SABO Project has turned a 728-square-foot apartment on Manhattan‘s Lower East Side into one connected living space. The New York and Paris design studio led the apartment renovation of the 68-square-metre home for a family of three, working with contractor Alexar Interiors.
The strategy is to remove hard edges and let rooms run into one another. The studio opened up the floor plan and rounded the corners of walls and partitions between functional areas.
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“The design aims to soften divisions between spaces so the apartment is experienced as a central living room extending into surrounding alcoves,” the studio said.
Industrial materials, one green
The apartment keeps an industrial character. Exposed breeze-block walls, metal ductwork, a concrete ceiling and polished concrete flooring form the base of the interior.
Steel structural beams are painted mid green. The same colour appears on the lower kitchen cabinets, the curtains and the artwork throughout the home.
“The apartment balances the rough materiality of exposed masonry blocks and ductwork with the soft textures of bespoke curtains, shades, and rugs,” SABO Project said. “Bold graphic forms animate curtains designed for each room.”
Living area and sun room
In the open-plan living area, a circular rug sits in the centre. A white-painted circle on the ceiling mirrors it, crossed by a minimalist light fixture.
Along one wall, stacks of concrete blocks with arch-shaped openings form a bench and a display console. A small wooden table sits at one end.
“A long bench runs from the main room into a small outdoor space, conceived as an interior and enclosed with light-filtering fabric and a delicate steel mesh,” the studio said.
Sliding glass doors connect the sun room to the living area. A swing door links it to the kitchen. Green outdoor furniture from the Palissade collection provides extra seating beside the breeze-block bench.
French designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec created Palissade. The manufacturer’s product page lists 24 pieces, including chairs, a lounge sofa, a chaise longue, a bar stool and cushions. The collection is designed to blend into natural landscapes and urban settings alike.
Bedrooms and bathroom
The two bedrooms are identical in size, one for the parents and one for their child. Both follow the same colour and material palette as the rest of the apartment.
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Groups of four breeze blocks are stacked on their sides to create nightstands with cubbies. Green returns in the bedding.
In the bathroom, white tiles with green grout shrink as they climb toward the ceiling. The change in tile density creates a subtle gradient.
A lozenge-shaped mirror and sconce, along with a basin with filleted corners, repeat the rounded forms found throughout the home.
About SABO Project
SABO Project was founded by architect Alexandre Delaunay. He works between New York and Paris on residential, commercial and cultural projects.
The studio’s portfolio includes a Brooklyn loft with an irregular clustered storage unit. It also includes a Parisian apartment with multicoloured flooring and space-saving stairs, and another Paris residence with peg-hole walls and a curved, child-proof staircase.
In the Manhattan apartment, a handful of repeated choices do the work: rounded edges, one shade of green, and a shared material palette. Together they make 728 square feet read as a single room.
Source: dezeen.com
Frequently asked questions
Who designed the renovation of this Lower East Side apartment?
SABO Project, a New York and Paris design studio, led the renovation. The studio worked with contractor Alexar Interiors on the 68-square-metre (728-square-foot) home for a family of three.
How did the designers make the small apartment feel more spacious?
The studio opened up the floor plan and rounded the corners of walls and partitions between functional areas. This lets rooms run into one another, so the apartment is experienced as a central living room extending into surrounding alcoves.
What materials give this apartment its industrial look?
The industrial character comes from exposed breeze-block walls, metal ductwork, a concrete ceiling, and polished concrete flooring. Steel structural beams are painted mid green.
Where is the mid-green color used throughout the apartment?
The mid green appears on the steel structural beams, the lower kitchen cabinets, the curtains, and the artwork throughout the home. Green also returns in the bedding and in the bathroom’s green grout.
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