Rustic and Primitive in NYC

Yup, you read it right.   Even though I sway towards a more modern setting, those that know me very well can say the rustic influence is strong and somehow comes forth in my work, in little ways or big ways.  There's usually a touch of that beat-up primitive farm table or a wooden basin in what appears to be a glossy, krisp or smooth interior setting.  My very first condo renovation had floors made of raw concrete tiles that I had custom ordered from a Spanish tile company.  Beneath the Le Corbusier sofa and chairs lay concrete flooring in the living room, leading to an outdoor space filled with gravel-covered grounds and an old, salvaged chunk of a humongous tree trunk acting as a bench.  Was it modern? Yes.  Was it primitive in ways?  Yes.  It was a fantastic combination!

These images are of Robert De Niro's TriBeCa Penthouse where he commissioned Belgian designer Axel Vervoordt whose work is so recognizable.  I was indeed floored!  Amazing, the cocktail of reclaimed wood textures, rough concrete, linen slipcovers and window treatment.  It's as if a restored farmhouse was plopped on top this bustling metropolitan district in Manhattan.  As primitive as it looks, it is sooo modern.  Is it an old castle or converted farmhouse in Belgium?  Or is it some old building in Gion, Kyoto?  What a piece of paradise -- my kind of paradise…

Found on Grey the Blog via Remodelista

Design Axel Vervoordt

Photography via The Greenwich Hotel