Nothing is secondary when it comes to color and design for Robert Passal. The designer colors his spaces based on the time of day they’re most often used.
Rich with a history all its own, designer Robert Passal’s Manhattan apartment speaks not only to the era in which the building was constructed but also to his personal passions for travel, collection and classic design.
The space itself has undergone more than one renovation since Passal took over 15 years ago. A gut renovation upon acquisition included the relocation of the entry to what had been a guest room – a move that allowed for the creation of a study/dining space more useful to the designer on a daily basis – and the restoration of the circa 1927 interior architecture. More minor design tweaks included lacquering the living room walls, replacing the carpet and upholstering the walls in the master bedroom.
“I wanted the shell of the space, the architecture, to be true to its period,” the designer explains, “and I wanted the space itself to be furnished with things I love.”
Throughout the home, light and dark spaces complement one another and speak to the general use of the area.
“I enjoy working with color and experiencing the ever-changing tones of a space as the sun moves across the sky,” Passal says, noting a personal preference for lighter tones in rooms frequented during daylight hours and darker hues in those used mostly in the evening. “Clients can often initially be resistant to darker tones, but they find they eventually gravitate to these cocoon-like spaces.”
Adding intrigue to the light and dark spaces are objects and materials that tell of the designer’s penchant for global travel and the eternal decorative hunt.
“Shopping while traveling is something I’m passionate about,” Passal tells. “I feel as though design is something that is innate. I’m constantly on the prowl to find the next great object or furnishing, even when I’m not conscious of it. My space is a true collection of art, accessories and furnishings I’ve located in my travels, wherever they may be.”
Opposed to rooms where every object is brand new and “pristine to the point of unapproachability,” Passal works, both in his home and those of his clients, to create spaces “layered in texture and pattern and with a personal approach and appeal. Homes should reflect their inhabitants,” the designer advises, “not the showrooms from which the furnishings were purchased.”
That feeling of depth and experience shines through in the pieces brought into his home – from the animal prints to the artwork that includes a pixelated portrait of Jackie Onassis to a decorative palm tree perfectly at home amid classic furnishings.
And, while he confesses to adoring the overall space as it exists today, Passal admits there may indeed be future updates.
“I see my work as an evolution,” the designer concludes. “For me, it’s an ever-changing laboratory of design.”
Photography Courtesy of Joshua McHugh.
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