A city penthouse steps out of its comfort zone and into a glittering modern retreat.The living room in this renovated penthouse features custom cabinetry and bar shelving flanking a dramatic slab fireplace.
THE CHALLENGE
When designer Jill Litner Kaplan’s (jilllitnerkaplaninteriors.com) clients first asked her about gut-renovating their kitchen, she relished the opportunity to transform it into a striking contemporary cookspace. But when Litner Kaplan began the walkthrough of their penthouse, she knew she needed to reimagine the entire home.
A Damien Hirst from the clients’ collection hangs in the living room.
“It became immediately clear to me that the context in which a gorgeous new modern Venegas kitchen materializes would have to change as well since the rest of the apartment was very dated and traditional— unlike our clients’ personal aesthetic,” she says.
Amethyst Murano glass lamps from Cosulich Antiques flank Dune NY’s Endless Waterfall console in the hallway.
She pointed to the primary bathroom, which was broken up into a series of blocky spaces, rather than one large integrated room. She then deduced the traditional paneled walls, blonde wood floors and dated recessed lighting throughout the home needed to go, too. So, the clients gave Litner Kaplan free rein to turn their existing condo into a stylish, modern refuge—one that’d feel like home for the husband, wife and their two dogs.
THE PRIORITY
From the start, Litner Kaplan’s goal was to create a home that felt effortlessly chic and glamorous. To do that, she broke the project down room by room to create consistency from one to the next. One common thread established early on? A soothing color palette. The wife expressed a love of blues and violets, which was all Litner Kaplan needed to begin drafting.
The kitchen was gutted and completely redesigned with cabinetry built by Venegas and walls entirely washed with Waterworks repose glass tile.
“That became the springboard for everything that followed,” she says. “From the fantastic cobalt blueinfused slab material in the kitchen to the soft shades of blue in the fabrics in every room, to the lavender Murano glass chandelier we had made for the dining room.” Shades of gray are touched with lavender and lilac throughout the home, like around the stone fireplace and bar in the living room.
Overall, the reimagined unit is filled with texture, Litner Kaplan explains, as she covered the walls of each room with either wallpaper or fabric to create a sense of “layered luxury.” The old light fixtures were replaced with smaller LED architectural lighting, while the existing floors were stained a warm walnut brown.
All of the architectural lighting was replaced with decorative fixtures that are either vintage art deco chandeliers or new fixtures custom-made of Italian Murano glass.
THE DETAILS
Litner Kaplan’s vision required her clients to entertain ideas that went beyond their comfort zones. In the kitchen, for example, she selected Repose mosaic tiles from Waterworks to completely cover the walls. “Rather than just use it as a backsplash, I thought we could create a really immersive gorgeous environment and make their kitchen like a jewel box,” she says.
geometric patterned tile floors in the primary bathroom.
For the primary bathroom, she chose a geometric patterned tile for the floors. “Mirrored cabinets were also a brazen idea,” Litner Kaplan says. “Mixing materials to once again create this jewel box-like experience was something that required a leap of faith.”
As collectors of modern art, the homeowners soon got on board with such bold design decisions. And to complement their collection of pieces from the likes of Damien Hirst and Andy Warhol, Litner Kaplan selected a range of stunning fabrics for each room.
“In a condominium filled with the most exquisite collection of modern art, the fabrics also have to be significant if they are patterned and textured,” she says. “They have to feel like a work of art in of themselves, yet not stand out relative to everything else. This had to be a seamless flow.”
In the living room, rounded chairs are upholstered in cut chenille with metallic woven detailing, while below, a custom-colored (and dog-friendly) Tibetan rug grounds the space. In another sitting area, the wife was particularly drawn to a fabric that appeals marbled, with drips of turquoise and silver creating a stunning display. “We were just going to use it on pillows, but we decided to make it into an ottoman coffee table,” Litner Kaplan says.
Upholstered Anees furniture adorns the office which showcases an original desk by Tommi Parzinger.
This layering of fabrics, textures, and tiles continues even into the powder room, where a large-scale mosaic pattern on the floor dovetails unexpectedly with a custom vanity that Litner Kaplan designed; it features a chunky stone countertop and an octagonal mirror made of Murano glass.
Shades of gray mix with the blue and lavender color palette.
“The combination of materials was unusual—and each one very uniquely gorgeous in its own right,” she explains. “But it wasn’t entirely predictable how they would all seamlessly flow together without one thing outweighing another.”
Even the outdoor balcony was considered in the design and the furniture was upholstered in the penthouse’s color palette and complimented by a Made Goods Stool in metallic charcoal ceramic.
THE OUTCOME
Litner Kaplan and her clients worked in tandem with The Lagassé Group to build out a space that helped their bold, commanding vision come to life. The completed project exhibits a glittering harmony from room to room. “There wasn’t an inch of space that wasn’t affected by our work,” Litner Kaplan says.
Design Details
Type
Penthouse
Interior Designer
Jill Litner Kaplan Interiors
jilllitnerkaplaninteriors.com
General Contractor
The Lagassé Group
thelagassegroup.com
A. Rudin
Sofa, living room
Swivel chair, primary bedroom
Ottoman, primary bedroom
arudin.com
Anees Furniture & Design
Sofa, office
Lounge chair, office
Ottoman, office
aneesupholstery.com
Ann Sacks
Tile, foyer
Tile, guest bathroom
Tile, primary bathroom
annsacks.kohler.com
Bradley
Bench, hallway
Coffee tables, living room
Dining table, kitchen
Bedside tables, primary bedroom
bradleyusa.com
The Bright Group
Chairs, dining room
thebrightgroup.com
Hellman-Chang
Table, dining room
hellman-chang.com
Holly Hunt
Chairs, living room
Drink table, living room
Wallpaper, guest bedroom
hollyhunt.com
Made Goods
Stool, balcony
Nightstands, guest bedroom
madegoods.com
NIBA Designs
Rug, living room
Rug, dining room
Bedding, primary bedroom
nibadesigns.com
O. Henry House
Sofa, living room
ohenryhouseltd.com
Phillip Jeffries
Wallpaper, foyer
Wallpaper, powder room
Wallpaper, living room
Wallpaper, den
Wallpaper, primary bedroom
phillipjeffries.com
Powell & Bonnell
Cocktail side table, living room
powellandbonnell.com
Studio Van den Akker
Pendants, kitchen
studiovandenakker.com
Venfield
Chandelier, living room
Cocktail table, living room
Chandelier, dining room
venfieldnyc.com
Waterworks
Faucet, powder room
Tiles, kitchen
Sconce, guest bathroom
Plumbing, guest bathroom
Plumbing, primary bedroom
waterworks.com
Williston Weaves
Flooring, hallway
Rug, office
Carpet, guest bedroom
Carpet, primary bedroom
willistonweaves.com