Until recently, designer Jennifer Cohler Mason had been a lifelong resident of the Upper East Side. Having lived in both pre-war apartments and 1920s-era townhouses, the native New Yorker even located her design firm’s office in the neighborhood so that she could easily walk there from her home. Becoming an empty nester, however, led Mason to turn over a new leaf. Deciding it was time to downsize, the designer found her new home in an unlikely location: a 1970s-era high-rise in Midtown.
Initially drawn to the building because of the opportunity to combine two small adjacent apartments into one residence, Mason says that she was intrigued by the building’s lively history. “It’s an iconic building that I knew about while growing up. It once had a roof-top helicopter pad, and there is even a tale about a former resident having a petting zoo on the roof.” She also appreciated the apartments’ large windows, copious light, and quintessential New York views of The Plaza and Central Park. On the negative side, though, the apartments lacked both high ceilings and the wall space to display the entirety of her modern and contemporary art collection, which is sizable considering that she started collecting in her youth. Nevertheless, Mason purchased and merged the two units, creating a home that blends 21st-century amenities with a stylish retro vibe.
A sculptural Vladimir Kagan sofa. Vintage Jan Ekselius chairs were a score from a Paris flea market.
Artwork by Donald Sultan, hovering atop a window, overlooks a dining table and chairs from Artistic Frame.
Orb-like pendants from Lee Broom are a focal point above the island.
Countertops are from Artistic Tile, and the cabinetry is by Christopher Peacock.
The wet bar area features an array of colorful glassware, the perfect complement to the striking stone surroundings.
In the family room, artwork by Calder hangs above an armchair and ottoman from Knoll, both of which are covered in shearling from Edelman Leather.
In the primary bedroom, an heirloom desk overlooks the city’s skyline.
Given the building’s age, it seems fitting that Sixties and Seventies-era furniture, a longtime passion of Mason’s, plays a leading role in her new home. Two of her favorite pieces reside in the loft-like living room: a bronze and pewter cocktail table by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne and a vintage Vladimir Kagan sofa whose serpentine shape is considered less common, a factor which always drives Mason’s design choices. “As I often tell my clients, we don’t want things everyone else has,” says the designer. She also incorporated a few family heirlooms whose traditional style mixes surprisingly well with her vintage modern furniture. A black chinoiserie desk, which belonged to her grandmother, lives in Mason’s bedroom, while her late mother’s antique chest stands proudly in the entry.
When it came to designing the open kitchen, Mason did the unexpected by forgoing the ultra-contemporary look currently found in many high-rise abodes. Instead, she collaborated with Christopher Peacock to create a space with a modern style of its own. Stone slabs that were chosen for their dynamic veining enliven the white lacquered cabinetry, which is further brought to life with brass hardware and accents that are nods to the ’70s. A similar combination exists in the nearby living room’s wet bar, which was once a closet. Outfitted in blue lacquered cabinetry, marble and brass details, the bar evokes 1950s and ’60s-era New York glamour, according to the designer.
As much as Mason is inspired by the past, she is equally forward-thinking, always looking for new and interesting ways to invigorate her design work. One of her innovative ideas was to float a work by Donald Sultan against a living room window, creating an unlikely scrim that enhances an otherwise unexciting view of a neighboring building. In the family room, the designer applied its geometric-patterned wallcovering upside down for an interesting change of pace. Even now, having been in her new home for only a year and a half, Mason continues to mix things up and refine her home’s design. “I’m constantly evolving and moving forward,” she says. Quoting her great-grandmother, Mason adds, “I don’t want the house of tomorrow. I want the house of the day after tomorrow.”