There’s basically nothing to improve upon in this impressive apartment located in Tribeca, the heart of the Big Apple. The 82-story building in which it sits was designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, evoking the iconic architecture of 1920s and 1930s New York. Its classic facade features precast concrete panels that look like limestone, combined with metal screens for a contemporary twist.
The sweeping panorama provided by the massive double-height, south-facing windows overlooks the bottom tip of Manhattan and includes the Statue of Liberty as well as both the Hudson and East rivers. The modern home's harmonious interiors with their soft curves, luxurious plaster finishes and neutral color palettes, enhanced by the occasional use of deeper hues for more dramatic contrasts, were created by renowned interior architects Workshop/APD, while the spectacular contemporary artworks that adorn the walls reflect the cohesive yet bold vision of art advisor Barbara Cartategui.
"The kitchen sitting area is most of the most used spaces in the house," says Barbara. "We settled on placing an organic, delicate wall sculpture by Eduardo Perez Cabrero that is quite small and subtle, but its multi-dimensionality and amorphous shape draw the viewer’s attention."
Price: $519 for set of two
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Price: $499
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Price: $479
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"I was part of the project from the beginning," remembers Barbara Cartategui, who studied with one of the homeowners at Parsons School of Design. Since those days, the two have become friends. "I previously worked with these collectors when they purchased a house in the Hamptons, and I helped them acquire and create a very special art collection for their second residence. I knew they were looking to buy a property in Manhattan for a very long time, but nothing that came to the market was special or large enough or met their expectations. One day, during one of our frequent gallery walkthroughs, they told me they had found their dream apartment," she says.
"The modern kitchen – though a functional space — flows seamlessly into the more public areas of the house, expressing that same clean, modern, minimal aesthetic. Because this is a family home we wanted it to be welcoming, comfortable and above all well-equipped for a family that loves to cook," Andrew Kotchen, founding principal at Workshop/APD.
In parallel to the full renovation, Barbara started to conceive of the type of art that would fit the home. The project gave her the opportunity to collaborate with Andrew Kotchen, founding principal, as well as the interior design team, at Workshop/APD and think about every aspect of the decoration to define the perfect paintings, prints and sculptures for decorating the apartment. "The objective was to completely integrate the art into the space and environment," she says.
"The homeowners love to entertain, so we wanted to provide a beautiful, flexible backdrop for their gatherings. This split dining table — a custom Workshop/APD piece for the square room – provides really interesting opportunities for both seated events and more informal gatherings," says Andrew Kotchen, founding principal at Workshop/APD, of the apartment dining room.
Barbara’s process involved researching and sourcing many options and accompanying the homeowners to art fairs, galleries and artist’s studios. She also took care of sharing market reports to guide her clients’ investments. "One of the challenges was finding potential artworks that would have enough strength or “protagonism” to stand out, while also remaining minimal, subtle, and broadly cohesive to the overall theme of the design,' Barbara says.
The minimalist interior design extends to the apartment's architectural elements, such as the staircase with its modern swirl.
As the couple is inclined to a monochromatic color scheme, the art had to revolve around those guidelines, while simultaneously adding something to the apartment’s atmosphere.
Barbara also wanted to make sure there would be a large number of female artists, such as Angela de la Cruz, Tracey Emin and Rania Schoretsaniti, included in the collection — their pieces currently grace the living room. Georg Baselitz and Jaume Plensa — on the staircase — as well as James Turrell — between the living room and formal dining room — are some other big names that provide big effects.
"The main bedroom is a sanctuary. Our team softened the space by adding gentle curves to the architecture, a soaring antiqued mirror wall, custom upholstered bed, abundant tonal drapery, and a textural wall finish, all in creamy, unified neutral tones," says Andrew Kotchen, founding principal at Workshop/APD.
Price: $59
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This level of attention to detail throughout has managed to have the effect of creating a calm and serene space to be enjoyed both by the homeowners and their guests — despite its ultra-contemporary and ultra-luxe looks.
"This is one of the most playful artworks that we acquired. The canvas itself was a commission from the artist, but the most special part was that he came from Spain to “finish” the piece in situ. The final element on the wall was completely spontaneous and I feel it adds an entirely different element to the room and the overall collection," says Barbara.
Price: $449.98
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