Manhattan House Features Signature Residences by Iconic Designers (Exclusive)

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed)
Jan 13th 2011 at 9:31AM

Manhattan House, the iconic, landmarked residential condominium on the Upper East Side, has teamed with renowned Interior Designers James (Ford) Huniford, Celerie Kemble and Rita Konig to create three signature residences at the building. All three residences are part of the Manhattan House's newly unveiled "The Modern Collection," which are brand-new units available in the building that were created in response to a growing demand for larger homes in the city.

The Modern9 (seen in the photo above) designed by James (Ford) Huniford is a three-bedroom, three-bath 3,350-square-foot space featuring a library with wet bar, windowed kitchen, breakfast room, and powder room. It is designed in the spirit of Manhattan House's Pritzker Prize-winning architect Gordon Bunshaft. "I designed the space with a client in mind who has a busy life," Huniford told Luxist. "This is for someone who enjoys the luxury of space and a uniqueness of palette. The space is soothing. It is for people who love art and design. It has a practicalness in the way that it is laid out."

Gallery: Manhattan House's New Signature Residences

Huniford, who is among one of Architectural Digest's Top 100 Designers, used exquisite materials, including refined furnishings of his own design, and a soothing palette. Luxurious textures and finishes mark the interior, from bluestone floor inlaid with patterned oak, lacquered walls and bark wall covering, to alpaca, distressed leather, pony skin, horse hair and cotton and linen upholstery, as well as brushed nickel hardware. "I repeated materials in different ways," says Huniford. Indeed, the bluestone found in the foyer's inlaid floor is repeated with the dining room table.

The designer remained true to the space's envelope, deploying flat molding on the ceiling to preserve Bunshaft's rigorous design. Huniford also exercised a delicate touch on the 40-foot expanse of south-facing windows framing the monumental great room and formal dining room, using minimalist shades so as not to obscure the incomparable light-or view of Manhattan House's private gardens. Soft grays, blues and celadon achieve a seamlessly serene transition from one room to the next, each one a picture of restrained elegance.

The Modern Penthouse by Rita Konig is a one-bedroom, 1.5-bath 1,151-square-foot light-filled corner penthouse residence with a 368-square-foot landscaped wraparound terrace offering views of the Manhattan skyline that also frame the dining and sitting rooms. "I designed it for myself," Konig explained to Luxist. "It is always important to design with someone in mind."

Konig kept a light palette throughout and hand-picked furnishings and décor to create an elegant and comfortable home, from a Hugo Guinness painting that hangs on a vibrant green wall when you enter the home, to window seats in the dining and sitting rooms made of Christopher Farr fabric and a bookcase filled with items from her own travels amongst a library put together by herself and Lorin Stein, editor of "The Paris Review". "The bookcase adds color and pattern to the room," says Konig, who doubles as an interior design critic for the Wall Street Journal.

The sitting room is decorated with antiques from London, embroidered fabrics from India and individual pieces found in antiques shops around New York and original artworks from the Sears Peyton Gallery. The windowed kitchen and expansive terrace bring light into the dining room where a Noguchi light hangs over the Philippe Hurel furniture. Some of the furnishings throughout the apartment came from Konig's own home, including a pair of lamps, in addition to her personal collection of books. Even the wallpaper hung in one room came from Rita's apartment in Manhattan.

"I didn't want it to look like a model apartment," she says. "I wanted the apartment to be comfortable with space to add your own life. Comfort is what leads what I design. People should be able to walk into a room and think to themselves 'I want to sit down and read a book here or have a drink there.' I want people to think they can actually live here.'"

The Modern Manhattan by Celerie Kemble is a three-bedroom, three-bath, 1,861-square-foot floor-through residence with dual exposures; Classic upholstery styles are paired with organically modern furniture forms, vintage textiles and furniture inspired by the 1960s. "I designed the space to be very fashionable," Kemble explained to Luxist. "It is for someone with a traditional sense."

The color palette features smoky grays, creams and accents of apricot and blush set off a diagonally glazed black lacquer strié on the walls of the living room. "The black walls were painted in a criss-cross pattern with a double glaze and a high gloss," Kemble says."It makes the room grow---the ceilings seem higher and the walls reflect the light, even though they are black."

In the great room, floating, mirror-backed lucite bookcases flank a limestone wood-burning fireplace and an expansive windowed wall. The third bedroom serves as a den and creates a dramatic illusion of depth through contrasts of black and white graphics. The children's bedroom is flexible for playing, studying and sleeping as it features Murphy bed-style bunk beds that fold up into the wall. A beautiful Alpha Workshop's hand-painted Manhattan skyline in a ribbon encircles the room and ceilings rendering a dreamscape of celestial constellations.

Kemble was excited to take on the Manhattan House project not only because it gave her the freedom to have full control over the design of the space, but also because she was already very familiar with the landmark property. "I have a personal connection to the building," says Kemble, who has been named as one of the 50 Tastemakers for the Future of Design, House and Garden and has been listed on House Beautiful's Top Designer's list for past nine consecutive years. "I had a boyfriend who lived here in the mid 1990's. A doorman who has been here since then recognized me!"

Located at 200 East 66^th Street and set within private gardens, Manhattan House is a Mid-Century condominium built to pre-war specifications. Designed in 1950 by architect Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Manhattan House was designated a historic landmark in 2007 by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and features gracious one- to five-bedroom residences available for immediate occupancy. Manhattan House features full-time doormen, five-star concierge services, and porte-cochere entrances on the tree-lined, two-way 66th Street. Residents also have the luxury of an on-site garage with valet service.

Additional amenities and services include the 10,000-square-foot rooftop level which features the Randall A. Ridless-designed Manhattan Club. With panoramic skyline views, the Manhattan Club provides an expansive outdoor terrace and indoor library and lounge for residents' enjoyment and relaxation. The building has Exhale's first residential mind body spa in Manhattan, also on the rooftop level, which features a yoga studio and treatment room. In addition, Manhattan House has a Roto Studio-designed children's playroom and one of Manhattan's largest private residential gardens.

To view these residences or for more information on Manhattan House, call (877) 394-6492 or send an email to info@manhattanhouse.com.

Tags: ArchitecturalDigest, Celerie Kemble, Christopher Farr, Exhale, Exhale Spa, Ford Huniford, Gordon Bunshaft, House Beautiful, James Ford Huniford, manhattan house, Noguchi, PritzkerPrize, Randall A. Ridless, Rita Konig, Sears Peyton Gallery, Skidmore