The inside of this aerie is yet another successful project of Monique Gibson, one of New York’s leading interior designers. This duplex penthouse situated in Tribeca looks out over both Hudson and the East River and on clear days the panoramic view even stretches all the way north to Central Park. This apartment had to receive the proper interior design to complement its stunning view of the city, and Monique surely delivered.
On request of a family, Monique was tasked with transforming this initially traditional and closed-off apartment into something more youthful and open that suited this family’s spirit. With awe-inspiring 13-foot-high ceilings and 6,000 square feet this apartment already had much potential. Still, the challenge was to build atop of its grandeur, not in any way diminish it, and at the same time please the family expectations.
Starting from the living room, Monique allowed this home to “exhale”. The walls on both sides of the fireplace and on the opposite side of the room were substituted with steel-framed windows. A perfectly rounded creme sofa encircles a modern center table in the middle of the room and is set across from two crescent-shaped chairs in a similar creme tone. These furniture pieces are brought together by a simple and neutral sugar rug and make for a perfect lounge area.
For the foyer and the dining room, Monique chose a terrazzo speckled with gray and black. The kitchen centers around a sculptural walnut dining table surrounded by modern bar stools. This table is fashioned by Joseph Walsh, an Irish artist and self-taught furniture maker. Similar designer furniture pieces are spread across the entire apartment along with several intriguing paintings.
Despite the owners’ minimalist tendencies, Monique also managed to imbue the apartment with warmth using cozy colors, upholstery, rugs, and even a tapestry from the 18th century that beautifully covered the walls of the main bedroom.
What’s more, to fulfill the wife’s desire of incorporating a black-and-white-stripe design somewhere, Monique chose the perfect spot – the playroom. This area is enriched with fun shapes that encourage children’s creativity and imagination, yet in no way undermine the elegance of the rest of the apartment.
Finally, determined to accentuate this apartment’s most impressive attribute, the family and the designer jointly withheld from placing any furniture in the foyer and the central living room channel. This left the path from the front door to the terrace completely unrestrained. As a result, the visitors are almost magnetically pulled to a place where the Lower Manhattan view is at its finest.
