Home tour: A bespoke pied-à-terre with tasteful art displays in New York City

Jae Joo Designs strikes a tranquil balance between the complexity of art and modest spaces

For an Asian family that often travels for work and would meet in the holiday residence in Tribeca, New York City, to spend time together, interior designer Jae Joo set about creating an ambience of serenity and harmony that prevails in the different areas of the apartment.

“The challenge was to create a home that feels livable, inviting yet vibrant, all while preserving its clean and minimalistic essence,” recalls Jae. “Every item was chosen with the notion of comfort in mind, to achieve a sense of balance and warmth.”

An art-filled Tribeca pied-à-terre custom-made for an Asian family that travels often for work

Above Every item was chosen with the notion of comfort in mind, to achieve a sense of balance and warmth

While there is very little architectural detail to work on within the condominium of the 2017 Robert A.M. Stern Architects’ development, inspiration sparked for Jae on what she could do to the apartment with three bedrooms and three-and-a-half bath when she spoke to her client and discovered her passion for contemporary art.

“When my client, who is the daughter of the family who owns the apartment, contacted me to design their family pied-à-terre, something special about her love for design resonated with me right away,” remembers Jae. “Art is a big part of my process, and it was so great working with someone who shared the same interest and curiosity.”

Above Ceramic piece by Nicolas Guagnini from Bortolami Gallery

Above The living space benefits from abundant natural light coming in through a large window

The client already owned some lovely art pieces that Jae could integrate effortlessly into the apartment, so the interior designer could only follow through by acquiring a few more pieces from New York-based art galleries.

From the Bortolami Gallery, there was a bijou ceramic piece by Argentinian artist Nicolas Guagnini that acted as a focus-driven piece on the off-white wall and sofa corner in the living room.

Moreover, the living space benefits from abundant natural light coming in through a large window, and this affords a seamless blend of the curated colours into a captivating and eclectic palette.

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Above A balance between the warm and temperate in the dining area

Above Bookshelf by French designer Pierre Chapo all the way from Germany

Above The credenza with powder blue doors matched the quilt by Stephen Towns from De Buck Gallery

In the dining area, above the credenza with powder blue doors, was a matching quilt by artist Stephen Towns, whose work explores how American history influences contemporary society, obtained from De Buck Gallery.

The oceanic tones of Towns’ artwork anchored one end of the dining collective, with seatings of a kindred palette by French interior designer Pierre Yovanovitch. On the other end of the spectrum, painter Tahnee Lonsdale’s vibrant artwork, also from De Buck Gallery, balanced the warmer character of wood from the dining table and chairs, the flooring, and the discreet yet elegant bookshelf by French designer Pierre Chapo all the way from Germany.

Photo 1 of 2 Handpainted mural by Dean Barger in the guest bedroom

Photo 2 of 2 Custom wallpaper by De Gournay in the master bedroom

The lively tones of Lonsdale’s semi-abstract art piece spilled into the guest bedroom, where muralist Dean Barger handpainted the wall that complemented it, while in the master bedroom, De Gournay’s custom wallpaper balanced the other end of the tonal scale.

“While I love to use bold colours, I always try to incorporate them to ensure they harmonise with the overall space, never overwhelming its ambience,” shares Jae. “Even with the presence of powder white walls, there exists a delicate equilibrium between the subdued backdrop and the vibrant hues that enliven the surroundings.

Playing off the vibrant visuals that adorned the walls, Jae used soft pastel fabrics of durable and luxurious make, such as cashmere, wool and thick washed linen. Besides using mohair velvet to create soft lines and lush texture throughout the apartment, Jae chose a hundred per cent cashmere fabric from Italian specialist Loro Piana for the sofa.

Above The cashmere sofa was built, assembled and upholstered on site to fit the corner of the living room perfectly

“We had to build many of the furniture pieces inside of the unit because we had no other way to get it in,” she notes.

“The cashmere sofa was built, assembled and upholstered on site to fit the corner of the living room perfectly, and it feels like a dream to sit on the sofa.”

In conclusion, Jae adds: “By blending contrasting elements, and through careful curation of materials, textures, and colours without compromising on its aesthetic appeal or quality, the end result is a space that just feels right, where everything feels effortless and gracefully blended.”

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Credits

Photography

William Jess Laird

Topics

pied-à-terre New York City Bespoke Tribeca

Tatler Asia

Home tour: A bespoke pied-à-terre with tasteful art displays in New York City