designer joe nahem revisits and reinvents the interior of a new york

INTERIOR DESIGN / JOE NAHEM, FOX-NAHEM ASSOCIATES
HOME BUILDER / JAMES MANSFIELD, WEST VILLAGE GC
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE / ALEC GUNN, GUNN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
SECOND
TIME
AROUND
DESIGNER JOE NAHEM REVISITS
AND REINVENTS THE INTERIOR OF
A NEW YORK CITY DUPLEX.
WRITTEN BY LISA DAVIS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER MURDOCK
STYLING BY BRENTON WOLF
I
t wasn’t that the first time around wasn’t good
enough. Thirteen years ago, designer Joe Nahem
created a haven for a then-childless couple on
the 11th and 12th floors of a 140-unit family-owned
apartment building in Chelsea, but over time,
the couple added a girl and twin boys to their family. To
transform the apartment into a larger, more baby-friendly
space, the couple annexed an 800-square-foot apartment,
creating a more spacious 5,500-square-foot five-bedroom
home, and as the children approached the tween phase,
“they wanted to update, upgrade and refresh,” says Nahem.
The owners decided to undergo what one of them
calls a “cosmetic renovation.” The catch: It had to be
done while the family was away for the summer. Nahem
and his team, who had also designed the couple’s
Hamptons house, their corporate offices and their
mother’s and sister’s homes, had 10 weeks to reinvent
the apartment. “When they came home after Labor
Day, it had to be 100 percent finished,” says Nahem.
Well aware of the tight time constraint—they had taken
on a project that would normally span at least six
months—general contractor James Mansfield oversaw
the operation. “To make it work we broke it down into
multiple pieces and broke those pieces down with
multiple subcontractors,” says Mansfield, who hired
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European influences can be seen throughout the formal dining room. The large 1937 French buffet, crafted of
rosewood and brass from Jean Royère, was purchased in Paris. On it are midcentury Tommi Parzinger candlesticks;
a Line Vautrin mirror hovers above. The antique Grey Barr limestone tiles from Paris Ceramics were refinished.
four cabinetmakers, two flooring companies, two tile
companies and two plaster companies. The latter were
responsible for almost $250,000 worth of Venetian plaster.
“There were about 12 varieties, colors, finishes and
glazes of plaster, and we had to match the existing
exactly while replacing all of it,” says Mansfield. A little
healthy competition pushed the project ahead. The
eight to 12 plasterers working there daily “turned it into
a beauty contest,” he adds. “They each wanted to prove
what an incredible product they could produce.”
Because of the short time frame, there were no
structural changes. Most of the existing furnishings stayed
but were reupholstered, with new rugs and draperies
splashing a different feel into each space. “Everything in
the apartment was re-covered,” says Nahem. “Nothing
was left in its original state.” This practicality made
sense, not just time-wise, but also in regard to simple
convenience. The custom-designed living room sofa, for
instance, had to be hoisted in the first time, so instead
of replacing it (and hoisting it out), they re-covered it
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in Stark’s Lugano fabric in Rye and upholstered the
cushions in custom-woven leather with Lurex.
In the dining room, the midcentury gilded-iron dining
chairs, designed by André Arbus, were also re-covered
in leather with Lurex, but with black horsehair trim. “If
somebody spills something, it’s a lot more practical than
handmade silk,” explains Nahem. Taking an unexpected
turn, the team sprayed the existing custom-designed table
with an auto-grade high-gloss silver lacquer. “It’s what they
use on Mercedes,” says Nahem.
The breakfast room took its cues from the dining room,
with the banquette also being redone in woven leather.
A wood laminate was inserted in the custom-designed
Corian table, and the walls and vintage Pierre Guariche
chairs were re-covered. The dining room floors—antique
Grey Barr limestone from Paris Ceramics—remained, but
were refinished by Mansfield, yet the 18th-century French
Louis XVI stone fireplace surround didn’t need a thing.
The overall look is subdued but not restrictive. “We agreed
we didn’t want to go overboard with color,” says Nahem.
For the living room, Fox-Nahem
custom-designed a sofa with a
handmade bronze base and a
back upholstered in Stark’s Lugano
Rye fabric while covering the seat
cushion in Toyine Sellers’ customwoven fabric with leather and Lurex.
The 1940s coffee table has a Dore
bronze base and Saint-Gobain glass
top. The untitled painting by Chris
Martin serves as a focal point.
In the dining room, Fox-Nahem
reupholstered the 1948 André Arbus
gilded-iron dining chairs in a woven
leather and Lurex fabric, with trim in
Maharam’s black Horsehair Striae.
The table was custom-designed by
Fox-Nahem, finished with a highgloss metallic silver automobilegrade lacquer. The 1950s Jules
Leleu chandelier, with two types
of glass, is painted gilt bronze.
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The bronze bar in the living room, which features
hand-cast supports and leather front panels,
was custom-designed by Fox-Nahem, creating
a dramatic focal point in the living room. It
was fabricated by Plant Construction.
Above: Fox-Nahem customdesigned the breakfast room’s
oval dining table using Glacier
White Corian on the base and top,
with trim in Russet Tropical wood
laminate. The dining chairs are
1950s Pierre Guariche. Fox-Nahem
then reupholstered the vintage
banquette by Osvaldo Borsani in
Pollack’s Al Fresco fabric in Mousse.
Left: The kitchen needed a more
thorough makeover, accomplished
by replacing and re-facing cabinet
doors with a high-gloss lacquer,
installing new Corian countertops
in Glacier White and upgrading
appliances. Fox-Nahem customdesigned the walnut shelves.
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Above: The powder room’s facelift consisted of
new wallcovering—Crezana’s Dolce Vita grass
cloth with aluminum studs; the 1960s resin mirror is
from France. The vanity boasts a vintage chrome
base outfitted with a black Corian countertop.
Left: In the den, the team was able to get a little more
playful. The custom-designed sofa by Fox-Nahem was
reupholstered in Toyine Sellers’ custom-woven fabric.
The same fabric, in a different weave, was used for the
draperies. The 1950s coffee table is Brazilian rosewood
with a glass top, and the 1948 antique rug is from Sweden.
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Opposite: On the main terrace sits a Laszlo extendable table, topped with reverse-painted
glass, by Janus et Cie, which was also the source of the Branch armchairs.
Below: The two terraces had been overgrown, so the team set out to tame them. They
are now outfitted with new furniture, new planters and new plants.
“THE TERRACE NEEDED TO BE
CLEANED UP AND SIMPLIFIED. I
WANT MY CLIENTS TO USE THE
SPACES, NOT JUST LOOK AT THEM.”
−ALEC GUNN
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Continuing the home’s recurring blue theme, the master bedroom walls are upholstered in Pierre Frey’s Antigua in
Aqua. The custom rug is by Rosemary Hallgarten. The bed, custom-designed by Fox-Nahem, is upholstered in Kerry
Joyce Textiles’ Diamante fabric. French ceramic lamps by George Pelletier with custom shades flank the bed.
The master bathroom had been clad in dramatic blue-and-beige Brazilian
marble the first time around—with the Fox-Nahem team custom-designing
the vanity and medicine cabinet—so little had to be done in the reinvention
of the apartment. The sinks and faucet fixtures are by Waterworks.
Because the couple has a great art collection and every
room on the ground floor opens out to the terraces, the
interior had to stand on its own but not compete with the
art and scenery. Silvery grays, soft blues and warm taupes
dominate the home. “We wanted to keep a neutral palette
but not boring beige,” says Nahem. “These are not boring
beige people.” In the den, though—the only area closed
off from the open plan of the first floor—they got a little
bolder. “That was a room where we could get away with
a little color,” says Nahem. The custom-designed sofa
was reupholstered in Toyine Sellers’ custom-woven fabric
with curtains to match in a lighter weave, and the Delfino
armchairs got a skin of Italian suede to echo the wall
panels; the pillows were covered in royal blue velvet.
The biggest shift was reserved for the kitchen. “After 13
years and three kids, they felt the kitchen needed the most
updating,” says Nahem. Cabinet doors were refaced in a
high-gloss lacquer and the wood counters replaced with
Glacier White Corian. The team replaced the sink, faucet
and appliances, and put a stainless-steel backsplash
beneath a window overlooking one of two terraces, both
of which also received makeovers. “It was a very forestlike terrace,” says the owner—overgrown with trees. In
response, landscape architect Alec Gunn and his team
changed the planters and plantings, creating a pared-down
look that still feels like an urban oasis. “It needed to be
cleaned up and simplified,” says Gunn. “I want my clients
to use the spaces, not just look at them.”
When the family returned on Labor Day, they were
thrilled. “It was like walking into a brand-new home,” the
owner says. “I knew when we returned that I would love
it just as much, if not more, than the first time.”
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