Neutral Territory
In a duplex loft in Manhattan, designer Francine Gardner used unusual accessories to give earth-toned rooms plenty of personality.
Photo: Michael Grimm
I'm not a color person,” says New York City interior designer Francine Gardner. “I prefer neutrals—tans, white, beiges and browns.”
Fortunately, the owner of this duplex loft in SoHo, an investment banker who bought the place as a bachelor two years ago and recently married, feels exactly the same way. And so, while he wanted his home to be one-of-a-kind, he told Gardner when he hired her, its personality should come from form and texture, not color and clutter.
“Rather than make color the central focus, as it is in many apartments,” he says, “I wanted the space and the pieces themselves to be the focal point.”
To accommodate that desire, Gardner chose pieces with standout shapes and materials, juxtaposing hard edges with soft curves, natural materials with manmade ones. “The palette is neutral,” says the designer, “but it is very warm, and I introduced beautiful rich woods to break the modernity.” Refined custom built-ins play against the pronounced grain of the wide-plank flooring.
In the living room, floor lamps designed by José Esteves for Interieurs, Gardner’s TriBeCa store, marry the curvilinear form of a traditional brass chandelier with the industrial edge of an aluminum mesh lampshade. Window treatments are simple but gauzy, for a softer modern look. And one-of-a-kind undulating benches from France (made of kamagong, a hard, dense fruitwood found only in the Philippines) offer textural contrast to cushy sofas and chairs that are upholstered in cream and brown, respectively.
“The living room is the first thing you see when you walk into the apartment,” says Gardner, “so I wanted to make the contrast a bit more dramatic than it is in other parts of the home.”
Click here to view the resources for this article.
MORE DECORATING ARTICLES
| The Guide to Holiday Style | Kitsch-less Christmas |
| Holidays with Personal Style | Holiday Decorating: Less is More |
| TRICKS OF THE TRADE: Creating Character | A Balance of Art and Light |
