Heather Peterson’s motto — “Master The Mix” — speaks to the designer’s affinity for thoughtfully assembling layered interiors, unique finds and personal touches. One of her latest projects was a friend’s Morningside Heights apartment distinguished by its natural light and New York City views. Scores of inventive touches define the layout: from the boldly patterned entryway to the collection of unusually proportioned vintage rugs, every square inch tells a design story. Peterson explains how the two friends worked together to fill this modern apartment with mainly reclaimed and vintage pieces, ultimately creating an urban home filled with heart and soul.
“This apartment, a 12th-floor unit in a newly built high-rise, had more modern bones than my client’s previous places, and that, along with her fairly contemporary art collection, led us to favor more clean lines with the pieces we added, like the den sectional,” the designer noted. “The collaboration itself was very dynamic, with a lot of links sent back and forth with vintage rug options and other one-off finds.”
“The living room is my client’s favorite because it is so personal, like a bit of a memoir,” Peterson observed. “The velvet loveseat was her grandmother’s, the rug and coffee table were found at beloved shops near her country retreat, the leather rocker came from her Brooklyn loft, and the pink painting was bought from a friend especially for this apartment. It is eclectic and inviting; everywhere you turn there are stories which reflect back to her.”
“In the primary bedroom, which is very large by Manhattan standards, we carved out a desk area by the window. This is the only room where we added drapery, and we made it a little messy, from a John Robshaw block-printed fabric,” Peterson said. “The bamboo chair belonged to my client, and we paired it with an unexpected desk–sculptural in shape but casual in its raffia finish–and topped it off with a very modern lamp. The result is unexpected and breezy.”
“We employed a similar design strategy in the dining room, though all of those pieces were newly purchased,” Peterson revealed. Design elements include “modern lighting, classic Josef Hoffman chairs reminiscent of European cafés, a Moroccan rug, and a custom table from RTFacts, a wonderful shop near my client’s country home in Connecticut. The hammered base, powder coated in an unexpected aubergine, is unique and so artistic.”
“My client and I share a love of wallpaper, and it was fun to make our selections,” Peterson explained. “The three papers are in windowless spaces (two bathrooms and the entry), so they needed to really create a vibe. I love how completely different they are from each other, though they share organic elements and the two with color have a common palette. The entry has a Christian Lacroix large-scale mural of feathers, strong enough to give life to that space. The powder room has the utterly classic clouds pattern from Fornasetti, while the guest bath has a watercolor floral from Eskayel, a favorite brand of my client.”
Photography by Marco Ricca.
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