Interior designer Sandra Weingort is standing in a Tribeca apartment building that was designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects and Daniel Romualdez, who did the interiors. “This 3,000-square-foot apartment was one of the showcase apartments of the project, with finishes completed later and not all done by Romualdez,” she confides. The building was less than half a decade old when Weingort began the project, yet it had already been modified and she wanted to return it to its original state. She was going after something simpler and purer, stripped of superfluous wall coverings and busy decorations, so that “the beautiful architectural elements can shine and the art becomes the center of attention.”
The apartment has three bedrooms, an office, a kitchen, a breakfast room, and a living-dining room for a couple with two teenagers. Chic, elegant, and restrained are accurate descriptions of this family’s style. They want nothing more than to open their home to their close friends and family, limiting their circle to a few intimates. The living-dining room, however, needed to be a versatile space that could feel both sophisticated and relaxed, a space that would work equally well for larger parties and smaller family gatherings.
To simplify the spaces, restore their original spirit, and create a setting that could accommodate the owners’ art collection, Weingort carried out an extensive renovation to the Tribeca apartment, paying particular attention to a new lighting scheme focused on warming spaces and carefully illuminating the walls where artworks would be displayed. In terms of colors, materials, and furniture, the interior designer went after a sober but dignified aesthetic, grounded in the materials she uses.
“The owners’ sensibilities carry them toward a very clean style, which makes us a great team with a very similar vision,” Weingort says. “They appreciate simple geometries and avoid anything that feels too sophisticated.” She chose materials that complement the white walls and mostly ochre and earth tones, though some brighter colors provide contrasts.
The owners discovered Weingort through a project that the interior designer completed on the Lower East Side which was covered by a number of publications. They loved the mid-century spirit of the vintage furniture but, not owning any pieces from that era, they entrusted Weingort to build a collection for them, with one request, however: that she choose only familiar and enduring classics they could relate to. It’s not just about furnishing spaces, but creating a collection that is enduring and relevant, Weingort explains.
“I was blown away by their exquisite taste,” she says. “For people who had never owned vintage pieces before, they showed extraordinary interest, passion, and understanding and together we have assembled a stunning collection.” They have indeed, with works by everyone from Andrée Putman to Sergio Rodrigues, from Martin Eisler and Carlo Hauner to Serge Mouille and Pierre Jeanneret. The collection takes us on a journey across continents, through different periods, and across styles, creating a home rich with layered associations.
