For an Upper East Side residence, Robert Passal paired contemporary lighting and furnishings with vintage and antique pieces from across the globe.
“Groupings of art and accessories tell a story and create impact,” says the designer.
Judge Matthew Patrick Smyth concurs: “There’s a true respect for the traditional,” he says,” but it’s fresh and modern.”
In order to make a client feel at home in a newly constructed modern apartment overlooking Gramercy Park, Ernest de la Torre employed luxurious touches.
French straw marquetry, leather-upholstered walls, and silver- and gold-leaf accents lend warmth to the otherwise contemporary space.
“This apartment defines sophisticated Manhattan living,” says judge Ellie Cullman.
Following a sensitive restoration of this two-bedroom mid-20th-century home in the Hudson Valley, Janson Goldstein selected era-appropriate furnishings that make “it feel like a set design,” says judge Ippolita Rostagno.
For her own home in Scarsdale, designer Monica Kahn created a neutral backdrop for her decidedly modern furnishings and large-scale contemporary artworks. Among the many elements she added is rich woodwork and paneling, a feature that “helps bring great scale to the rooms,” says judge Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz.
Designer Rona Landman was tasked with creating a comfortable Greenwich Village loft in which the homeowner could work and entertain. She added contemporary elements, like a floating staircase with a glass railing, and furniture, art, and lighting that judge Ally Coulter says “amplify the space with color, simplicity, and a youthful energy.”
