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Keeping the Piece

By , Curbed and New York Magazine’s design editor  who covers the city’s most spectacular interiors.

Laura Santos was hired in 2015 by a couple who had purchased a Tribeca loft that was hardly a blank slate: The building was originally a spice factory, and the loft had been an artist’s co-op in the ’60s. The previous owners bought it in 2007 and enlisted architect Nick Dine, the late interior designer Jim Walrod, and woodworker Patrick Keesey to reconfigure the open plan into a loft apartment with generous rooms defined by wood cabinetry and paneling throughout the 4,300-square-foot space. Happily, Santos and her clients were up for working within the existing structural circumstances, and decorated accordingly.

“The biggest challenge for decorating this apartment was creating an aesthetic harmony with the preexisting wood everywhere,” says Santos. “I had to be very careful to select and create pieces from other materials. I wanted the décor to work with the existing architectural design, but I didn’t want it to disappear.” Seen above, Santos chose a rug from Fort Street Studio, a Venetian sofa by Vladimir Kagan from Ralph Pucci, lounge chairs from Sebastian + Barquet, a coffee table by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne, and a wood chair by Nakashima.

The open living room transitions into the dining area with a sofa by Kevin Walz from Ralph Pucci, a large Italian cocktail table attributed to Romeo Rega from Thomas Gallery, and a custom dining table designed by Santos with a stone top from ABC Stone and a base fabricated by Patrick Keesey. Photo: Don Freeman/Styling by Raina Kattelson
The Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler dining chairs are from R & Company, the Arthur Casas wall console is from Espasso, the wall sconces are by Charlotte Perriand, and the art is by Julian Stanczak from Mitchell-Innes & Nash Gallery. Photo: Don Freeman/Styling by Raina Kattelson
The library, open to the living-dining area, holds its own thanks to the beautiful custom millwork. The leather sofa is from R & Company and the lounge chairs are attributed to Gio Ponti. The coffee table by Fritz Hansen from the ’60s is from R & Company. The early-20th-century Turkish oushak rug is from Doris Leslie Blau. Photo: Don Freeman/Styling by Raina Kattelson
“The couple have two young children, so the media room needed to be comfortable and practical above all,” Santos says. “I built a custom oversized daybed; it’s a child’s dream, but also very useful for the family.” The custom daybed was fabricated by Dune to Santos’s design, and the chairs are by Lina Bo Bardi. The throw pillows are covered in textiles the clients brought back from trips to India. Photo: Don Freeman/Styling by Raina Kattelson
The open kitchen was designed by Patrick Keesey for the previous owners and is enjoyed by the current owners. “It is very rare to find a place where you don’t have to change anything structural,” Santos says. “The quality of the existing millwork and lacquered ceiling was exquisite.” Photo: Don Freeman/Styling by Raina Kattelson
The serene master bedroom–office features a pair of Edward Wormley sofas from Converso and a coffee table from Edward Wormley for Dunbar from Assemblage. The desk is from Bernd Goeckler Antiques and the area rug is from Orley Shabahang. Photo: Don Freeman/Styling by Raina Kattelson

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A Downtown Loft That Embraces Its Wood Accents