The term 'fashionable address' is often bandied about in high-end property circles, indicating that the place in question is suitably soignee in terms of its location. But a crop of decorators is taking that concept further.
Prestigious Manhattan condominiums such as The Sheffield and Manhattan House have gone out of their way to put the 'fashion' into 'fashionable address' in a bid to appeal to people who work in the industry, travel to New York as a result of it, or who simply like to have their home interiors as well dressed as they are. Furniture designers are taking inspiration from runway shows, hoping to be moved by the colours and textures (think turquoise cabinets with elaborate raised white patterning).
At Manhattan House, the 1,150 square foot model home was decorated by acclaimed New York interior designer Celerie Kemble, author of To Your Taste: Creating Modern Rooms with a Traditional Twist, who referenced haute couture in her work.
For the look Kemble took the approach that currently reigns in fashion, where it is much more about distinctive, bespoke pieces that are individual and artisanal, and 'less about the ostentatious showing of wealth and brand-focused luxury'; in short, the understated elegance of Oscar de la Renta or Lanvin. So, for example, the curtains she used in the space are sheer and iridescent, 'very much like dressmakers' fabric,' she says.
'I would say that the living room feels like a cocktail dress - not fancy, but certainly not casual. There is nothing formal in that space. The idea was to keep every material that went in as dressed,' says Kemble. Other touches include a high-gloss black lacquer finish on the walls, a huge blush-coloured shagreen coffee table, gold ceramics and Lucite curtain poles.
'Everything was highly customised to have a fashionable, glimmering shine,' Kemble says. 'Living in New York, we watch this high-speed movie of fashion pass before our eyes all day. Fashion is about an overriding mood.'
