Magdalena Keck designs art-filled home at Manhattan’s Four Seasons Residences

New York interior designer Magdalena Keck has used brand-name furnishings and a monochrome palette to create a minimal apartment in Lower Manhattan.

The two-bedroom home is located on the 63rd floor of the Four Seasons Private Residences, close to City Hall.

Keck‘s pared-back interiors for the 1,500-square-foot (139-square-metre) space emphasise its large windows, high ceilings, archways, and solid oak wood flooring laid in a herringbone pattern.

White walls, monochrome furnishings and an abundance of natural light merge to create a minimal, gallery-like space. Furnishings were chosen to complement this pale backdrop, and include a combination of contemporary, vintage, high-end and custom-made designs.

Keck’s aim was to create “a sense of oneness and completeness rooted in an awareness of lighting, composition, and balance… underlined by decisive forms”, according to a project description.

Upon entering, a foyer with four key designs sets the tone for the rest of the residence. These pieces include a braided jute rug by Nanimarquina, a large mirror, a mirrored glass light, and a red I-beam table by Keck.

Throughout the home, furniture is carefully positioned to give the impression of a gallery, in which pieces can be changed over time. “The client is an also designer and photographer with a sensibility that is in tune with mine,” said Keck.

In the dining room is a square, bleached solid maple dining table by Brooklyn craftsman Mark Jupiter with eight Densen dining chairs by Egg Collective.

A black pendant light by London-based designer Michael Anastassiades hangs low above the table, making the room feel intimate.

On the wall is a large black-and-white photograph of a rocky coast by Robert Andersen, next to a geometric black sculpture by British artist Dominic McHenry.

The living room is decorated with two off-white sofas by Italian architect Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia, atop a soft white mohair rug. An abstract painting by American artist Larry Lee Webb provides a focal point.

The lounge area is complete with a vintage black chair and footrest by British designer Victor Pasmore, made from walnut and woven leather, and mid-century rosewood nesting tables by British-German architect Rex Raab for Wilhelm Renz.

“It’s a study in how function, form, lines, negative space, and light create harmony when objects and materials are artfully arranged,” said Keck.

The master bedroom is furnished with a Piero Lissoni bed, a black 1960s Italian daybed, a Trix floor lamp by Marcel Wanders for Dutch brand Moooi, a Pisa table lamp, and a Pedrera table designed by Antonio Gaudi.

The bedroom features more art, with a trio of photographs of Marfa, Texas, by Andersen, and a Donald Judd print.

Among the pieces custom-designed by Keck are nightstands in a master bedroom, a lucite desk in the guest room, and a low-lying cabinet in the living room.

The Four Seasons Private Residences are located at 30 Park Place, in an 82-storey tower designed by Robert A M Stern Architects – the second tallest residential property in downtown Manhattan.

The 157 residences start at the 39th floor, above a 189-room Four Seasons Hotel with interiors by Yabu Pushelberg.

Keck’s other projects in the city include an office with a white rodded staircase and slatted wall designs, which was longlisted for a Dezeen Awards in the interiors category earlier this year.

Photography is by Jeff Cate.

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