Comfortable classic: apartment of an American designer in New York

At first glance, we see a flawless decorative arrangement and, as often happens in such cases, not very suitable for living. But this impression is misleading, because the interior designer and owner of the apartment – Bennett Leifer – put in maximum effort to make the living space convenient and functional.

This spacious two-bedroom apartment was bought spontaneously by the designer (however, it is said that most New York residents acquire real estate exactly this way). First and foremost, Leifer was attracted by the building itself, while the apartment in its original state, according to his words, looked terrible: everything, including the fireplace, was covered with inappropriate glossy white paint and decorated with outdated lamps. However, Leifer timely recognized the potential of the apartment and set to work.

The main task for the designer was to restore the original appearance of the living space and make the interior a modern continuation of the home's aesthetics. First, Leifer focused on the fireplace and windows. The latter were replaced with those most similar to the originals, and the neo-Gothic fireplace was stripped of glossy paint and clad with a material visually resembling limestone – to match the fireplace in the lobby.

In general, the apartment did not require a major overhaul, so updating the kitchen, bathroom, finishings and floor coverings took just under two months.

Leifer filled the renovated apartment with marble accents, decorated the bedroom windows with Roman drapes from Hermes fabric, and adorned the fireplace area with a pair of Louis XVI-style French chairs. “But all that is not the main thing,” – Leifer says. In the designer's opinion, what matters most in a home is comfort and atmosphere. And if the furniture is comfortable and friends have enough space to sit down comfortably – only then can it be said that everything in the interior has come together as it should.

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