Soho Loft

Designed by well-known French Architect Jean Nouvel, 40 Mercer Street is a modern cast iron building in the heart of Soho with a cutting-edge lobby design and spacious apartment layouts, flooded with light from large windows looking at all the downtown landmarks. The client had one request, to make the space more personal and create a chef’s dream kitchen.

After our survey we discovered basic closets, each with differing color and shades. We also learned that the same cabinetry was used in kitchen and bathrooms. The client felt uncomfortable with this treatment. She wanted the space to be cohesive but having the same feeling in the bathroom and kitchen was not acceptable. Our goal was to create a cohesive loft like environment, unifying the space but delineating areas for living, dining, and entertainment with oasis like master bedroom area and guest bedrooms. One of the client’s immediate desires was to redesign the bathrooms, which all had a different type of wood treatment that was also used for the kitchen cabinetry. We encouraged her to look at this challenge from a different perspective; with the bathrooms basically being brand new with good quality fixtures and marble, it would be an expensive (and unnecessary in my opinion) endeavor to change all of them. We suggested changing the kitchen cabinetry instead, and for the bathrooms to use a cosmetic approach, staining the cabinets with a contemporary shade and changing the wall color to be more compatible with that new wood shade, resolving the issue with the same cabinetry that was used in the kitchen and bathroom. This cost-effective decision was integral to the feel of the space and the client’s needs; the transformation had begun.

In the living room there was an optical separation between the entry, dining area and living area, which was marked in three different zones, with differing sections of a drop ceiling. We created harmony by consolidating colors and materials and designing a long wall (with dark grey boiserie paneling) starting from the entry door through to the kitchen up to its window. This long wall concealed an entry coat closet, the door leading to the laundry and powder room area, and on the other side, a large sliding door that hid the guest room. This seamless transition was aesthetically pleasing and functional, concealing areas with the same materials so that there was a harmonic flow transitioning from area to area. Beautiful Italian furnishings highlight the living area with a TV unit from InterLubke, Minotti sofa, coffee table and console. The Dining Area has an Armani Casa table and Minotti chairs perfect for family and friends to gather. The kitchen Island, sizable enough for food prep and conversation is custom Corian and the Kitchen design is from Lube.

We sanded and stained the floor in the living area and Guest Room 2 in a light color and painted walls in light shade of white, conceiving an expansive light mood. We sanded and stained guest room 1 with dark color and the same in the Master Bedroom area and added a dark colored paint. The Master Bedroom oasis has a dreamy B&B Italia king size bed, a Poliform chest of drawers and TV unit, a large custom mirror designed by Giusi Mastro and several light fixtures, including an Ingo Maurer heart fixture, a whimsical piece of art history.

In one of the guest rooms the client wanted a workspace, so we customized a design of a long glossy lacquer desk with stainless steel legs. We included a Poliform queen bed and Minotti glass bookshelf on the wall.

These thoughtful changes lead to considerable metamorphosis. When the client witnessed how we could improve a space and produce results that were cost and time effective, she asked us to create a mural for the Guest Room and custom artwork for the study. The client, an up-and-coming chef, was incredibly pleased with the results. It is always a pleasure to design a kitchen for someone who utilizes it to the fullest. With the wall paneling and the newly designed integrated ceiling which streamlined the entire space, Giusi Mastro and ORA studio produced the ambience of a downtown New York City loft and the client got the personal space she was seeking.