July 17, 2018

DHD Channels Luxury Hotel Suites for an Art-Filled Manhattan Pied-à-Terre

The clients, a creative couple who live in New York part of the year, knew what they wanted for their pied-à-terre loft: a luxury hotel suite environment with a downtown vibe—a home for their art collection but also an artistic space in itself. Located in a 1904 cast-iron building that had been converted to 20 condominiums in 1986, the apartment had exquisite bones but a tired interior in need of a complete overhaul. “Nothing was straight, level, or in good condition,” says David Howell, president of DHD Architecture + Interior Design, who took on the project. “We had to build everything, which was liberating because we had so few restraints.”

Flooring is fumed white oak while lower kitchen cabinets are oxidized and stained maple. Photography by Rick Lew.

The layout was changed to prioritize the living space: “It was cubelike, with great proportions,” he notes. An eclectic mix of vintage and new furnishings was added, along with a treasure trove of sculptures and paintings. “We had a lot of freedom to pick our creative collaborators,” DHD partner Steffani Aarons says. “And they had freedom to create something they felt resonated with the space.” Case in point: a partnership with local industrial designer Lindsey Adelman, which resulted in the custom light sculpture that now anchors the living room. Aaron’s prizes such cross-pollination. “What other creative people bring to the design inspires and pushes our team,” she explains. As can be witnessed here.

Design Principals: Steffani Aarons; David Howell

Project Designer: Melissa Pinto

Metalwork: Face Design & Fabrication

Contractor: Eric Gray

Recent Projects