The Quarry Loft

A beautifully designed Manhattan apartment that perfectly captures the clients’ love of natural materials, art and color.

Located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York City, the Quarry Loft is a sprawling, 2800square-foot home created by combining two neighboring apartments. The clients, a couple with three children, tasked Frederick Tang Architecture (FTA) with the renovation and design of the residence. Their brief focused on the need for highly flexible spaces that would easily adapt to the needs of the family over time; the creation of an entertaining space for weekend gatherings; and the addition of a home office. The clients’ love of color, art and stone (a nod to their Indian heritage), also provided the inspiration for the design. As a result, the apartment features flowing spaces, richly textured surfaces and vibrant color accents.

“Every New Yorker’s fantasy is to tear down the wall and join the space next door. In this case, our clients thought it would be a simple merger, for example, in which we would simply choose one of the two kitchens and take the other out. But to get the most out of the space, we really thought about how every member of the family might go through their days. In the case of the kitchen it made the most sense to find a third location for it that allowed it to be adjacent to the living room and central to the family’s flow,” says Frederick Tang, founder and principal of FTA.

Fluted patterns and strikingly beautiful textures that give a rich materiality to the living spaces.

Close to the entrance, a multi-functional space serves not only as a library and sitting room but also as a home office and occasional guest room. Deep blue panels with marbled patterns slide to reveal the workspace, while the pull-down guest bed “hides” inside cabinetry when not needed. The social area comprises the kitchen, dining space and living room. A dark blue marble backsplash with striking patterns and flowing shapes contrasts the white cabinets. The kitchen island boasts a black soapstone top and an asymmetrical shape. Both the island and the custom dining table feature fluted bases. While the kitchen boasts a minimalist, linear polished nickel pendant light by Kelly Wearstler, above the dining table hovers a sculptural chandelier from Giopato & Coombes with frosted glass globes reminiscent of cloud formations.

The living room features custom white millwork with a slatted pattern that mirrors the fluted detailing of the kitchen and dining area. Re-upholstered and customized by FTA, the clients’ beloved sofa now features modular pieces that allow the residents to move sections to other areas of the apartment. Above, a bespoke light fixture features two intersecting rods finished in blackened brass.

In front of the kids’ rooms, a cozy nook houses storage spaces with customized cubbies that feature different colors and patterns chosen by the three children. This area leads to two bedrooms and a bathroom that boasts iridescent tiles. On the other side of the apartment, the color palette for the master bedroom, bathroom, and guest bedroom changes to deep blue and green. Throughout the residence, the studio used furniture, lighting, and materials of exceptional quality, including textiles from Kvadrat and Maharam, custom furniture, and iconic designs like the PH 5 Pendant from Louis Poulsen. Photographs © Gieves Anderson.