Owning a corner, light-filled New York apartment – in a city where space is at a premium, is good fortune enough; but if it also overlooks the East River, that makes it very special indeed. This three-bedroom home on the Upper East Side, set in a recently built 18-storey block, enjoys both privileges, and with them comes the kind of natural light that’s rare for urban apartment dwellers. It was this quality that interior designer Lucy Harris focused on when decorating the space for a tight-knit family.
Manhattan-based Harris likens her work to the “impossible bouquets” of Dutch master painters, which combine flowers that could not coexist in nature; the idea reflects her eclectic inspirations, which range freely across eras, styles and continents. Here, she sought to create “a unique, striking balance of serene and bold energy” that would reflect her clients’ characters. Her starting point was the apartment’s abundant light, which she describes as its most impactful feature. “The corner location and floor-to-ceiling windows make it very bright and airy, while the crown mouldings and white oak floors lend warmth,” she says. “Our concept was to create a contrast between the feminine, peaceful and bright elements and bold, masculine pops of unexpected colour and texture.”
Harris was hand-picked by the apartment owner to decorate her forever home (whose architecture is by Gerner Kronick + Valcarcel and TenBerke). “It had been her dream to hire an interior designer, and she’d fallen in love with the home of a friend who’s a longtime client of ours,” the designer explains. “We wanted the apartment to have a sophisticated, refined sense of beauty, while still being comfortable and approachable.” The colour palette was developed to enhance the home’s brightness: nature-inspired blues and greens are complemented with earthy purple, red and orange accents against a backdrop of soft neutrals. Leaning towards pastel tones keeps the look grounded, while textures such as shearling, wicker and marble bring a sense of comfort. “The tactile paper lantern and wicker side tables in the study, geometric quilts and sheepskin throws in the bedrooms, and plush shearling bar stools in the kitchen create an effortless blend of modern, eclectic style,” adds Harris.
At the heart of the home is a relaxed, open-plan lounge featuring B&B Italia’s Michel sofa, chosen for its comfort and classic lines. Harris custom-designed the rug beneath, and had it crafted in wool and silk by textile artist Rosemary Hallgarten. “The raised, natural shapes woven into it echo the organic curves of the coffee table, and the aquamarine hue connects to the vintage chairs in the dining room,” she says.
In keeping with her painterly influences, the designer also introduced subtle floral touches throughout the rooms, bringing a hint of nature into the urban setting. Among these is a pale-pink canvas depicting waterlilies and anemones by Lourdes Sanchez (from Sears-Peyton Gallery), which hangs in the living room above a Costela lounge chair by Tacchini. Piero Fornasetti’s Nuvolette wallpaper in the Stone colourway, manufactured by Cole & Son, brings a similarly bucolic feel to the principal bedroom, its pattern of plump clouds complemented by Nordic Knots’ plush Untitled 2 rug.
Artistic details are key to creating a personal narrative throughout the light-filled New York apartment. Works from the homeowner’s personal collection dot a gallery wall near the entrance, weaving together themes of travel, family and heritage; teamed with a folk-inspired wooden bench (designed by Harris) and a vintage Moroccan rug, these conjure a homely atmosphere. Perhaps the most artful feature of all, though, is the powder room – a space where many people feel free to indulge their wilder design fantasies. It’s clad in Calico’s Atmosphere Dusk wallpaper, whose impressionistic cloud pattern is inspired by the way light and wind “paint the world anew each day” – a fitting symbol for this evocative home.
