Relying on the Remarkable Views and a Neutral Palette, Joe Fava Designs a Sophisticated Manhattan Retreat for an Italian Couple Written by Maresa Giovannini
Photography by Michael Rodenbush
In densely populated cities, space may be limited, but style is boundless. People flock to these cultural melting pots for the experience—the art, the cuisine, the shows, the fashion, and the infinite energy. And in the heart of frenzied Midtown Manhattan, surrounded by landmarks and cultural centers such as the Guggenheim, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rockefeller Center, and the Empire State Building, stands The Setai Fifth Avenue. This soaring sixty-story tower is a newly established hotel and condo building and the location of this pied-a-terre. The city might never sleep, but eventually the people must.
Joe Fava, ASID and principal of Fort Lauderdale, Florida– based Fava Design Group, designed the one-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath condo as a part-time residence for an Italian couple. “This is the perfect spot to live while visiting New York City,” says Fava of the petite, 750-square-foot space. “It is comfortable enough for a couple to be able to relax and spread out in, but small enough that one can lock it up, head out, and not have to worry about it.”
Because the thirty-first-floor condo is intended for occasional visits, Fava focused on creating an uncomplicated and restive retreat for the couple’s exhausting city stays. A consistent monochromatic color palette of champagne tones produces both a sense of calm and the appearance of a larger space, while pops of orange add a bit of color and drama. The walls are bathed in Benjamin Moore metallic paint with a shimmery effect repeated in metallic fabric window sheers, rich champagne-colored velvet on the sofa and side chairs, and wool and silk shimmer rugs.
“In the master bedroom, we hung a hand-painted screen with an Asian landscape that helped increase the ‘visual’ space of the bedroom,” says Fava. “Like a mirror, this screen helped to make the room appear larger from the minute it was hung.” Actual mirrors were used effectively to create visual space in the bathrooms and in smaller vignettes around the condo; however, there was neither the wall space nor the need for many other large-scale mirrors or artwork with the impressive floor-to-ceiling views.
The faceted windows angle away from the building, creating a full-scale view of the cityscape and the streets below. The distinctive design allows for expansive views, including that of the Empire State Building; the southwest-facing corner windows also welcome in remarkable light, masking the somewhat awkward size and shape of the 260-square-foot living space.
Before deciding how to arrange the narrow main room, Fava assessed how the space would most likely be used by the homeowners. The kitchen, stylishly hidden by two-tone veneer cabinets, is efficiently equipped with a microwave, dishwasher, refrigerator, and freezer. “Most New Yorkers do not use their kitchens while in the city—why would they when they have access to some of the best restaurants in the world at their fingertips?” says Fava. “I felt it was more important to have increased living space than an eat-in kitchen.” So the designer created an intimate dining area away from the kitchen on the far wall and near a window overlooking the Hudson River; when the couple chooses to dine at home they still have a posh restaurant view.
The living area is defined with a Stark rug and furniture that fits appropriately. “If the furniture is so small that it is uncomfortable and impractical, then that causes another laundry list of issues,” says Fava. “It needs to breathe while still being user-friendly.” With square footage at a premium, each piece of furniture in a small home must be intentional and multifunctional. Although the builders incorporated a fair amount of existing storage closets in the bedroom and hallway, Fava added a few flexible pieces, such as a wood and leather entry table that secretly houses barware for cocktail hour.
Designing and living in a small space is often a challenge; here, it is ideal. Fava’s calming, low-maintenance design succeeds at creating a luxurious observation deck where the owners can always view the main attraction—the city.
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