Kelly Behun designs apartment inside Rafael Viñoly's 432 Park Avenue

Interior designer Kelly Behun has styled an apartment inside Rafael Viñoly's 432 Park Avenue tower in New York.

(Image credit: Richard Powers)

published 2 March 2017

Picture the mighty Rafael Viñoly-designed 432 Park Avenue, and walking into a 92nd floor apartment peppered with modern pieces by the likes of Tom Dixon, Lindsey Adelman, and Luca Nichetto. That fantasy can now become reality in one of the New York tower’s penthouses, courtesy of interior designer Kelly Behun who is giving discerning Manhattanites a taste of luxury living in the big city.

The apartment has been coined a ‘living gallery’, furnished by Behun in collaboration with online art portal Artsy and which features some of her own studio designs, along with bespoke pieces, artworks and contemporary furnishings.

Interior with table, chairs, window, sofa — *The dining room offers spectacular views over New York*

‘What was different about this project, and any model apartment of course, is that the client is unknown,’ explains Behun. ‘The fun was imagining who that might be, and imbuing the space with a point of view that I thought would be appealing.’

Behun has kept the space fresh and minimal, instilling it with warmth through a careful curation of art and accessories. Big-ticket pieces like the bespoke bed and sofa have been realised in neutral shades, while products from the likes of The Future Perfect and the Haas Brothers inject personality into the space.

Interior with white sofa and wall hanging — *Behun has imagined the space as ‘living gallery’.*

‘When you are working with a view this gobsmacking, there is no reason to even try to upstage them, it isn’t possible,’ Behun says. Still, the interior designer did not shy away from lavish accents; gold accessories by Tom Dixon and New York studio Apparatus glisten in the apartment's natural light, while Calico Wallpaper's embellished ‘Satori’ drip print has been realised in a striking bespoke blue.

Interiors with white sofa , windows — Pitched as a 'living gallery', the space is speckled with contemporary pieces.

Left, ’Aria Hex’ stool and right, ’Laurel’ side table — Left, 'Aria Hex' stool, by the Haas Brothers. Right, 'Laurel' side table, by Luca Nichetto, for De La Espada, from The Future Perfect.

Left: kitchen and right: bathroom — Left, the kitchen space flooded with natural light. Right, the bathroom area flushed with decadent marble.

Gold detailing in the accessories in the apartment — Gold detailing in the accessories feature across the apartment.

’Cylinder Pendant White’ (left) and ’Double Block’ vase — 'Cylinder Pendant White' (left) and 'Double Block' vase, both by Apparatus.

’Catch’ table light — 'Catch' table light, by Lindsey Adelman.

View of master bedroom — The master bedroom has a neutral palette.

Left, Calico’s ’Satori’ and right, the foyer. — Left, Calico's 'Satori' wallpaper in a bespoke blue adds a bold punch of colour to the bedroom space. Right, the foyer.

’Form’ collection, by Tom Dixon. — 'Form' collection, by Tom Dixon.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Kelly Behun website, Artsy website and 432 Park Avenue website

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Sujata Burman is a writer and editor based in London, specialising in design and culture. She was Digital Design Editor at Wallpaper* before moving to her current role of Head of Content at London Design Festival and London Design Biennale where she is expanding the content offering of the showcases. Over the past decade, Sujata has written for global design and culture publications, and has been a speaker, moderator and judge for institutions and brands including RIBA, D&AD, Design Museum and Design Miami/. In 2019, she co-authored her first book, An Opinionated Guide to London Architecture, published by Hoxton Mini Press, which was driven by her aim to make the fields of design and architecture accessible to wider audiences.

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