The designer of this high-rise home was tasked with combining bare metal with soft fabric, an autumnal palette with manufactured edges

By Matt Scanlon • Photos By Francis Augustine

In the city, altitude really is coin of the realm. Putting aside for a moment its embrace of ascendance and otherworldliness, a high floor means air, it means view, it means, in effect, a sweeping command of the horizon. But it really is just the beginning; in the hands of a hackneyed designer, such spaces can quickly devolve into self-parodying, Sheik of Araby exercises in solipsism, strewn with antiques and artwork selected for shock/shine value or distraction rather than logical, natural integration. Perhaps even more than a stand-alone home in the suburbs, a high-altitude apartment needs to design-respect its setting more than any other residence.

When French native Marie Burgos was commissioned to design the interior of this expansive home, completed last year, she was asked to incorporate a particular aesthetic of its owners, namely an interest in “industrial influences.” Deliberately avoiding a mannered, steam-punk one-note symphony, she instead gracefully integrated bare metal with soft fabric, autumnal pallets with manufactured edges, and the results are stunning.

The living room, with an Adrian Pearsall sofa and two Bantam armchairs as its combined focal point, sets the tone right from the beginning. The pieces are upholstered in a plum bouclé fabric, distinct and classic simultaneously. The Anatolian vintage rug and pair of ikat sani floor poufs, likewise, are exercises in contrast.

The kitchen’s ultra-clean lines are also a fascinating counterpoint, in this case to the owner’s interest in art (notice the work by famed graffiti artist Banksy). The master bedroom offsets an often-described high-rise feeling of vulnerability by making the space extra cozy…a true sanctuary. To help achieve that, two more vintage-dyed Anatolian rugs, a stack of pillows, and custom black and midnight blue roller shades help provide security and privacy. The owners’ artistic sentiments are evident here, too, in the form of a set of fascinating ram heads commissioned by artist Jason Borders.

Burgos, whose practice is founded in feng shui principles, earned the coveted “Red Ribbon” status membership in the International Feng Shui Guild, has appeared on HGTV’s The Unsellables, and has been showcased in a number of other consumer and professional publications. •

Marie Burgos Design 244 5th Ave., Manhattan / 917.353.9149 / marieburgosdesign.com