A West Village home inspired by family heirlooms and natural textures
For a young couple in Manhattan’s West Village, the return to a vibrant, freshly decorated home after their honeymoon was the ultimate beginning to a bright new chapter in life. The two-bedroom, pre-war apartment overlooking a leafy park was left in the accomplished hands of New York interior designer Augusta Hoffman for a full interior makeover. Botanical, floral and organic, the space was transformed into a pocket of nouveau Bohemia – a different path for Augusta, whose work typically identifies with more minimalistic, neutral design. Awash with rich earth tones and natural textures, the space became filled with intricate vignettes and homages to the clients’ family history, something Augusta embraced wholeheartedly. “It was really fun for me to get out of that realm and play with some different design techniques,” she explains.
Pre-decided by a strict pool of New York City permits, the 1920s apartment shell stayed firmly in situ and Augusta didn’t take on any architectural renovations. Instead, she used the established lighting locations and wiring to build the scheme, layering, collecting and balancing with the clients’ cherished input – starting with a pair of vintage, hand-painted tole sconces above the living room fireplace. “We really wanted to lean into that architecture and not do anything too contemporary, but we did later bring in more modern pieces of furniture.” On her working relationship with the clients, Augusta was quick to note their creativity and involvement, which soon became the beating heart of the renovation. “The clients are honestly the kindest people. I think they enjoyed the process and truly inspired a lot of the decisions – I think that lends itself to the best outcome.”
Despite being on the smaller side for a Manhattan property, the apartment is filled with daylight, and large, north-facing windows allowed for deep colour choices, including Benjamin Moore’s ‘Louisberg Green’ and a selection of natural reds, terracotta and burnt umber. “Originally the clients wanted an airy, neutral palette,” Augusta explains, “but they took a chance on richer colours as the project progressed.” It’s a balanced combination of warm comfort and cheer, with moments of contrast provided by a concrete plinth and a curved Rob Pluhowski coffee table steadily equalising the apartment’s floral femininity.
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The second bedroom, transformed into a study for the time being, is a testament to Augusta’s love of organic textures. The backboard between the sofa and arched custom bookshelf is a coconut fibre wallpaper by Phillip Jeffries, repeated subtly at the back of the bar in the living room. Maintaining the organic quality of each textured piece is of great importance to Augusta, and she takes pride in showing off the nature of the materials, making sure not to overpower the space. “I love to focus on organic textures and natural fibres,” she says, “and I think layering these is so important even in more minimal schemes.” Plus, she recalls, “the couple actually have a cat, so we picked things that were very durable!”
Botanical prints hang above the living room sofa, carefully preserved from the pages of a book given to the client by her mother and perfectly harmonious with the dining area tablecloth. Details like this express the true inspiration and soul of this home; family heritage and legacy ultimately lead the project, thanks to requests from the design-minded wife of the couple to honour her upbringing and childhood home. “I think it’s really important to layer in bits of the client’s history,” Augusta reflects. “The client’s mother and grandmother gifted her a few pieces that we really built the foundation around.” With some design decisions, there was room for nothing but tradition, and the fireplace fender in the living room was an essential homage to the client’s grandparents. “The client had grown up with this style at her grandmother’s house, and was adamant it would feature,” adds Augusta.
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In addition to sentimental heirlooms, the team found a vintage Gio Ponti-style mirror and chinoiserie console on Chairish, as well as a pair of Louis XV nightstands on 1stDibs. In the living room, Augusta layered a selection of pieces in collaboration with Janine Carendi at Area Design. Augusta had worked for the company years before, and in this room she was able to include a subtle reference to her own design history, as well as the family’s ancestral one.
The scheme was by no means limited to vintage finds, and Augusta commissioned Brooklyn furniture designers Green River Project to create a pair of ottomans to fit under the vintage chinoiserie console. They are upholstered in black linen and embroidered by designer Emily Bode, inspired by the wall sconces in the living room. “I wanted to make sure every room felt distinct, but also that they flowed well together,” Augusta explains. She added subtle repetitions to maintain consistency throughout the apartment. “I like to make a bridge between the spaces, for instance the same chair with different fabric in two different rooms.”
This home was designed to be malleable. It’s highly functional, but equally fun and sophisticated for a couple in their twenties. The opportunity for rearrangement is subtle but significant, and there is plenty of room for entertaining in clever details like the extendable dining table (on first look you’d never guess, but there is the capacity to comfortably seat ten people). Designed to cater to what the couple will need over the coming years, the home has been shaped by pre-emptive choices. “We wanted it to feel malleable as the family grows – not overly masculine or feminine,” Augusta explains, conscious of the changing phases of life. “I actually love homes that aren’t consistent with any one period. I think it’s really nice to have something that feels collected over time.”
Tim Lenz1/17The bronzed brass and glass ceiling light is from Vaughan Designs.
Tim Lenz2/17A leather wet bar in the living room. The cabinet knobs are by Waterworks and the interior doors, walls and shelving are painted in Benjamin Moore’s ‘Brick Red’ in a high gloss finish. The backsplash is a Philip Jeffries braided wallpaper. The tablecloth is custom, in Peter Dunham ‘Udaipur Red’ fabric. The accompanying dining chairs are vintage Art Deco in walnut, sourced from 1stDibs and reupholstered in Fermoie ‘Rabanna’ fabric.
Tim Lenz3/17Window drapery is custom made from Peter Dunham’s ‘Udaipur Red’ to match the dining tablecloth, and the armchairs are Swedish Art Deco, reupholstered in Schumacher’s ‘Marietta’ in brown. A custom-made coffee table by Rob Pluhowski sits in front of the sofa, which was reupholstered in a Lee Jofa olive green linen. William Pharmacy floor lamps in Bronze from Circa Lighting stand on the far side of the sofa, and the rug is custom jute. Walls and ceiling beams are painted in Benjamin Moore’s ‘White Dove’, and the ceiling is additionally washed in Portola’s ‘Roman Clay’ in Full Circle.
Tim Lenz4/17The sofa cushions are custom made, covered in Christopher Farr Cloth’s ‘Loom Weave’ in Natural shade.
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Tim Lenz6/17Above the fireplace hangs a 1950s Italian brass mirror with a loop detail, sourced from Panoplie. The wall sconces are vintage, hand-painted Tole sconces. At the client’s request, the fireplace fender was custom built and upholstered in an Ian Mankin fabric by Peter Hovey’s Club Fenders.
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Tim Lenz9/17Behind the sofa, the textured wallpaper is by Philip Jeffries, matching the wet bar backsplash in the dining area. The window drapery is custom made from Mokum fabric with a Schumacher Bell Fringe in Leaf.
Tim Lenz10/17In the small bedroom, the walls, ceiling and millwork are painted in Benjamin Moore’s ‘Louisburg Green’. The pair of sconces are from Hudson Valley Lighting topped with a Fermoie lampshade in Green Marden. A Lehigh Sleeper Sofa from Kravet is covered in a performance Kravet Smart fabric and lined with a bullion fringe in écru – a detail that matches the dining table. The leather Ottoman from One Kings Lane rests on a Rana rug by Lulu and Georgia.
Tim Lenz11/17An antique chinoiserie console table is from Chairish, furnished with a pair of table lamps. These were vintage confit jars that Augusta and her team converted into lamp bases and topped with knife-pleated Danish shades. The mirror is the clients’ own, and the ottomans were made by Green River Project. Upholstered in black linen, they were embroidered by Emily Bode.
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Tim Lenz14/17In the main bedroom, the wallpaper is ‘#55 Veronique’ by Les Indiennes. The custom drapery matches the wallpaper in Les Indiennes fabric. The paint colour is Benjamin Moore’s ‘White Dove’ and a vintage 1960s suzani blanket covers the bed. A custom lumbar pillow in Jasper fabric sits on the bed.
Tim Lenz15/17On the bed, the headboard is custom made and upholstered in Schumacher ‘Mohair’ fabric. Vintage Louis XV nightstands were sourced from 1stDibs, and the sconces installed on the headboard are mid-century Royère style, purchased from Studio Design Italy.
Tim Lenz16/17A Made Goods Lindsey Desk was chosen in Olive Ash veneer, and the vanity chair is the client’s own. The cushion was reupholstered in Schumacher ‘Mohair’ fabric to match the bed headboard. On the desk sits a 1950 Italian brass Gio Ponti-style table mirror. It was sourced from Chairish. The table lamp is an Accent lamp in Alabaster from Circa Lighting, topped with a Fermoie lampshade in Blue Moire.
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