The Coast Crafts a Gallery-Like Bachelor Pad in Manhattan
Austerity and whimsy can, in fact, coexist. That’s what New York design firm The Coast set out to prove with a Flatiron bachelor pad for a 30-something lawyer with a round-the-clock lifestyle. The client, who frequently entertains after hours, also needed relaxing environs to unwind after a hard day’s work. With that in mind, The Coast sought inspiration a few avenues west.
The one-bedroom corner apartment, located within an Art Deco–era former factory building, came with industrial-size windows that frame Midtown’s bricolage of architectural styles. “I wanted to showcase the neighborhood like paintings in a gallery,” says principal Paul Chan, a nod to nearby Chelsea’s world-renowned art scene. Unobstructed views of Park Avenue’s Gothic Revival limestone facades add depth, à la vibrant canvases affixed to stark white walls. This tension continues in the bathroom, its slate tiles and graphite fixtures lending a statement-making reprieve.
Furnishings, which include Chan’s own designs, evoke luxury without venturing into decadence. “The challenge was to maximize the usage of the apartment without adding clutter, all while keeping with the pristine poetics of an art gallery,” says Chan, who aligned soffits, straightened walls, and repainted heaters. Two large floor-to-ceiling doors, disguised as part of a single continuous wall, bisect the unit. “The design is about editing out what was there—think 1980’s disco-realness—just as much as adding new elements,” one being the brand-new kitchen. Boasting stainless-steel countertops, aluminum cabinets, and white Carrara marble tiles, “it feels like the inside of a Tesla,” he says with a laugh. The result is equal parts opening night and soothing spa for the morning after.
