Kelly Behun’s Living Gallery Invites Viewers Near and Far to Indulge in Design
Designer Kelly Behun recently unveiled her second Living Gallery concept—a digital e-commerce space connecting viewers to the full-floor model apartment she curated at 1228 Madison in New York City. The art, furnishings, and design accents throughout compliment the bones of the luxury building by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, as well as the colors and textures of Manhattan’s Upper East Side. “I focused on the juxtaposition of the building’s outside and what happens when you come in—that idea was at the forefront of my design process,” says Behun, noting that the space invites those who enter to immediately exhale.
The Living Gallery showcases Behun’s latest lighting collection with Hudson Valley Lighting as well as her new custom designs for The Rug Company, and a range of accessories from L’Objet. And though creating a space for an imagined family, rather than as a collaboration with a homeowner, proved challenging, Behun gushed about the opportunity to introduce designers and design enthusiasts alike to emerging makers and artists. Partnering with Mellyn, Dvorkin & Monrow Art Consultants, the Living Gallery features work by artists such as Ricci Albenda, Ellsworth Kelly, Dashiell Manley, Ken Price, Anish Kapoor, Mary Obering and Rob Wynne. “We approached curating the space by imagining each artwork as part of a collection assembled over a period of time,” explains Sean Mellyn, partner at MDM, mirroring the approach Behun took in piecing together the apartment. Ultimately, the Living Gallery reflects the infinite possibilities of the home and invites viewers to explore new concepts, limited only by their imagination.
