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.