Soothing designer bathrooms among the skyscrapers of hectic New York
New York’s Space4Architecture firm turned to Salvatori when it came to providing natural stone textured tiles and products for the bathrooms of two luxury apartments in the Big Apple. Find out more about the designs of these elegant, contemporary residences on the Upper East Side and West 57th Street in the words of the architects.
Can you tell us in your own words a little about the projects. What was the inspiration behind the designs?
APARTMENT 1
Our design for this historic apartment was focused on creating an open and efficient living space that ensured spatial continuity throughout via the use of a bright yet minimal material palette. Working with the existing pre-war layout, we reconfigured the space to open and connect the kitchen and dining area to a living room overlooking Madison Avenue with partial views of Central Park.
A former “maid’s room” at the rear was expanded to create a third bedroom with an ensuite bathroom. The soft white walls, together with the oak wood used for the built-in cabinetry create a warming flow and a common thread that ties the different spaces together throughout the entire apartment, while herringbone white oak flooring creates a timeless surface and also serves to brighten the space.
We redesigned the bedrooms and bathrooms to maximise efficiency and harmonise colour and texture. For the three bathrooms, we choose Crema d’Orcia because its pale tones make them appear more luminous and spacious. We used it in both honed and Plissé textures to create a subtle play of light and shadow, which works very well because the two types of finish interact with light in different ways.
APARTMENT 2
Our clients’ brief was to maximise efficiency and introduce a sense of intimacy and warmth to their spacious two-bedroom apartment on the top floor of a new high-rise building on West 57th Street.
The challenge was to transform the layout of the apartment into a space with a continuous flow which would allow for uninterrupted views of the surrounding city, while at the same time guaranteeing a timeless character and a warmth not typically associated with apartments in a high-rise building.
We opted for placing the kitchen and living room at the centre of the apartment, thus minimising hallways and maximising room sizes. We went for a warm palette of finishes and colours that deliberately works in contrast with the fully glazed perimeter walls and surrounding tall buildings and skyscrapers. The Venetian plastered walls, together with the oak wood used for doors and cabinetry give the apartment a warm and comforting feel, while the herringbone white oak floor adds a sense of timelessness that ties all rooms together.
The bathrooms also reflect an efficient approach, with clean lines and clear volumes that interact with each other. We believe that architecture is about space and humans’ relationship with both space and scale and we are fans of using similar materials. For the two main bathrooms, we chose Crema d’Orcia, but this time in a combination of honed and Spaghetti. The subtle difference between the textures creates a soothing spa-like space. For the smaller bathroom, we opted for a mix of Crema d’Orcia and louvered oak wood.
Why did you choose Salvatori?
Two main reasons. Firstly, Gabriele Salvatori has a keen eye for design and secondly, he and his in-house team design beautiful products, including distinctive but simple textures that resonate with our own approach. In fact, we’ve used Salvatori products for a number of projects. Plus, we’re big fans of Lithoverde which we discovered many years ago. We think it’s a fantastic concept for recycling natural stone offcuts.
We were very pleased when Salvatori opened a New York showroom.
What particularly appeals about the Salvatori products you chose?
The softness to the touch of their stones, and the overall clean, minimalist lines of their products, from vanities to tables.
How did you find the experience of working with Salvatori?
Excellent. They opened their beautiful showroom in New York just over a year ago and we were involved in aspects of the project so saw at first hand how they worked and we became even more fascinated with their products. They have a team of trained professionals that are focused on customer satisfaction first and foremost.
And, a final question that is a little off-topic, but are you happy to share your 10 favourite songs that you listen to when you’re designing or looking for inspiration?
- Anything by Bach, but particularly both books of The Well-Tempered Clavier and the Goldberg Variations
- John Coltrane, particularly the concert at Village Vanguard and Afro Blues Impressions
- Anything by Bob Dylan, but especially the Bootleg series and Blonde on Blonde
- 2PAC and Ice Cube records in general
Project design: Space4Architecture (Michele Busiri-Vici, Clementina Ruggieri)
Photographer: Beatrice Pediconi
