When the goal of a rental is to experience what real life in New York City feels like, there’s no better place to be than Greenwich Village in a renowned Art Deco building. The client, a Pennsylvania resident, was looking for a pied-à-terre in Manhattan to serve as both a crash pad for business trips and an experiment in city living. As an almost empty nester, he and his partner were interested in trying different cities before deciding on where to land for their next chapter.
After finding this 500-square-foot studio inside an Emery A. Roth–designed building that was originally constructed in 1931 with beautifully preserved architectural details, the client connected with Alex Kalita, founder of Common Bond Design. Alex, a master of small spaces and historically conscious renovations, was thrilled to spearhead the project. “Not only was it geographically very stereotypically ‘New York,’ it was also the epitome of New York architecture too,” she says. “The client wanted the undiluted, concentrated New York experience.”
The couple chose a compact studio with the intent of enjoying all the city has to offer outside their walls. And with long-term plans still uncertain, Alex insisted the design be flexible and modular, only investing in pieces that the couple could carry with them elsewhere. She began by siphoning out distinct zones within the apartment’s layout, separating the sleeping alcove from the living area and the dining nook, utilizing strategic pieces that give off a custom, built-in effect. A vintage headboard found on 1stDibs and a fabric-covered dining banquette by O’Henry House feel as if they’re made for their prospective placements, though both are versatile in nature. Meanwhile, a contrasting mix of side tables and coffee tables generate depth and play with scale alongside a sculptural wall lamp by Wo & Wé.
