When approaching the design of a room there are a myriad of things to consider—color palette, space, fabrics, paint—it can really be overwhelming but there’s one thing Gabriel Hendifar and Jeremy Anderson urge us all to remember: comfort. In fact, when interviewing them for the Live Beautiful book “lead with comfort” was one of the biggest lessons they learned when designing their 1600-square-foot home in the Flatiron District of New York—and it’s quickly become the #1 design rule we follow for every project. “It should be a soft place to land with enough surprises to keep you on your toes—like a good relationship,” the Apparatus co-founders tell Athena.
Lovingly coined “the house of shapes,” the highly personal home is filled with geometry, complex curves, and unexpected objects but despite that, the space is soft and lush not hard or rigid as you might expect those shapes to express. Thanks to the use of textural materials throughout—think velvet walls, doors, and even curtains—the space is warm and intimate, completely enveloping you in swaths of lavish materiality. For Hendifar and Anderson “it’s about the mix, and it’s being idiosyncratic, and having enough tension to keep you on your toes”—we couldn’t agree more!
This week we continue our celebration of Live Beautiful’s one year anniversary, with a special rapid fire and curated collage from the Apparatus co-founders. Read on to learn more about their design philosophy and be inspired by their unexpected, imaginative, and dynamic home.
