Interiors  ·  Residential

Tour a Glossy Manhattan High-Rise Apartment That’s Actually Surprisingly Cozy

July 18, 2023

When a British designer was tapped for a big project in an even bigger city, it was time to get to work

By Sophia Herring
Photography by David Mitchell

“I’m just a boy from Northern England with a small studio,” Charles Mellersh professes as he retells the tale—with a smidge of disbelief—of how he managed to design his first project overseas, a New York City luxury high-rise.

“It was scary and challenging, but certainly exciting,” he adds, noting the additional barriers of having to find an entirely new set of workers, suppliers, and contractors. Most challenging of all would be the initial state of the apartment, which boasted a high-polish, intensely gilded and ornate interior—a look that was completely antithetical to the warm, down-to-earth, and cozy home that Mellersh envisioned. “With the frescos and upholstered walls, Liberace could have lived there,” the designer jokes.
The drawing room overlooks Columbus Circle. A subtle clay finish was used on the walls. The sofa, ottoman, and rug are all custom designs by Charles Mellersh.
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The first order of business was to strip the apartment of its layered treatments. Once returned to its bare white-box beginnings, Mellersh was able to give the home a distinctly personal feel, untethered to its former styling. That of course created a new issue: “The problem was it felt like generic international luxury,” Mellersh says. His clients, however, wanted a cozy city base that would provide a welcome respite after inevitably busy days. “So we gave careful consideration to materials that would instill a deep sense of comfort, and help ground them.”
A pair of vintage 1950s walnut and straw Paola Buffy chairs from Angela Weber help make for a cozy seating nook in the corner.
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“The family wanted a really sophisticated powder room for guests,” the designer shares. The result is a sleek marble and wood design that ties into the kitchen.
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In the open kitchen and dining area, this meant using an array of earthy tones, beginning with oak veneer paneling along the walls, in order to convey a sense of warmth. Timber chevron floors were carefully crafted to further emphasize materiality. However, the busy gray and white Arabescata seen in the kitchen took a bit of convincing. (It was a hit in the end.) “I love [being able to] add a sense of nature with graphic shapes,” the designer muses.
Custom-designed chevron timber floors can be seen in the dining room. Table and chairs by Martino Gamper.
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Bespoke kitchen design by Mellersh, featuring Crillon stools by Soane Britain.
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At the end of the open kitchen and dining area, Mellersh crafted a cozy seating area where the family could curl up and watch TV, or just relax.
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Similar details can be found on a much smaller scale throughout the home. In the sleek and contemporary primary bathroom, a small beech wood stool with a tea-stained finish by Scandinavian designer Salem Charabi, makes for the perfect accent. Elsewhere, in the office, a bespoke coffee table by Jeremy Pitts sits on a raw banana silk rug with a deliberately rough and unfinished edge. “It’s small, but it reminds you of material while in this throbbing metropolis.” (The Empire State Building can be seen out of one window.) Not far off, a Mongolian lamb’s wool chair creates a textural contrast. The rest of the room is just as much of an oasis, thanks to its Etruscan brown sheath of paint.
Rogers & Goffigon fabric was used for the drapes seen in the study. Both the desk and coffee table are bespoke pieces by Jeremy Pitts. A pendant light by Kalmar Werkstatten from the Future Perfect hangs above.
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“This was one of the riskier stones,” shares Mellersh, adding that it took a lot of convincing for the clients to agree to install these slabs, thanks to their ’70s-feel. The designer then added gold Art Deco–style sconces.
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Admittedly, the designer’s favorite part of the project is this playful powder room, which features a vintage FontanaArte mirror from Nilufar Gallery in Milan, paired with a hand-painted Batik wallpaper by Fabscarte.
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Across the hall, the primary bedroom maintains a similar sense of balance. “They loved blue,” Mellersh emphasizes. To mitigate the awkwardness of protruding columns and structural elements, the designer opted for a complete monochrome: blue bed frame, blue side tables, blue bedding, and blue walls, which boast a specially made ribbon wallpaper by Callidus Guild. This interior, like the rest of the home, feels calming and intimate, despite its cinematic views. “It’s a reassuringly warm home that overlooks the relentless bustle of Manhattan,” Mellersh concludes of the apartment. “It really has its own character.”
A sea of blue characterizes the primary bedroom. The bed is a custom by George Smith, upholstered in ice blue fabric by Rose Uniacke.
Handmade wallpaper by Callidus Guild.
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The primary bathroom features a wall sconce by Ozone.
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A striking chandelier by Venini hangs above the marble tub. Alongside it is a handmade stool by Salam Charabi, sourced from The Apartment in Copenhagen.
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This article is originally available in www.architecturaldigest.com