New loft condominiums with inspiring views of the Manhattan skyline acted as blank canvases for the seven designers of the 2015 Metro Designer Showhouse. Unique in its urban setting, the Showhouse broke traditional boundaries, allowing the designers to carry their design plans throughout entire apartments at the Pearl, a luxury waterfront property in Edgewater, NJ.
The c.1953 building, originally constructed by Skidmore Owings & Merrill and developed by National Resources, has its own story to tell, having first served a life as Unilever’s World Research Headquarters.
It was the vision across the river, however, that served as the designers’ guiding light and muse. The completed apartment designs reflected the city in three ways: the city in daylight, with its rich brick tones, historic architectural lines and water views; the city at night, a sparkling jewel box of glamour and sophistication; and the city as a global hub, with residents, visitors, art and history stemming from every corner of the globe.
Conceived and organized by ASPIRE Metro magazine, the Showhouse brought exceptional design talent to New Jersey’s Gold Coast and raised funds to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association, Greater New Jersey Chapter.
SAMUEL ROBERT SIGNATURE SPACES911 SQ.FT. INTERIOR DESIGNER | Sam Ciardi INSPIRATION | The View Looking straight across to Manhattan’s Upper West Side was especially inspirational for selecting the color palette. I chose to work the interior design in shades of brown, red, orange and yellow to complement the collage of brick, prewar buildings just across the Hudson. PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT | The Wallcoverings I used a variety of wallpaper textures to give the space a warm and industrial feeling – most notably the faux exposed-brick wallpaper, which created a sense of history and immediately changed the architectural mood of the space. FAVORITE DESIGN DECISION | Table with a View My favorite design decision for the space was the placement of a very simple glass-top console table and two Lucite chairs directly in front of the glass window. This allows for every meal to be enhanced by taking full advantage of the magnificent Manhattan skyline just across the river. PHOTOGRAPHY DANIEL RYAN SOUTHFIELD MEDIA
ALAN TANKSLEY, INC.1,467 SQ. FT.INTERIOR DESIGNER | Alan TanksleyINSPIRATION | The Gentle River Breeze and Wide-open Skies I wanted to create a light, open, calming sanctuary within this very unique location. PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT | The Use of Mirrors We placed a large mirror perpendicular to the windows that really brightened the space, and the mirror that passes behind the sofa creates depth and serves to extend the height of the room. It’s a very different effect than simply hanging a framed mirror above a sofa. DESIGN DIRECTIVE | Design a Destination Think of furnishings and spaces in terms of destinations. Consider people’s thoughts when they enter a room. What chair or seating arrangement will appeal to them and why? Intuitively, you can design a space based on the destination of mind and eye. PHOTOGRAPHY DANIEL RYAN SOUTHFIELD MEDIA
RED BANK DESIGN CENTER1,467 SQ. FT. INTERIOR DESIGNER | Amy ManorINSPIRATION | Uncle Irving My grandfather’s brother, whose last name, serendipitously, was Pearl, was my inspiration. Uncle Irving, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, brought our family together while he was alive, and his memory and the Showhouse are bringing us together again. PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT | The Feminine Rock & Roll Vibe I like to pull together designs that make people think and that offer surprises. In the bedroom, the magnificent selenium crystal bed meets with bold pops of chartreuse in the art, window and wallcoverings; in the living room, the soft blush Art Deco sofa meets with graffiti-style, large-format art. There is a balance of energy. DESIGN DIRECTIVE | Give Yourself a Canvas The black and white theme runs throughout the apartment – with stark white walls and black molding in most spaces and the dramatic black ceiling in the dining and kitchen spaces. This provided a sophisticated, yet neutral and balanced backdrop for thought-provoking art and design decisions. PHOTOGRAPHY PAUL S BARTHOLOMEW
PHOTOGRAPHY KATHRYN McTEAGUE
PHOTOGRAPHY PAUL S BARTHOLOMEW
JOE GINSBERG DESIGN1,467 SQ. FT.INTERIOR DESIGNER | Joe Ginsberg & Laura WeberINSPIRATION | The Light, The Ceiling Height, The View and The Demographic of the ClientPEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT |The Oversized Wood Island To design a true luxury interior, everything we create is authentic. The inorganic white kitchen island took up a very large part of the unit, so it was important to create something grounding and palpable to calm the senses. The white oak was a warmer material to achieve a more traditional style, and our custom blackened steel LED light complemented the white oak as it floated over the length of the counter. FAVORITE DESIGN DECISION | Customizing the Living Room Wall Our custom mirrored glass and repurposed wooden shelves enhanced the space by capturing light and extending the waterfront view through the reflection. The combination of mirrored glass and wood created the perfect balance of glamor and ease. The installation of the ethanol fireplace made this space cozy and inviting.
MANNARINO DESIGN, INC.1,467 SQ. FT. INTERIOR DESIGNER | Anna Maria MannarinoINSPIRATION | The Location and The Client The space – a clean, contemporary, gallery-like setting that highlighted the evolution of a design that comes from layering collections – was designed for the sophisticated, well-traveled inhabitants I imagined would live there. PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT |The LED Wall Art The study was quite small and had no windows, so I added a backlit image of a beautiful building in Milan that has a spectacular industrial-like glass ceiling. The image was custom made to fit tightly on the entire wall, which opens up an otherwise small, dark room. FAVORITE DESIGN DECISION |The Interplay of Art Incorporating all of the artwork was my favorite and most important design decision. The collection was carefully and deliberately curated to create the story and define the spaces. PHOTOGRAPHY LAUREN HAGERSTROM AND DANIEL RYAN SOUTHFIELD MEDIA
C W DESIGN2,941 SQ. FT. INTERIOR DESIGNER | Catherine WeinstockINSPIRATION | The Space Itself I was driven by the light and, in particular, the amazing view of the city. PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT | The Global Vibe Everything from the carpets to the furnishings was an obvious choice, as New York is a “world” city where both foreign influences and art play important roles. The challenges were to honor the integrity of the space and to make it highly engaging while maintaining a balance. FAVORITE SPOTS | The Corridor My favorite space was the narrow corridor that leads to the library and nursery. I found these amazing African weapons that come from an important collection and were generously loaned to me. Placed in this context, these objects created a strong silhouette and adopted a sculptural quality. DESIGN DIRECTIVE | Urban Child’s Room My mission was to create a children’s room that would be sophisticated rather than infantile. I wanted the room to be dynamic, and to exude a sense of energy and movement. I asked New Jersey-based artist Jill Caporoso to paint in a somewhat random, haphazard way, and to use the entire wall from floor to ceiling. The mural itself – with its strong primary colors and floating figures that appear to be 3-D – was inspired by a poster given to me by a brilliant graphic artist in Berlin back in 1985 and by the amazing “Italian Futurism” exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum last year. The furniture, much of which came from Austria, tied it all together, especially the “robot” book case. PHOTOGRAPHY BRUCE BUCK
LAZZONI2,696 SQ. FT.INTERIOR DESIGNER | Fulya CanINSPIRATION | Casablanca The idea was for an elegant Mediterranean spirit with clean lines and splashes of white, black and metallic. PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT | The Energy They said it was so soothing. The colors and the lighting were cool and calm. The design was sophisticated but also inviting. It was modern, while simultaneously simulating walking into a black and white movie. It was timeless. DESIGN DIRECTIVE | Create a Lifestyle This isn’t about selling furniture; it’s about a lifestyle. A home is a person’s sanctuary. It’s very important they feel at peace when they’re there. PHOTOGRAPHY LAUREN HAGERSTROM
Caryn Krueger, owner and founder of CSM ART & FRAMEin Chatham NJ, and her talented team, contributed the “Art Wall” corridor at the 2015 Metro Designer Showhouse at the Pearl in Edgewater, NJ. PHOTOGRAPHERS: Babs Armour, George Diebold, Gelatin Photography, Stephan Harmon, Pezhman, Chuck Plante, Claire Rosen and Douglas Tod.MIXED MEDIA:Willie Cole, Debbie Frankel, Anne Goffin Smith, Joan Goldsmith, Catherine Latson, Danielle Mick and M. Quen. PHOTOGRAPH LAUREN HAGERSTROM
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