Central Park Nest
In a restored prewar building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, a fresh apartment takes full advantage of the surprisingly immersive woodland views.
Think of a Manhattan apartment with a Central Park view, and chances are you picture looking down from a high floor in The Plaza, The Dakota or some other iconic address. But farther uptown, the views become decidedly more intimate—especially on the West Side, as the avenue narrows and the buildings shrink in size. Consider the apartment shown here. Tucked in a renovated prewar building at Central Park West and 108th Street, this home looks out on a wall of greenery, which almost creates the illusion of a country setting. Tall windows and multiple exposures flood the space with sunlight, enhancing the sense of closeness to nature.
The views of Central Park woodland are so lush and so close that this Manhattan apartment gives one the sense of being in the country. Safavieh designer Luis E. Hill reinforced the vistas by using large mirrors and abstract paintings that contain plenty of green. Houseplants and bowls of green apples also help to tie the interiors to nature. A patterned console topped with tree-form lamps and artwork functions visually as a hearth—without detracting from the forest.
These prized qualities called for a light design touch. To tie the interior to the outdoors, Luis E. Hill, a designer based in Safavieh’s Broadway, Manhattan store, placed large mirrors, houseplants and abstract paintings that contain a lot of green. The home lacked a fireplace, so Hill created the visual equivalent of a hearth: He selected a console table with a face that looks like stone masonry, centered the console on a wall, and topped the “mantel” with a symmetrical arrangement of tree-trunk-patterned lamps and artwork. This tableau anchors the main living space without detracting from the lush park views.
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