Crosby Street Loft

Defying logic, this downtown loft demonstrates how contrasting materials and forms can be united to create a superbly composed and harmonious private residence. The juxtapositions—dark and light, rough and smooth, metal and wood, grained and glossy—cohere into a design that is polished yet gritty, warm yet audaciously modern. The client purchased the SoHo floor-through as a pied-à-terre for frequent stays in New York City. The interior had been stripped of its industrial heritage except for the antique, 12-foot, Corinthian cast-iron structural columns that now appear as sculpture punctuating the length of the apartment. Originally a three bedroom, we removed a partition to transform one bedroom into an open-plan study. New Danish softwood floors of century-old Douglas fir planks, which are a foot wide and two-inches thick, create a sumptuous foundation to the 3,000-square-foot space. The columns were scraped clean and fireproofed with shiny black paint which subtly accents the fluted sides and Corinthian capitals. In the main living area, a minimalist fireplace and hearth are contained within a 12-foot, blackened steel architectural surround amid clean white walls and deeply recessed, double-hung windows framed in simple white trim. The open kitchen has a black Boffi island and cabinets in black oiled steel. Stainless steel rod pulls, fixtures and a cylindrical, overhead lighting fixture reflect daylight from adjacent windows. A custom, rough-hewn wood plank table on stainless steel legs abuts the sleek island for casual dining and additional prep or buffet area. Over the dining room table, a branching, 10-light chandelier is a custom sculptural installation by Lindsey Adelman Studio. A sweeping, curved wall circumscribes the guest bedroom while carving a sinuous crescent-shaped area into the primary suite, which closes off behind a nearly floor-to-ceiling pivoting door of fumed oak slabs. Dark stone walls clad the bathrooms with oversized, back-lit, frameless, floating mirrors and gray Balsatina stone floors. With a design that extols the integrity of exceptional materials, this loft is at once simple yet intriguing. Within its carefully measured eloquence, it seemingly suspends time.