Park & East 90s

BACKSTORY

Almost like a fairytale, young newlyweds moved to NYC and purchased their first home on Park Avenue – then the pandemic stopped everything. Followed by material/labor shortages and inflation, the clients’ long wish-list for this fixer-upper gem required constant reevaluation. In collaboration with the clients who took the challenge in stride, MLID was responsible for the overall aesthetic, suggesting/sourcing architectural details, and custom decor - plus some major “hand holding” for project management & troubleshooting.

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DESIGN BRIEF

We started by defining the essence of Her “Charlotte York’s Park Avenue apartment” idea: timeless, pre-war charm balanced with quality basics in a neutral palette. Next, His aspirations of classic Mid Century furniture (plus tech-savvy smart home upgrades) added a modern twist. All finished with updated floral patterns and blue accent colors throughout. Now after 3 years of hard work in the making, the growing family is making many memories in this airy, spacious dream home.

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COLLABORATORS

Architectural / engineering: Giants in the Dirt
Construction: KBR

Williamsburg

BACKSTORY

This newly developed 2-bedroom condo in the heart of Williamsburg checked every box on this young client's wish list – although the blank slate with “builder grade” finishes felt perhaps too blank. With a thoughtful furniture/lighting plan in mind, we relocated outlets & TV receptacles, and repainted the entire apartment to achieve a subtly rich appearance as this luxury real estate deserves. 

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DESIGN BRIEF

Guided by the contemporary dynamic of the building, from the beginning we knew our concept would be minimalistic and hotel-like, embodied by clean geometric lines and tight-back upholstery. A soft, sandy palette, mixed wood tones and matte stoneware provide a comfortable and dreamy “Japandi” atmosphere, that is very relevant to the stylish neighborhood. The calm aura extends to the primary bedroom’s textural wallpaper and custom drapery. A big shout-out for the client’s collaborative & flexible attitude, which made this project successful, despite the logistic / lead time issues of the pandemic time.

Upper West Side Penthouse

BACKSTORY

After the clients created a duplex by combining apartments staggered on different floors, the new staircase became a bit of a traffic jam. So we switched the living/dining areas to alleviate the bottleneck. Upstairs we created a nice cozy family room while the downstairs living area became more like a formal seating area for entertaining, to be used as an extension of the kitchen.

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DESIGN BRIEF

Usually people play safe with neutral colors for major items like a sofa and rug, but not these clients - they love colors! So firstly we agreed on a Paul Smith inspired custom rug for the family room, which we could pull lots of fun colors (look at the yellow settee!) and relate them to one another. With babies on their way, we made sure that the materials are all family-friendly: plush but hypoallergenic, and easy to clean.

West End Avenue

BACKSTORY

With windows facing a tree-lined street, the living room is pleasantly quiet while it could use more light. The client wanted the room to be a well-lit hangout space where three children study, play video games, and cuddle up on movie nights. We also upgraded a girl’s room as her high school graduation gift (in lieu of a party due to the pandemic) and a home office with a pretty, Zoom-ready background.

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DESIGN BRIEF

Inheriting a periwinkle color palette in the existing open kitchen/dining, we were thinking light & airy. The client owned “farm chic” furniture in dark leather and walnut, that we utilized as a contrast against new clean walls. Meanwhile the grown-up girl’s room received a makeover with furniture in shades of grey to replace pinks, and the office is now featuring a graphic, specialty wallpaper that makes the most of the cozy bonus room. 

Brooklyn Heights

BACKSTORY

With a tight schedule in mind, we sought to give the space a wallet-friendly facelift. The original space ticked all elements that are typical for pre-war coops renovated in the 80s - parquet floor and laminate countertop. Building on minor "architectural corrections" such as closet reconfigurations and cabinetry replacement, material/furniture upgrades brought the apartment a contemporary attitude.

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DESIGN BRIEF

Harmonizing with the pre-war vibe, we wanted to maintain the dark wood floor and tall baseboards throughout. In the kitchen the new vintage inspired cabinetry is paired with a modern geometric backsplash and clean hardware. The new graphic wallpaper and moody palette provide a dramatic background for the existing earth-toned furniture.

84th Street Kitchen

BACKSTORY

Located on the ground floor of a pre-war landmark building, a few vertical pipes were arbitrarily located over time, which are shared and couldn’t move. Electrical behind the existing metal lath & plaster surfaces was discovered to be partially “knob & tube” wiring. To address these issues up to code with budget/time constraints, we needed some drastic cost-reduction ideas, while the final product is stylish and in a solid quality.
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DESIGN BRIEF

To achieve the clean alignment of the cabinetry front, prefabricated boxes were placed around the obstacles like Tetris game, maximizing the storage space. The wood panels are semi-custom from another vendor, which are glamorized by modern brass hardware. Glazed, purple-grey backsplash and matte porcelain “travertine” tiles contribute to the timeless, streamlined aesthetic.