Loading... This multilayered New York apartment tells a story of passion for vintage design and craft

This multilayered New York apartment tells a story of passion for vintage design and craft

Interior designer Charlie Ferrer's new Greenwich Village apartment in New York City is a testament to his evolving aesthetic, moving from a "spare masculine" midcentury modernism to a more eclectic, colorful, and "granny feminine vibe." Ferrer sought a pre-war building with a working fireplace in the West Village, a combination he found in a 1931 Bing & Bing condominium on Christopher Street, directly above the Stonewall Inn. This location, described as a "dynamic little intersection of energies," offered a livelier environment than his previous Chelsea residences. His stylistic shift mirrors a personal transformation, having grown up in Greenwich, Connecticut, with a "heteronormative white preppy" aesthetic. After moving to Los Angeles, coming out, and entering the furniture business, his design preferences naturally broadened. As a largely self-taught interior designer, Ferrer has expanded his studio to include luxury condominium model apartments and a vintage furniture collaboration with CB2. He notes that different projects and evolving interests taught him to integrate pattern and color into his designs. The apartment's inherent pre-war character, with its solid proportions and charming details like entry vestibule railings, facilitated this transition towards a layered and collected look. Ferrer, who also operates his own vintage design gallery, furnished the apartment by hand-picking pieces from his inventory. He describes his approach as "iterative or incremental, based on discoveries," rather than a pre-conceived "full vision." This method involved customizing chosen items to ensure they complemented each other. Examples of his unique customization include a sofa with added pleats, cast-bronze animal claw feet, and magenta piping. A swiveling "Elda" chair by Joe Colombo, selected for its "weirdness quotient," was reupholstered in a dark green alpaca-hair fabric. Striking molded acrylic dining chairs were given chartreuse-hued textile cushions to contrast with their rosy-amber bases, a design choice Ferrer playfully admits few clients would approve. These chairs pair with an antique wooden table featuring a figurative bronze sculpture by French artist César. In the bedroom, a 1930s archival print from French textile house Le Manach covers the bed, which Ferrer affectionately calls "grandma, but I think it’s super sexy." Above the bed hangs a collection of small crosses from a Parisian estate sale, recontextualized by Ferrer as an "aesthetic gesture" rather than a religious symbol. Unexpected details also appear in the kitchen, where the cabinet interiors are finished in Hermès-orange, contrasting with a wall lined in textured grasscloth. Ferrer justified the choice of absorbent grasscloth due to his minimal cooking habits. Ferrer continuously refines the apartment's details, even installing a new fireplace mantel just before the photo shoot. This collector's approach to interior design has created a personal sanctuary that balances the vibrant energy of the neighborhood with a distinctively curated aesthetic. The apartment serves as a compelling example of how personal narrative, playful experimentation, and a passion for vintage finds can converge to create a truly unique and evolving living space, demonstrating that personality and character can triumph over larger, more conventional layouts.

1 month ago

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