Skip to content

House Tour: Inside a 40th Floor Apartment in the heart of Manhattan

Taking cues from Scandinavian design, this luxury apartment is an inner city sanctuary

Bookmark article to read later

By House & Garden South Africa | May 9, 2024 | Interiors

This two-bedroom apartment is on the 40th floor of a new building in New York City’s NoMad neighbourhood in Manhattan comes with with wrap-around views of city skyline from every room.

From the get go, the entryway brings you into a spacious great room 3 meter high ceilings and south, east and west exposures. On the other side of the apartment remain the private bedrooms with a primary wing including two closets and a marble bathroom.

The sophisticated NYC apartment can easily go from lounging to entertaining. Photography by Kelsey Ann Rose.

Designed by Larisa Barton of Soeur Interiors, the apartment’s design team really wanted to let the views speak for themselves, giving way to a palette of warm neutrals throughout.

Drawing inspiration from Scandinavian design principles to keep the space streamlined for the homeowner’s busy life, the design team emphasized the importance of form and function over unnecessary clutter.

For instance, when incorporating a small bar component for the homeowner, Larisa Barton opted not to allocate a separate space for it, considering its occasional use. Instead, she designed a floating media console, seamlessly integrating a small, functional bar with a mirrored interior, conveniently positioned at the ideal height for preparing drinks.

A fabric light fixture in the bedroom adds extra softness to an otherwise functional feature. Photography by Kelsey Ann Rose.

A Sanctuary from a Busy Life

In the great room the interior designers brought in elements of black to add a layer of sophistication while in the bedroom, decor was kept in shades of white and ivory.

“My client has a very busy life and we wanted the bedroom to be a sanctuary at the end of the day,” says Larisa Barton.

The interior designer tied in a neutral palette with ceramic furnishings throughout. Photography by Kelsey Ann Rose.

But the biggest challenge the designer faced in this home was having the client commit to a great room layout. The natural instinct is to want to face the views. However, it did not allow her to use the space how she lives in day to day. Therefore she was convinced to do something more practical.

Plus, the space took 1.5 years to complete due to a massive delay on the dining table, which got held up in Brazil for several months and was the last item to come in.

Some funky shapes such as the custom cut entry runner were introduced to add a touch of playfulness. Photography by Kelsey Ann Rose.

A Master Class in Textural Layering

Keeping the bones in the apartment, the interior designer brought in a lot of natural materials such as oak and Calacatta Borghini marble, along with plush textured fabrics. Even plaster is used in several different elevated capacities on the walls to add natural dimension without taking away from the brightness of the space.

With an open and airy feel, the space remains inviting. Photography by Kelsey Ann Rose.

The design team also focused on adding a lot of soft natural lighting to the space, which is seen throughout Scandinavian design.

“All of our ceiling fixtures provide an ambient light to the room such as the natural crystal dining light or the fabric fixture in the bedroom,” says Larisa Barton. “We focused on creating a feeling of coziness and comfort among all of the clean lines and minimalism.”

Throughout the apartment, oversized abstract pieces come with their own organic nature. Photography by Kelsey Ann Rose.