Located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, this pre-war apartment received a gut renovation of the
central entertaining spaces by Carol Kurth Architecture. The award-winning architect and interior
designer transformed a compartmentalized floor plan to create flow and fluidity within the design. Part
of the goal was to unify the spaces and open up relationships between adjoining rooms, embracing the
pre-war aspects of the apartment while bringing a modernist sensibility to the design.
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Carol Kurth Architecture
This was achieved by designing steel-clad openings that transition
spaces, celebrating the building’s 1920s architecture which features
rusticated terracotta trim around the façade windows. Lighting played
an important role in the design of the space, as the apartment had
no existing ceiling or wall lighting. By designing a built-in millwork,
Kurth was able to introduce linear LED glow lighting both in the
millwork and through the architecturally significant Coltrane wall
sconces by DelightFULL, amplifying the lighting and design aesthetic.
These modern fixtures were chosen as they gave double the impact
with two asymmetrical lamps of up and downlight, creating a striking
lighting effect with the black and gold contrast. The sconces’ bold
forms punctuate the space and define the seating area, as well as flank
the media built-in on the opposite side of the room.
As an architect and interior designer, Carol Kurth is drawn to the
effect that lighting shadows play upon surfaces. The black and gold
Coltrane sconces gleam against the matte textures of the millwork,
creating a beautiful effect. The lighting rounded out a cohesive
architectural design, picking up the various metal detailing in the
