A Downtown NYC Apartment Is The Coolest Family Home You'll Ever See

By  Elizabeth Stamp
living room Brian W. Ferry

If you're up-to-date on the dining scene in Brooklyn or Los Angeles, chances are you've encountered the work of Home Studios. The Brooklyn–based firm is known for its hospitality designs for restaurants and bars such as Sisters, Fausto, and The Spaniard in New York and Five Leaves and Gwen in L.A, which feature modern aesthetics with vintage-inspired details.

A young family of four looking to overhaul their apartment in New York's NoHo neighborhood was eager to have the firm translate their style into the home. "We were hired even though we hadn't really done a residential project before," says Oliver Haslegrave, founder and principal of Home Studios. "Essentially they trusted our instinct to deliver a truly unique environment."

The 2,000-square-foot apartment had last been renovated in the '80s, so the firm and clients agreed that they needed to start from scratch. Haslegrave wanted to preserve the apartment's open floor plan and the loft-like feel in the living areas and kitchen, while optimizing the available space in the three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The work of Alvar Aalto inspired the curves that appear throughout the apartment from the architecture to the furnishings.

"For this particular project, it was also very important that we incorporate an assortment of vintage, contemporary, and custom work," says the designer. He installed unique copper and oak details throughout the space, including a copper range hood in the kitchen and an oak console in the living room. They chose a neutral but welcoming palette, allowing the natural materials to add warmth to the spaces. All the elements come together into a space that's as eye-catching as one of the firm's hospitality projects, but still livable and family-friendly.

Entry Brian W. Ferry

1. Entry

A wall covered in fluted wood paneling sets the warm and welcoming tone in the entry, where a chair by Max Lamb sits below a painting by Zhu Jinshi.

2. Living Room

living roomBrian W. Ferry

A custom console by Home Studios is the centerpiece of the living room, which Haslegrave filled with a sofa by Egg Collective, a vintage Danish armchair, and a 1940s French rug.

3. Dining Room

dining areaBrian W. Ferry

The dining area's Fort Standard table and vintage Niels Otto Møller chairs complement the wood wall paneling that lines the space. Home Studios designed the light fixture.

4. Kitchen

kitchenBrian W. Ferry

The firm incorporated copper cabinet pulls, lights, and a range hood into the kitchen design. The custom cabinets were painted in Farrow & Ball's Pigeon, adding a soothing, but impactful element.

5. Hallway

hallwayBrian W. Ferry

The copper and oak-accented hallway leads to a travertine-lined alcove, which displays a Jamie Hawkesworth photo.

6. Bedroom

bedroomBrian W. Ferry

A painting by Landon Metz hangs over a custom Home Studios bed. An Atelier de Troupe chair and vintage French lamp create a charming seating area in the main bedroom.

7. Main Bath

bathroomBrian W. Ferry

A custom oval mirror hangs above a marble vanity in the main bathroom.

8. Main Bath

bathroomBrian W. Ferry

Copper-trimmed mosaic tile frames the main bathroom's soaking tub.

9. Kids' Room

kids roomBrian W. Ferry

A feather-covered pendant light and rainbow wall hanging add a playful touch to the kids' room, which is outfitted with a vintage Moroccan rug and a 1950s Vittorio Dassi desk and bookcase.

10. Bathroom

bathroomBrian W. Ferry

Copper accents gleam in a bathroom. The designer used a duo of square tiles to line the floor, tub, vanity, and shower.

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