While Daun Curry was growing up as one of five kids on a farm outside Gainesville, Florida, interior design wasn’t necessarily on her radar. “I’ve always been attracted to creativity and anything that involved building things, but I didn’t know that interior design was a career option,” recalls Curry, who initially moved to Manhattan to study nutrition.“New York City raised me and exposed me to so much. I became interested in fashion, art, and architecture and ended up applying to an interior design program at Parsons after getting my nutrition degree. Upon graduating, I did anything I could to stay in the design field, from fashion styling to helping with photo shoots, while doing some freelance interiors work. It started with a couple of projects and grew from there.”
Fifteen years ago, Curry took the leap and launched her own design firm, making her name on fashion-forward interiors with a decidedly cushy, yet unfussy appeal. Among her most recent commissions: the 3,200-square-foot three-bedroom condo featured here, located in a much-lauded Rem Koolhaas–designed structure in Gramercy. The doorman recommended Curry for the job. “We had been doing another project in the building when these new clients purchased their pied-à-terre,” recounts Curry, who set out to create a chic pad for empty nesters embarking on the next phase of their life. “Residential design is fun because I get to wear a lot of hats, whether I’m focusing on something beachy, bohemian, or French-inspired. The driving factor behind any space is always the client, and digging out of them what will spark joy. Here, we focused on calmness and serenity while exploring their interest in art, color, and texture.”
In the living room, a chair by Asztalos Design Studio adds curvy contrast to bar cabinetry by Amuneal.
A Fernando Mastrangelo rug for Edward Fields Carpet Makers anchors the living room, which features a custom sofa by Daun Curry covered in Kravet’s Babbit in Ecru.
Nuka counter stools from Covet House punctuate the kitchen, which includes a Gaggenau range and hood.
In the dining area, Gio Ponti chairs covered in a Holly Hunt fabric surround a custom table by Daun Curry.
The media room features a David Hicks rug from Stark and walls painted Zuider Zee Blue from Fine Paints of Europe. The tufted sofa is covered in a Romo velvet.
James Koenig’s 1975 God’s Eye hangs above a vintage Brazilian leather and rosewood armchair.
The primary bedroom’s shimmery curtains are made from Holly Hunt’s Misty Morning.
A 720 Lady chair from Cassina occupies another corner of the primary bedroom.
A Duquesa & Malvada chair sits at a desk from Carlyle Collection in the primary bedroom.
In the guest room, a Marion chair from Arteriors is covered in Donghia’s Crisscross in Blush. The curtain fabric is Romo’s Niumi in Jaipur Pink.
The powder room features Cole & Son’s Hollywood Palm wall covering and an accent wall in a black onyx from ABC Stone.
Given that the apartment tower’s mastermind is the renowned Dutch architect Koolhaas, Curry didn’t see a need to make drastic changes to the interior architecture, save for a few details. “I was excited to work here,” she says. “I’m a big fan of Rem Koolhaas and the lines of the architecture, which references Cubism. In particular, there is a great corner featuring interlocking windows in the living room, so we aimed to maintain the integrity of the space while also softening some of the hard angles, introducing curved shapes and whimsical details, as well as a sense of flow and symmetry.” The sinuous custom sofa, for instance, was designed to accommodate, rather than hide, a structural column, while a fireplace flanked by brass floating shelves adds further balance and harmony. “I love the juxtaposition of the angled corner windows and the orderly sitting area,” the designer enthuses. “Curvy pieces make the home feel soft, inviting, and livable.” Anchoring everything is a custom rug conceived by artist and designer Fernando Mastrangelo for Edward Fields Carpet Makers. “It’s one of the first items we selected for the apartment, and it really drove the design,” Curry says. “The pattern reminds me of water and feels very calming.”
While the living room posed certain design restrictions because of its architecture, Curry was allowed full-tilt freedom in the powder room, often every decorator’s best friend. “Powder rooms are meant to be jewel boxes, so we took the opportunity to do something fun,” says Curry, who opted for a shimmery green and black palette comprising botanical-print wallpaper and a strikingly veined stone.
The “rich, jewel-tone media room,” meanwhile, “feels cozy, sumptuous, and sexy,” adds the designer, who used grass cloth on the walls and even fringed roman shades to bring texture into the otherwise pulsating aquamarine-hued space. More color comes into play in the guest room that the clients’ daughters share, suffused with pinks and purples, whereas the primary bedroom is an oasis of creams and pastels. Curry also helped the homeowners curate a collection of artwork, pottery, and sculptural objects that enliven each room further, ultimately creating a powerful package deal: “a beautiful, functional oasis that’s both playful and restrained.”