You'll Want To Live In This Contemporary River North Condo

By J.P. Anderson

After years of following Nicholas Moriarty’s career, a couple eagerly taps the interior designer to take on their new-construction River North condo—with stunning results.

Vintage Milo Baughman sofas purchased from Circa Modern and a trio of untitled works by artist Michael McGuire impart a contemporary sophistication to the study.

THE CLIENT

Some client connections are instantaneous, while others take time to come to fruition. The latest project by Nicholas Moriarty Interiors was the latter, with a couple who had followed and cheered on the designer from the start of his days in the biz doing visual merchandising work at Andersonville hot spot Scout. “As I would curate special art shows there, I became acquainted with many of the store’s clients, who would religiously purchase works from the various shows,” shares Moriarty. “We all developed an affinity for one another based on our common love for art, antiques and fashion.” Years later, when the couple decided to buy a new-construction condo in River North, Moriarty was their first call, hiring NMI to rework the floor plans to ensure the buildergrade condo turned out as special as possible.

A dramatic Flos chandelier gives the dining room serious personality.

THE PRIORITY

With the clients’ contemporary sensibility combined with a passion for collecting art and antiques, it was up to Moriarty to balance both aesthetics. “They had a wonderful collection to work with in designing the living spaces,” notes the designer. “We just needed to make sure the contemporary simplicity of the condo had enough personality to stand up to their existing pieces while allowing for new pieces that could bridge the gap between old and new.”

THE CHALLENGE

“Working with a builder can be tricky given the limited materials you’re often presented with,” admits Moriarty. His solution: communicating closely with Belgravia from the outset to truly tailor the material finishes in the home.

Photographed by Jill Buckner

THE STRATEGY

“Through thoughtful planning,” explains Moriarty, “we transitioned an unnecessary guest bathroom into a powder room, transitioned a study into an open-concept bar/salon area in the center of the condo, and reconfigured the entire lighting plan to allow for stunning fixtures and appropriately placed art lights. We assisted the clients in curating all of the building materials and built a consistent palette that can be seen throughout the home. We added additional color and texture in the home through Maya Romanoff and Phillip Jeffries wallcoverings. Restraint was exercised in every area of the home, but we played with pops of color in some of the cabinetry and wallcoverings to add visual interest. The furnishings are a wonderful blend of existing items from their collection and new pieces from some of our favorite vendors.”

THE DETAIL

“We’re especially proud of the material textures throughout the house and the thoughtful consideration given to the lighting and art placement,” says the designer. “Everything looks effortless in person, but a lot of time and attention went into making sure the clients could display their impressive collection properly."

The guest bedroom draws the eye with a vintage chest of drawers by Paul McCobb and chair from Room & Board.

THE OUTCOME

Sums up Moriarty, “The clients are thrilled with the calming, contemporary environment we created for them. It feels fresh and familiar at the same time. There’s an effortless elegance to the condo that’s a true reflection of the clients’ personality and their love of all things art, fashion and design. It was an immensely fun project given my history with the clients and their love for our process—to say we had a criminal amount of fun putting this home together for them is a vast understatement!”

The room’s Vella bed by Design Within Reach is accentuated by a series of untitled sculptures by Annalee Soskin.