Transforming a new residence into a true home is a challenge that goes beyond picture-perfect decor
On a somewhat short timeline, a two-bedroom, two-bath loft in Greenwich Village for a single father and his middle school-aged daughter was designed move-in ready, emergina s a livable, artistically striking space where no detail was compromised.
“There was some urgency to have it warm, comfortable and settled quickly,” says Glenn Gissler, whose architectural training and wealth of knowledge in the decorative arts and turn-of-the-century style regularly land him among the top designer lists and magazine pages. “There was a fair amoutn of books and a lot fo art to be accommodated.”
The artwork- some from the client’s personal collection and other pieces acquired for the space – takes the spotlight in the warm cocoa-hued living room. A diverse mix of historic and modern (“not contemporary but classic modern,” Gissler notes) ranging from Donald Judd to Andy Warhol to Kiki Smith pops dramatically against the contrasting dark chocolate walls in Gissler’s trademark play of color and chiaroscuro.
“If you put light-colored artowkr on a light-colord wall, it becomes nearly invisible,” shares Gissler. ” A darker wall color recedes and becomes the frame, making the lighter elements come foward.”
The frolic of light is one of the designer’s specialties, and one that came in particularly handy in the loft, where natural lighting wasn’t abundant. “Like many lofts, it didn’t have a great amount of daylight, so lighting was a key element,” explains Gissler.
“We used lamps to create intimate spaces, directional lighting to illuminate artwork.” Dimmmers allow for atmospheric control whether for entertaining, television watching or relaxing.
“One of the challenges of a loft is that you’re always in the same place,” Gissler comments. “If you haven’t done your dishes or made your bed, you see it, always.” To counteract the open plan, we worked to build “layers,” which created separate spaces to be “revealed as you experienced the loft, not from the front door.”
