CHELSEA LOFT -  NEW YORK, NY

TYPOLOGY: Residential

SCOPE: Complete Interior Renovation

SIZE: 2,000 Sq. Ft.

CLIENT: Melissa Marks & Vincente Carides

The renovation of Melissa Marks and Vicente Caride’s Chelsea loft is the result of a thorough collaboration between clients and designers. I-Beam worked with the artist/owners to develop a plan that would remain open while creating order amongst a variety of domestic and professional activities. A series of sliding walls serve as alternating studio and exhibition walls that reveal or conceal different areas (studio, office and living room) according to the time of day and who is using the space.

We all wanted to manifest the act of drawing in built form so we designed a solid walnut line that circumnavigates the loft to become shelving, stairs, door jambs, window sills, desks and counter tops, unifying the space while articulating the various functions that occur there.

A minimal pallet of walnut, carrara marble and white provides a neutral backdrop for Melissa’s drawings, some of which are made directly on the wall.  A playful and interactive LEGO® stair provides access to their son’s bedroom.

The stair railing is made of 20,000 LEGO® blocks. We collaborated with the family and LEGO®  Artist Sean Kenney to create a Mondrian-inspired flow of openings and intensifying color up the stair. The construction drawings were made according to LEGO® dot dimensions and the railing is left deliberately unfinished – an invitation to the family and their friends to continue building a brighter more colorful future.

PROJECT CREDITS:

Architect/Designer: I-Beam Design (Suzan Wines: Partner, Team: 

Samantha Perry, Thomas Longley)

Artists/Owners: Melissa Marks, Vicente Caride

LEGO® Artist/Installer: Sean Kenney Design

General Contractor: Conelle Construction Corp.

Photos: Travis Dubreuil unless otherwise noted

Photos for New York Magazine by Thomas Loof