This Greenwich Village Apartment Has Color at Its Core

Living with dark burl wood low cabinet stretching from wall to wall, triptych of blue, red and white artworks above, pale grey curved C-shape sofa and blue and teal cushions — (Image credit: Thomas Richter)

With the client being a film colorist and the designer a former artist, it’s perhaps not surprising that color was the cornerstone of this Greenwich Village apartment’s aesthetic.

In fact, there were some pretty erudite references on the mood board for this modern home — for example, French film director Jacques Tati’s 1950s comedy Mon Oncle. "The film has these interesting colors," says the project’s principal designer, Keren Richter. "A lemon chiffon, a cherry red, a saturated blue — primary colors, but not super literal."

Dining room with white walls, red, white and blue typographic print, red pendant, blue table and yellow dining chairs — "We put the client’s Barry McGee saturated red artwork here, so everything is in conversation with the art — and more playful and light," says Keren.

Playfulness was also an important part of the brief. The intention was to create a "joyful place that’s fun to share with friends", says Keren Richter, who is one half of New York design studio White Arrow. There’s a custom DJ station as the client’s boyfriend loves to DJ; a sofa spanning two-thirds of a circle that’s built for socializing; plus an immersive home bar.

Oak kitchen with wrap-around bar area, green and blue bar stools and grey and white marble backsplash — "We kept the original cabinetry but gave the space a facelift by changing the hood, lighting, backsplashes, and worktops," says Keren. "It all makes it feel richer and more layered."

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HAY Taburete 8 Bar Stool in Soft Jade

A fresh green bar stool adds zing to this kitchen — this one from Hay would be perfect, complete with a teal cushioned top.

Even the design references are lighthearted, albeit with a somewhat cultured take. "The sense of humor here is maybe not evident to everybody, but there’s something playful happening," Keren explains. So there are references to the art of American sculptor Alexander Calder, to the fresh, pioneering spirit of 1950s graphic design, and to the works of Charles and Ray Eames, "with really saturated, bold colors, but done in a very lively way".

Wet bar with dark blue cabinetry, grey and white marble countertop, and emerald green mini zellige tile backsplash — "I love the surprise element of this — when the doors are closed, you’d never know it’s there," says Keren.

Color was key in bringing the joy. "Blue and red are really fun together," says Keren, as are other Crayola colors, "although you don’t want something to feel like it’s a kindergarten classroom — it has to be done with sophistication."

Living room with emerald armchairs, grey shaped rug and red and black glossy side table — "This space, located by the DJ station, was about being in conversation with the music," says Keren. "I wanted it to feel like it had its own sense of purpose. It’s open to the living area, but we visually divided it with a folding screen."

While the existing apartment needed no structural or plumbing work, there were some practical issues to address. For example, the home lacked clever storage ideas, plus there were some "strong triangular shapes" in the floor plan that the client didn’t like, so Keren created a wall of cabinetry for clothing, which also "absorbed the irregularity of the bedroom".

Bathroom with black vanity with grey stone countertop and in-built sinks, chunky blue rectangular mirrors and black globe dual wall lights — "We didn’t want to kill the budget by changing something that was perfectly fine, so we did some strategic interventions to elevate the space — we painted the vanity, created two recessed cabinets, and changed the sconces," says Keren.

Westwing Collection

Full-Length Mirror Selim

A chunky framed mirror adds an instant injection of contemporary cool — we love this full-length option from furniture-brand-to-know Westwing.

And while the apartment was generously sized, Keren wanted it to feel intimate — so she zoned the open-plan area, with, say, a screen or a big rug, to create the sense of a room within a room. In addition, she harnessed pendant lighting "as a way of defining spaces" — in fact, she even lowered the ceiling throughout in order to install it.

Cream bedroom with cream bed with built-in headboard and dark wood side tables, cream accent chair and pale oak side table — "The aim was for this to feel relaxing and enveloping, so there’s a lot of curvature and softening of form," says Keren.

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Neutral Pleated Fabric Ceiling Light

This fabric ceiling light is the perfect way to add some curves and tactility to your space.

The home is also filled with an impressive collection of design classics — yet not so many that it starts to feel like a showroom. The key, says Keren, is to strike "a balance between referencing the past, but also creating a space that’s rooted in contemporary design and today’s design language — that’s what makes it feel young and cool".

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Fleur Britten is a well-respected journalist who for years was the Senior Features Editor at Sunday Times Style. She is known as one of the smartest lifestyle journalists around, revered for being able to decode trends and report on new zeitgeists as they happen. She now writes for the Telegraph, Livingetc, Vogue, The Times, Harper's Bazaar and the Guardian.