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Sometimes it’s a single object that cements the bond between designer and client. The first time that Pappas Miron Design cofounders Alexandra Pappas and Tatyana Miron Ahlers visited a pair of gentlemen about decorating their East Village apartment, Ahlers found herself immediately drawn to a chair in their bedroom, a vintage item that might have come from the set of an Errol Flynn swashbuckler. With its cracked leather upholstery and worn wood, it could be described as richly patinated—or just beat up. But Ahlers loved it. “Thank God,” one of the men responded. “I thought you were going to ask us to junk it!”
The designers had always wanted to paint an entry black (here, Tar by Farrow & Ball) and they chose muddy pink plaster (applied by Blaser Finishing) for the adjoining living-slash-dining space. Vintage ceiling fixture, Rayon Roskar.
Björn WallanderPappas and Ahlers went on to design the East Village home to everyone’s immense satisfaction. But within a few years, and after the arrival of a son, quarters were growing tight. A home office had already been sacrificed for the baby’s room, and now the clients were thinking of having a second child. After an extensive search, they found a duplex in the leafy, family- friendly Gramercy Park neighborhood. “There was never a question that we would hire Pappas Miron again,” says one of the men.
The Gramercy apartment’s previous owners had sutured together three units to create an expansive duplex, and the resulting floor plan included an unusual L-shaped living and dining area, a generous kitchen, a primary bedroom, and home offices for each of them on the main level. Meanwhile, the children’s rooms (there were now two boys) and a guest room could share the floor below.
The designers tackled the living room’s L-shaped layout by creating two distinct seating areas. A wall of built-ins anchors the main seating arrangement and provides storage for the clients’ books. (It also hides a TV that can be raised from the center cabinet.) The vintage chairs from Arenskjold Antiques were re-covered in linen; custom leather-topped coffee table with Morgkik metal base.
Björn Wallander“We saw the space before they closed on the sale,” says Ahlers, “and we were wowed. The previous owners had hired Virginia Tupker as their designer, and she had installed an amazing mantel, lovely curtains, and beautiful pale wood floors.” There was also a stunning glass-and-steel doorway leading from the entry to the living area. Adds Pappas, “It was a great envelope, and the apartment had wonderful light.”
The duo updated the plaster walls to a muddy pink, refinished the floors, and convinced the clients to let them do something they had long dreamed of—painting the entry a near-black shade. Ahlers had visited an apartment with a black foyer when she was in her 20s and had wanted to recreate the look ever since. “It’s hard in New York because most entry halls have no windows,” she explains, “but this space had those fabulous glass doors and was flooded with sun from the living and dining area. It seemed like the perfect place to try it!”
In the cozy breakfast nook, a custom banquette allows the stone-topped bistro table to sidle up close to the wall. A painting by Xico Greenwald (through Armature Projects) hangs above. A barely-there shade of blush—Pink Damask by Benjamin Moore—wraps the room.
Björn Wallander
"We were lucky to have clients that we had worked with previously; they were very trusting and open to things like richly hued rooms and muddy pink plaster walls," explain the designers. The brass console and mirror in the entry hall were left by the previous clients.
Björn Wallander“We wanted the apartment to be chic and layered, but not fussy or fancy.”
Alexandra Pappas
The secondary living room seating area features a plush custom sectional wrapped in a rich reddish-orange linen, an antique stick-and-ball armchair, and vintage bronze coffee table.
Björn WallanderNot that there weren’t challenges. “We had lots of conversations about the floor plan,” Ahlers explains. “Should we move the dining area so we could make the fireplace part of the living room?” They ultimately installed a bold stone-and-steel dining table in front of the mantel. “The minute we saw that table,” says Ahlers, “we knew one of our clients needed to own it. Fortunately, this couple went for it.” To soften its powerful effect, they hung a traditional crystal chandelier above.
The living area encompasses two seating areas, including a cozy corner sectional. The clients have a passion for Asian art, ceramics, and especially books, so the designers bumped out a wall in the living room to add shelving and a television that descends into the cabinetry. The problem of mixing delicate ceramics with two young boys was solved with a handsome curio cabinet.
The dining room’s vintage table from Bardin Palomo doubles as a work top or art table for the clients’ two sons. The designers balanced its modern, sculptural shape with a classically formal
crystal chandelier from Avery & Dash.
The dark and moody feel of the entry reappears in the primary bedroom, with its custom gray-blue wallpaper and deep, velvety curtains and upholstery. The effect is soothing, not dramatic. “We wanted the apartment to be chic and layered, but not fussy or fancy,” says Pappas. “Kid-friendly and not too precious,” adds Ahlers.
The clients couldn’t be more pleased. “Alexandra and Tatyana really understand us,” one homeowner says. “They pushed us a little bit—and enlarged our aesthetic with their expertise.” As for that Errol Flynn chair? It now holds pride of place in his home office.
A vintage wall tapestry from Scott Antique Markets hangs in the primary bedroom.
A custom bed upholstered in dark-green velvet is flanked by wall-mounted O’Lampia sconces.
THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN VOLUME 18 OF FREDERIC MAGAZINE. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE!
