Inside a modern Art Deco-inspired home at New York’s One Wall Street

/ EdgeProp Singapore |

October 13, 2022 7:00 PM SGT

The three-bedroom unit designed by Yellow House Architects is part of the Terrace Collection at One Wall Street. (Picture: Macklowe Properties)

EDGEPROP (SINGAPORE) - When Elizabeth Graziolo, founder and principal of Yellow House Architects, was offered the chance to propose a design for a model home at the iconic One Wall Street in downtown Manhattan, she saw it as a “once-in-a-lifetime experience”.

One Wall Street is one of the most expensive office-to-condo conversion projects in New York City. It costs the developer, Macklowe Properties, about US$1.5 billion ($2.1 billion) and almost eight years to conceptualise and execute the refurbishment of the nearly century-old Art Deco skyscraper. The project is due to be completed by 2H2023.

City landmark

American architect Ralph Thomas Walker designed the 50-storey tower for the former Irving Trust Bank in 1931, and the exterior of the building was recognised as a city landmark in 2001.

“I live about four blocks from One Wall Street, and I think it is one of the most beautiful Art Deco-style buildings in New York City. Art Deco is one of my favourite architectural styles because it is not too traditionalist and has many interesting visual elements,” says Graziolo.

One Wall Street is a conversion project by American developer Macklowe Properties. It is at the junction of two prominent avenues — Wall Street and Broadway. (Picture: Macklowe Properties)

From the street-level, the most eye-catching architectural detail designed by Walker is a soft scalloping effect on the granite façade. This treatment of the stonework gives the exterior a softer appearance. “Most stone buildings have a sense of rigidness about them, but Walker has managed to soften the image of the stone. It is an elegance that made me fall in love with the building,” says Graziolo.

Thus, she felt this was an important design element to incorporate for the model room that Yellow House Architects designed. This ties in with the fashions and trends of the era when the building was conceived. “It was the Gilded Age in America, and everything felt luxurious,” she says.

Seamless visual integration

The model unit that Yellow House Architects worked on is a three-bedroom unit from the Terrace Collection. The design of the model unit took three months and was completed in June.

There are only 46 units in this collection and each features a private outdoor terrace. Units range from studios to four-bedroom units. One of the defining features of the units in this collection is the openness of the layout, particularly the seamless visual integration of the indoor living and dining room with the outdoor terrace.

“I love the openness of the layout which my team and I were able to work with. The living room of this unit features a terrace that has been so thoughtfully designed. You can feel part of the indoor space when you first step in,” says Graziolo.

She adds that it is rare in New York to be able to have a spacious terrace to lounge and enjoy views of the city. “Setting up the terrace to continue the flow of the indoor space was very well thought out,” she says.

It is rare to find a new apartment in New York with a spacious balcony that has gorgeous views of the city.

The combination of a living and dining room presented a challenge for the design team. It needed to design a space that could accomodate a family’s lifestyle needs and yet retain the sense of openness.

“We played with the dichotomy of hard and soft, for example, a softer-looking sofa on one end of the room contrasts with a more rigid-looking sofa on the opposite end. This gives plenty of seating spaces and guides the flow of the space in the room,” says Graziolo.

This is also mirrored in the two coffee tables — one is metallic and angular, while the other is more curved and layered.

The team of designers at Yellow House always try to incorporate a touch of yellow in the interior design spaces they work on. A carefully placed couch cushion and an eye-catching ceiling light lend this modest splash of colour to the room.

“Coincidentally, this works well with the sense of luxury and colours that were prevalent during the Gilded Age, especially the touches of gold,” says Graziolo.

Cosy library

For this model unit, Graziolo and her team converted one of the bedrooms next to the living room into a cosy library. This converted room is covered in a soft suede wallpaper that adds to the feeling of softness that envelops the room.

One of the bedrooms has been converted into a library corner, with direct access to the open-air terrace. (Picture: Macklowe Properties)

A custom-designed sofa was also added for extra lounge space. “We wanted to make it feel luxurious and cosy. This is a place you might come to after a dinner party to wind down, read a book or watch some TV. This type of space was what we felt the apartment really needed,” says Graziolo.

In the kitchen, the cabinetry and kitchen appliances are some of the fixtures that come with the unit. “Thus, what my design team and I were responsible for was to make the space feel warmer and livelier, as well as give the sense that it is a more lived-in space,” she says.

At the end of the kitchen, near the window, the designers installed a backboard that comprises hanging pillows as a fun and visually interesting piece of décor. A butcher countertop was also installed by the design team “to be different from the norm”, says Graziolo.

She adds that the addition of a large, nearly wall-to-ceiling poster ties in all the elements in that corner to form a more glamorous style.

The design team has made the kitchen feel more lived-in and homely. (Picture: Macklowe Properties)

Sleeping among the clouds

For the en suite master bedroom, the design team wanted to evoke the feeling of sleeping among the clouds. “It is almost something you would visualise in a dream. That was the idea and the concept for this room,” says Graziolo.

“I think the design team and I were pleasantly surprised that we managed to pull off this dreamy feeling effect in this room, thanks to the materials, furniture and accessories we picked out to fill the room,” she says.

For the master bedroom, the design team wanted to evoke the feeling of sleeping among the clouds.

During the planning of this model apartment, the team tried to imagine how a young New York family would like to live. Thus, the second en suite bedroom was designed in a more bold and colourful style that might appeal to a teenager.

“But we also tried to strike a balance, keeping in mind that it might be used as a guest bedroom that a guest would actually be using comfortably,” says Graziolo.

The room is another example how the designers at Yellow House incorporated splashes of yellow.

Playful splashes of yellow highlight the space in this guest bedroom.

Ultimately, the design team at Yellow House Architects has managed to take the stylistic cues from the iconic Art Deco period and pay homage to the landmark 1930s facade of One Wall Street, to create a luxurious and comfortable space.

Through the careful selection of modern and traditional pieces throughout the apartment, the design team has curated a space that plays with juxtapositions of classic and contemporary pieces, evoking a sense of vintage glamour that honours the architecture of the building.

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