Featuring beautiful pieces including a custom cane vanity in the bathroom, a luxe leather dining bench, and a plush burnt orange reading chair, this New York City bachelorette pad designed by Rachel Sloane Interiors is a sophisticated city girl’s dream come true.
The 1,380 square foot apartment—which features two bedrooms, two baths, and is located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan—is quite large for NYC standards.
“The space isn’t that small, she just has a lot of things,” designer Rachel Sherman says of her client. Thus, strategic storage elements, such as the custom built-ins in the primary bedroom, were key. “We knew in advance where every shoe, belt, and bracelet would be stored,” Sherman says.
Creating a similar plan of action in the kitchen was key, too. “She loves to cook, bake, and entertain, so we went through a similar process of ensuring everything had a very specific place,” Sherman adds. “When we realized we were running short on space, we were able to find an opportunity to build a butler’s pantry in the entry hall for all the overflow items.”
Right off the bat, Sherman's client made it clear that she wanted her kitchen to be bold—white cabinets didn’t strike her fancy. “I was, of course, thrilled with this,” Sherman says. “I knew the kitchen was going to be the centerpiece of the apartment, and a colored cabinet was a great opportunity to pack a punch.”
“Once we settled on the midnight blue paint for the cabinets, we used this as the thread to tell a cohesive story throughout the apartment,” Sherman says.
The bedroom was designed around the House of Hackney wallpaper that Sherman sourced. “To ensure the bedroom exuded a sense of calm, the rest of the room is pared back and tonal,” she explains. “Instead, we kept the focus on the textures and color: sage linen bedding, the wood of the headboard and nightstand, and sheer drapery.”
Sherman enjoys how nicely the wooden headboard and nightstand—which the client already owned—complement the original beam exposed during the project.
Who says bathrooms have to be boring? “To bring this color story into the bathroom, we used an inky blue tile in the shower,” Sherman says. “The bathroom doesn’t have a window, so we decided to just make the shower moody and keep everything else bright with white penny-tiled walls and Carrara floors.”
“The bathroom was maybe the biggest overhaul of the whole apartment, and really feels like it was transformed into an oasis,” the client says.
Sherman dubs the space that encapsulates the reading nook, dining room, kitchen, and living room the “Great Room,” which she says was, “meant to feel warm and inviting, with touches of a layered global bohemian vibe.” Special pieces, such as the geometric rug and woven leather seating made a major impact.
“The client’s textiles, art, and trinkets picked up while traveling for work all add soul and character to this space,” Sherman adds.
The client’s textiles, art, and trinkets picked up while traveling for work all add soul and character to this space.
The space also includes steel doors, which partition off the second bedroom. Sherman and her client spent considerable time weighing the addition of this pricey feature.
“We ultimately felt that it served as the centerpiece of the space, both visually adding so much to achieve that classic ‘NYC loft’ feeling, while functionally allowing a great deal of light to come through and separating the second bedroom from the living space,” Sherman explains.
In the early stages of the design process, Sherman and her client turned to Instagram and Pinterest to share ideas and favorite setups with each other. “It’s vital to have these visual tools as you start from square one, and reference them—plus new ones with more details—as the details of the project unfold throughout the creative process,” Sherman explains.
Says her client, “I really love the playful aesthetic details we incorporated, like the entry wallpaper with hidden keys and nude sketches on the inside of the laundry door.”