Purchased as a pied-a-terre by a couple with grown children living near the City, this Penthouse Studio features a virtually unbroken wall of windows looking out to a 45' wide terrace with sweeping views north toward Mid-town Manhattan.

Project team:

Richard Lucas; Lydia Kiehborth Millwork: Better Glass and Woodwork General Contractor: Highline Design Corporation

The interior of the Studio space, however, lacked any other distinguishing characteristics, posing the problem of how to infuse it with personality while providing privacy for a sleeping area and without disrupting the view or overall openness of the apartment.

The solution involved the installation of new lighting and custom-cabinetry, providing spatial definition within the apartment while adding warmth and character to the space but still accentuating its overall proportions.

A central divider cabinet becomes the key element in the space, obstructing direct views into the bedroom without hampering perception of the apartment's overall size or impeding the views and natural light.

Doubling as a media center and storage unit, the wall cabinet is designed with accent lighting and sliding screen panels that can be opened or closed, offering additional privacy to the bedroom area when needed.

In the Sleeping Area, a custom platform bed and matching, full-width headboard on the south wall are paired with a continuous storage cabinet and A/C unit cover running the length of the north window wall.

Although flooded with morning sunlight, the apartment was otherwise dimly lit by only a few standard, surface mounted fixtures. Lighting was therefore enhanced by installing a suspended track system in the Living Room, Kitchen, and over an existing prep and dining island. Custom, back lit mirrors and concealed up-lighting on the divider cabinet complete the scene, adding ambience and intimacy to the Studio.