NEW YORK — There are a lot of different reasons why people decide to renovate spaces within their home. For many, it’s about making physical updates and improvements that relate to aesthetics and functionality.
When Antonio Matrēs first connected with this client, he quickly realized that her reasons ran much deeper than anything purely physical. For her, changes were emotional as well as poignant.
“When we first met, she told me she had just lost her husband to suicide and she wanted to get new furniture to freshen up the New York City apartment she shared with her daughters,” says the owner/founder of Antonio Matrēs Design who does design/build work throughout New York City and Madrid, Spain. “But as we talked, in one case for more than five hours over several cups of coffee, she realized she was ready to not only get new furniture but also explore a full renovation of her entire home so everything would be new.”
Plans called for a complete demolition of the apartment, down to its bones. The kitchen would be opened up, yet downsized a bit so one of the bedrooms, which features a configuration that is the only one of its kind in the entire apartment building, could be made larger. Two other bedrooms, including the primary bedroom and bathroom, a dining room, a living room, a foyer and two additional bathrooms were also slated for updates. Then the COVID pandemic hit.
“We got the final approval to start construction, only to be halted shortly after by the city for almost a year,” he recalls. “She questioned her decision to renovate and briefly thought about putting everything back like it was. But we persevered through the challenges.”
- OAK CABINETRY Offers a connection to nature and grounds the space
- ROOM-DEFINING ISLAND Delineates the kitchen within the open floor plan
- BLACK METAL ACCENTS Minimize the abundance of ‘cold’ metals by adding warmth
- LEFT At the heart of this apartment’s transformation is a neutral color palette that runs throughout the home. In the kitchen, that design theme is supported by white oak floors and solid oak custom cabinetry, the latter of which features a white-wash stain and slab-style, handleless doors and drawers that promote a clean aesthetic.
- RIGHT Tearing down walls opened up the kitchen to the dining room to promote open-concept living. A perimetrical floating console, crafted from the same oak as the kitchen cabinetry, runs throughout the kitchen, dining room and living room and hides the HVAC system. It also provides the family with much-needed extra storage.
Creating a Vessel for Healing
At the heart of the transformation is a neutral color palette that runs throughout the home. It is complemented with custom cabinetry, furniture and one-of-a-kind accessories, such as radiators designed by Matrēs.
“The overall design is unique, harmonious and serves as a vessel for healing and change,” he relates.
In the kitchen, that design theme is supported by white oak floors and solid oak custom cabinetry, the latter of which features a white-wash stain and slab-style, handleless doors and drawers that promote a clean aesthetic. A panel for the Miele refrigerator conceals its existence along the perimeter wall. The Miele range’s ventilation hood is also tucked behind a panel that is flanked by matching wall cabinets to create a seamless aesthetic that extends the length of the wall. A perimetrical floating console, crafted from the same oak as the kitchen cabinetry, runs throughout the kitchen, dining room and living room and hides the HVAC system. It also provides the family with much-needed extra storage.
“Every millwork element was designed and custom made to perfectly fit her needs,” Matrēs explains. “Each one needed to be beautiful and functional, with the floor, cabinetry and furniture pieces stained to match to bring the space together.
“Using all-wood cabinetry, rather than including any painted pieces, grounds the space and gives it warmth,” he continues. “Also, being able to see the grain pattern in the wood offers a connection to nature, and a connection to something that is handmade by someone who took great care to make it. Even if you don’t know who that person is, when a piece is made with wood, it creates a special connection, which helps my client and her daughters feel better when they are in the space.”
Minimizing an abundance of any ‘cold’ metals also adds warmth to the space, so the designer opted for a black Kohler kitchen faucet, which matches the black Miele range and Blanco sink. A trio of black pendants hovers above the island and coordinates with a quartet of pendants from ferm LIVING, in an attractive mix of sizes, above the dining table. All are complemented with dark, chocolate-colored quartz countertops and backsplash.
Tearing down walls, including those that once divided the kitchen into two spaces as well as those that separated it from the living and dining rooms, opened up the kitchen and made it possible to include a room-defining island with seating.
“I kept all of the spaces open, rather than having individual rooms, so having one wall of cabinetry and an island is sufficient for the kitchen,” he remarks.
Custom Design Features
Matrēs continued the neutral palette into the bathrooms, two of which feature floating white-washed oak vanities custom designed by Scarabeo Ceramiche. Shelves beneath the sinks provide storage. Custom radiators, designed by Matrēs, are functional as well as beautiful. Their black finish matches other black accents, including shower and window trim and Cocoon wall-mount faucets.
“The previous radiators just didn’t fit with the new design, so we worked with a metal fabricator to create these custom radiators,” he explains. “They look like sculptural waves along the wall and they match the flowing, wave-shaped lights [custom designed by Hot Wire Extensions]. They are unique, beautiful and functional.”
Neutral-colored handmade tile from Fireclay Tile sheaths the walls and showers while oversized mirrors above the vanities make the rooms feel larger.
The third bathroom is a small space that, at one time in the apartment’s historical past, was likely used by a maid. It is just big enough for a toilet, shower and very small, yet functional, sink. The latter is accented with a black, wall-mount faucet that matches the black window and shower trim.
“While this renovation was a delicate process with a sad but touching backstory, it shows how therapeutic and transformative interior design can be,” Matrēs relates. “There was a time when my client could barely get out of bed, and the daughters were reluctant to invite any friends to the apartment. But now everyone has their own new space designed specifically for them, which they can also share with family and friends. We took a home replete with painful memories and transformed it into a fresh canvas for a family starting anew.”
- The neutral color palette is extended into the primary bathroom where a floating oak vanity is complemented with neutral handmade tile on the walls and in the shower. The custom black radiator is designed to look like a sculptural wave along the wall.
- LEFT This small bathroom space, which at one time in the apartment’s historical past was likely used by a maid, is just big enough for a toilet, shower and very small, yet functional, sink.
- RIGHT This bathroom, designed for one of the daughters, includes a custom-designed radiator that complements the waves of the vanity light. An oversized vanity mirror helps make the room feel larger.