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The kitchen is small but lives large. As a pied-a-terre, the owners would not be doing heavy cooking. A small island houses a wine fridge and microwave. An appliance garage hides all the clutter. And two hidden doors pocket into the center volume, which can be closed for privacy to the bedroom.

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Fifth Avenue Pied-À-Terre

This minimalist one-bedroom apartment is a pied-à-terre for a couple who split their time between New York and Florida. Prior to the renovation, the apartment was dark, despite four west-facing windows along Central Park, so a primary goal was to make the space feel lighter and brighter. Conceptually, millwork volumes - rather than conventional partitions - read as floating objects while delineating the different spaces. This helps stretch the perception of space to the apartment’s perimeter walls. The living and bedroom spaces flow into one another, and when privacy is needed, hidden pocket doors recessed in the pantry volume can be closed.

The owners did not need a full kitchen, as they typically eat out when they are in the city. Smaller appliances are used to keep the kitchen compact. The dining banquette below two windows offers a great view down Fifth Avenue along Central Park. To maximize space in the small living space, the banquette wraps around to become a built-in sofa. From the chaise at the end, one can look out of all four windows in the apartment simultaneously, providing amazing views of the tree canopy in Central Park.

To enhance a sense of openness, it was important to the owners to maximize the ceiling heights in the living spaces, which did not leave room for recessed lighting. So, creative lighting solutions were employed, such as strategically placed linear light coves, and linear LEDs incorporated into the millwork. Along the long art wall above the sofa, the ceiling also ‘peels’ down to reveal another linear light to highlight art.

To make the entry - previously the darkest space in the apartment - feel brighter, white gloss millwork panels line one side, which also ‘hide’ two doors to storage closets. Mirrors are employed in clever ways to bounce light. White glass is used for the kitchen backsplash, and ultrathin glossy white Dekton is used for the countertops, millwork sleeves, and window sills. Not wanting an all-white apartment, the owners wanted to incorporate some color into the architecture. Champagne-colored metallic millwork at the floating volumes not only reflects light but is dynamic, subtly changing tone and color with the daylight. Details were designed to allow for no applied hardware pulls or exposed door hardware anywhere in the apartment to preserve the reading and rhythm of millwork panels and maintain a minimalist aesthetic. Though minimalist in their belongings, the owners brought some bolder colors into the furnishings with souvenirs collected from their travels around the world – rugs from Africa, artwork from Iran, and unique ceramics and pottery.

Status: Built
Location: New York, NY, US
Firm Role: Architect
Additional Credits: General Contractor: Aerial Design and Build

The existing entry was very dark. Recessed lights were added. Complementing the custom metallic-colored millwork, a wall of glossy white panels bounces light, making the space feel brighter, and hides two 'hidden' doors to a coat closet and a small office closet.

A built-in sofa makes the most of a small living space that is open to the foyer and the kitchen.

The custom built-in sofa was designed to house speakers. A custom 'light peel' fixtures was designed and fabricated, as we didn't have space for recessed lighting without lowering the ceilings heights, which we wanted to avoid.

The appliance garage hides all the clutter for the minimalist owners. Two pocket doors in the volume can be closed for separation to the bedroom, or opened for the reading of one larger space. The appliance garage cabinet doors also can fully pocket into the cabinet for ease of use. Recessed finger pulls are used throughout the apartment for a super clean, minimal look without any hardware.

The island hides a wine fridge, microwave, and pull-out trash. Opposite the sink wall includes a dishwasher and 24" induction cooktop and wall oven. Recessed finger pulls are used throughout the apartment for a super clean, minimal look without any hardware.

In the bedroom, the owners repurposed and repainted their existing bed. But we designed and built custom floating nightstands for a tailored look. Leveraging an existing beam, we created a light cove and installed wall-mounted reading lamps to offset the lack of recessed lighting.

The backside of the appliance garage volume houses a TV niche facing the master bed. A hall connecting to the bathrooms is lined with more metallic-colored millwork, housing a dresser and niche.

Linear light coves were incorporated into the existing structural beams whenever possible to wash the ceilings in light. Linear lights were also incorporated along the backside of the white sleeves that make up the niches.

Off the bedroom is an open master closet with simple, functional, white shelving. A recessed baseboard detail is used where there is sheetrock wall. A clean detail that's also practical. Rather than bringing the sheetrock to the floor, the added base allowed us to mitigate any irregularities in the existing parquet flooring. The dark wood flooring was refinished, creating an almost whitewashed monolithic effect, to manage costs.

A primary bath and a powder room are located off the hallway running behind the kitchen. Custom doors were created to look like a continuation of millwork panels when closed. Continuing the notion of hardware-less cabinets, flush recessed pulls were used, so there's no hardware projecting from the bathroom doors.

Similarly, a laundry closet has double millwork doors that read as full height, floor-to-ceiling panels when closed. When open, though a room, the interior reads as another cabinet with pre-finished maple built-ins, including the one special request from the owners a pull-out ironing board drawer.

In the powder room, simple, clean white 12x24 wall tiles wrap the small space. Built-in cabinets on one end also read like white millwork wall panels when closed. Integral finger pulls on the doors allow for no hardware.

A millwork paneled lined hallway connects the foyer and primary suite behind the kitchen. The backside of the kitchen houses the laundry. Behind all those millwork panels are cabinets or rooms, as the majority of panels are cabinet doors or doors to the bathrooms and laundry. The champagne metallic-color was selected with the owner, who wanted 'color' - not 'all-white' and not wood- but was not looking for primary colors. The result was a happy middle ground that was warm and unique but neutral.