In her latest commission, Brooklyn-based interior designer Holly Waterfield was faced with a unique challenge: having to compete with perfectly framed, sweeping views of the surrounding landscape – or cityscape, as is the case with this Manhattan pied-à-terre, located in architect Renzo Piano's first residential building in New York, the 30-storey residential tower 565 Broome Soho.
Step inside this Holly Waterfield interior
The apartment was designed by Waterfield and her team, who specialise in creating perfect layouts and happy, welcoming spaces, for entrepreneurs John Finn and Sara Sandler, and his two daughters. Apart from letting the views take centre stage, the very specific brief involved turning the brand-new 15th-floor condo into a luxurious yet low-maintenance space, but without using any wood or wood-tone furniture.
To do so, Waterfield kept the interiors neutral with earthy tones, natural materials and soft textures, and furnished the home with low-slung pieces to avoid impeding the floor-to-ceiling views. She also used layers of fabrics – including mohair velvet, wool flannel and cashmere drapery – to soften the rooms and add a sense of warmth similar to that traditionally created by wooden elements.
Known for her talent for creating warm yet polished interiors, Waterfield was inspired by her visit to the Renzo Piano-designed wing in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the architect’s ability to connect the old with the new. Her intuitive approach to the design has resulted in a light-filled space offering a sense of calm and openness despite being located in the heart of the city.
The choice of fixtures and finishes is often connected to the surrounding cityscape: for example, a sculptural ‘Gaia’ pendant light in the dining room features a blackened nickel that recalls the cast-iron buildings of SoHo. Meanwhile, a large round mirror in the entrance actually reflects the skyline view from across the room, and cleverly brings more light into the hall.
One of Waterfield’s favourite pieces in this project is an oversized sheepskin rug from Australian label Tigmi Trading, which links the entryway to the kitchen and dining areas with its asymmetrical curved shape. Other finds include black leather ‘Caribou’ stools from Ochre that add an edginess to the minimalist kitchen, and velvet olive armchairs by Soho Home that bring a touch of hotel luxury to the home.
In contrast to the rest of the home, one of the daughters’ bedrooms embraces pops of colour with a golden yellow chair and floral-patterned bedding. The room is also full of more playful pieces, such as a rattan bed and scallop wall sconces by Nickey Kehoe.
-
First look: Western Mongolia meets Kew Gardens in John Pawson and Oyuna Tserendorj’s cashmere throwsArchitectural designer John Pawson and cashmere designer Oyuna Tserendor have collaborated on a cashmere throw collection inspired by Pawson’s 70m Lake Crossing in the Royal Botanical Gardens
-
How to buy art: the accessible new marketThanks to a growing pool of art advisers, digital intelligence and collector groups, buyers are better equipped than ever
-
The coolest design-led coffee shops in SeoulSeoul counts more coffee shops per capita than any other city in the world – cut straight to our six must-visit spots
-
Paul Rudolph at The Met: ‘from Christmas lights to megastructures’‘Materialized Space: The Architecture of Paul Rudolph’ opens at the Met in New York, exploring the modernist master's work through a feast of an exhibition
-
Jewel Box is a Californian project of small scale and big impactJewel Box by Red Dot Studio is the reimagining of a Californian 20th-century gem through a creative addition
-
Germane Barnes exhibition explores notions of classical architecture and identityGermane Barnes exhibition 'Columnar Disorder' opens at the Art Institute of Chicago
-
Omaha’s Joslyn Art Museum's newest addition effortlessly complements the institution’s existing complexThe third addition to Joslyn Art Museum is designed by Snøhetta, which opted for voluminous common spaces and illuminating atriums
-
Morning Dove in Twentynine Palms combines earth construction and otherworldly desert viewsMorning Dove by Homestead Modern in Twentynine Palms offers a striking landscape and rammed-earth construction for idyllic desert escapes
-
Larry Booth's 'House of Light' showcases an impeccable slice of postmodernist heritageA 1980s Larry Booth-designed Chicago townhouse on a narrow plot is a striking example of his author's work, set alongside the city’s postmodernist archive
-
In a hidden Beverly Hills garden courtyard, fashion, art and architecture meetJohnston Marklee transforms a Beverly Hills storefront into a shared space for the Michael Werner art gallery and fashion institution Mameg, connected through a leafy courtyard
-
Transamerica Pyramid: a San Francisco icon, remasteredThe Transamerica Pyramid, a landmark in the San Francisco cityscape, has been redesigned to 21st-century standards by Foster + Partners
