so the walls are painted a very light peach,” Soriano says.
Sapphire Haveli cotton carpet: Madeline Weinrib
Sapphire Haveli cotton carpet: Madeline Weinrib
“Having a wood-burning fireplace is so special, and I count my blessings every time it snows,” Soriano says. “I’m warm-blooded, so I make any excuse to light a fire — even on a beautiful spring day. The smell, the sound and the warmth of the fire make me so happy.”
The 17th-century floral painting on top of the mantel was given to Soriano by her father, who lives in the Philippines.
The 17th-century floral painting on top of the mantel was given to Soriano by her father, who lives in the Philippines.
Soriano works from home and spends most of the day at her desk, so she knew she wanted to create a little office and reading nook flanked by the window and the fireplace. “I get the best of both worlds: natural light from the warm summer sun and a crackling fire during the frigid winter,” Soriano says. “My mustard yellow desk from Pearl River Mart is where I sit to create and work.”
The gallery wall is composed of things that make her smile: the duck she painted when she was 7, the palm tree that was a gift from artist friend Mita Corsini Bland and the caribou mask that was a party favor at her best friend’s wedding.
Desk chair: Kartell
The gallery wall is composed of things that make her smile: the duck she painted when she was 7, the palm tree that was a gift from artist friend Mita Corsini Bland and the caribou mask that was a party favor at her best friend’s wedding.
Desk chair: Kartell
“I love the look of bookshelves — they make you feel immediately at home. I created a reading nook by the fire because I wanted to be able to curl up under a throw blanket, immersed in a great novel, and be close to the heat,” Soriano says. The bookshelf is filled with favorite books and photo albums. “I make [an album] for every trip, and it is so much fun to look back at those memories,” she says.
“I lived in the apartment for a few years without renovating anything,” Soriano says. Then she decided to add a walk-in closet.
The two paintings on the wall by the closet are mementos of Soriano’s childhood. She painted the top one when she was 5, and the other was done by her sister. “They are two paintings that make me so happy, so I put them in the bedroom to make the space even more bright,” Soriano says.
The two paintings on the wall by the closet are mementos of Soriano’s childhood. She painted the top one when she was 5, and the other was done by her sister. “They are two paintings that make me so happy, so I put them in the bedroom to make the space even more bright,” Soriano says.
“My closet is my shrine, my special place,” Soriano says. She worked closely with her contractor and California Closets to build the storage and maximize every inch. “The shelving goes all the way to the ceiling — high enough that every time I get dressed, I need to step on a ladder. There is so much more space than I previously had, enough for both summer and winter wardrobes, and, not to forget, my shoe shrine, my wall of shoes.”
Soriano loves spending hours in the kitchen cooking for others. “Put on the best of the Gipsy Kings, and you’ll see me twirling as I whisk,” she says. “I love that the kitchen is so functional and practical. There is lots of counter space and tons of storage.” Her collection of formal china is stored at the top, and daily dishes are stored toward the bottom. “Whenever I have people over, everyone convenes with me in the kitchen, and I love that there is enough space for my chopping and everyone’s drinking.”
“I believe that the home should be an extension of yourself, your soul. It should be full of character, full of personal mementos and should be serene. It’s your haven,” Soriano says. “And I feel like my home is just that: It’s an extension of my character, who I am and what makes me happy.”
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Cristina Soriano and Ascanio Serena di Lapigio
Location: West Village neighborhood of New York
Size: 800 square feet (74.3 square meters); one bedroom, one bathroom
Soriano loves the open plan of her apartment and her many personal treasures. “Architecturally, I love the exposed brick walls, the light wood floors, but most especially the steel beam that supports a section of the brick wall,” Soriano says. “The building used to be an old printing house, and every time I look at the wall’s recession, I think about how fun it is to live in a place with so much history.
“I also knew that I wanted to have a dedicated dining area,” she adds. “Meals, to me, are sacred — they are opportunities to gather loved ones around a beautiful meal, and in a city like New York, where dining out is the norm, I wanted to bring back, in my own little way, at-home entertaining.”