In the world of high-end residential buildings in Manhattan, 15 Central Park West has been one of the more successful. Designed by architect Robert A.M. Stern, the complex near the southwest corner of Central Park opened in 2007 and immediately filled up with more than a few titans of industry and players in the arts. One of its condos, a two-bedroom unit decorated by Elena Frampton, is now the stylish first home of a single young professional who is among the building’s newer occupants.
Frampton, whose firm has offices in Union Square as well as in Bridgehampton, grew up in metropolitan Los Angeles, where she delighted in the iconic homes by Greene and Greene, in addition to modernist gems by Neutra and Schindler. But her summers were spent on her father’s family farm in the Midwest, and “these vastly different environments,” she muses, “instilled an awareness in me that rooms are not merely aesthetic experiences. They relate to the way they are used and the energies those uses create.”
Frampton decided to become an interior designer early on and enrolled in a five-year undergraduate program at Arizona Sate University. After receiving her degree, she moved to New York to work for the designer Clodagh, after which she joined the award-winning Tsao & McKown Architects. She ultimately went solo in 2015, founding her firm, Frampton Co, on Cinco de Mayo, a nod to her mother’s Mexican roots.
In the entry, a huge ombre mirror by Sabine Marcelis and Brit van Nerven from Etage Projects hangs above a Graye console in leather, walnut, and brass.
A Fernando Mastrangelo rug for Edward Fields Carpet Makers anchors the open-plan main room, which features a Pierre Frey sofa from Minotti, a swiveling bucket chair from Ligne Roset, a plush purple Campana Brothers armchair, and a fiberglass and resin coffee table by artist Misha Kahn from Friedman Benda. A light sculpture by James Clar punctuates the hand-painted mural by Caroline Lizarraga.
The primary bedroom features Designers Guild’s Sibylla wallpaper, a custom bed with a wraparound headboard by Frampton Co, and a Sabine Marcelis rug from StudioTwentySeven. A Le Corbusier swivel chair sits at a custom walnut desk fabricated by Dean Fine Building.
Interior designer Elena Frampton designed the custom mirror and vanity in the primary bath. The fittings are by Kohler.
A vase by German artists Jessica Coates and Michel Müller occupies a custom niche adjacent to the kitchen.
The meticulously detailed custom kitchen features shelving and cabinetry in stainless steel and glass and a travertine bar with whimsical Ladies’ Pond stools by Sella Concept from Dezeen.
Both the table, a Sam Accoceberry design for Collection Particulière, and the Pinch ceiling pendant are from the Future Perfect. Armless dining chairs designed by Patricia Urquiola are from Molteni&C and the sculptural tan chairs are from Fair.
Frampton designed the custom mirror and vanity in the guest bath bath. The fittings are by Kohler and the decorative fiberglass wall panel is by TecnoGrafica.
The apartment at 15 CPW had been updated by a previous owner, but Frampton found it in need of a refresh. “The finishes were neither contemporary nor historic,” the designer recounts, “and I didn’t like the layout of the open living/dining/kitchen space. It didn’t feel elegant. It looked like a rental.” So, Frampton rotated the room’s orientation, creating a unique kitchen in the process. She also removed crown moldings, which called attention to the modest ceiling height, and “sterile” stone floors installed by the previous owner, replacing them with white oak. “The natural elements of the design are important to me,” Frampton says, “because the views from the large windows emphasize the city ambiance of the apartment, which faces west, away from the park. I wanted to soften the space. I wanted a feeling of warmth.”
Frampton designed a few custom furnishings for the interiors but chose to prioritize architectural elements, devising deep archways that hide decorative columns between the rooms and opening up display niches in the walls. “Although we customized some rug shapes and sizes and included some limited-edition specialty pieces,” she explains, “I wanted to focus on the detail of the kitchen millwork and things like the bathroom vanities.” As for the color and materials palette, Frampton “knew I wanted to create a sinuous line around the kitchen, and I knew I wanted the metal to look and feel soft.” Her construction standards on the project were so exacting that the kitchen was designed within a fraction of an inch so that none of the backsplash tiles would have to be cut. In addition to the kitchen, the two and a half bathrooms were entirely rethought and meticulously realized by her contractor, Joel Dean of Dean Fine Building.
For Frampton, the design process is instinctual, if not downright mysterious. “When I first saw the apartment,” she says, “I knew right away that I wanted an artist’s mural in the living room. I knew I wanted it to be blurry, and I knew that I wanted a neon work layered on top of it.” The result: an ethereal, misty landscape on the walls, hand-painted by Caroline Lizarraga, juxtaposed with James Clar’s elegant 2014 light sculpture Liquid Viscosity. “The joy of my work is developing ideas,” the designer continues. “We live in a world where there’s a lot of sameness and a lot of blandness, and that’s just not how I think. I understand the practical realities of creating a room design, but you can provide logical solutions at an artful and creative level that add real beauty and value to life.”