Photography by Phillip Ennis
Feature: The View from the Top
March 1, 2006
When an adventurous couple in the fashion industry decided to downsize from
their sprawling seven-room flat in New York’s Central Park West, they opted for
loft living in a relatively undiscovered section of town: Manhattan’s garment
district. With the help of their longtime friend, designer Sam Botero, they
transformed a raw space with exposed plumbing into a plush-yet-cozy pied-à-terre
with striking views of the Manhattan skyline.
“It was difficult leaving that much room and moving into what seemed at the
time like a small space,” says Donna Annunziata, Botero’s client, who owns the
successful women’s sportswear label, Donna Morgan. “Even though we had the
advantage of being able to walk to work in the morning, it was hard to imagine
having our kitchen, living room and dining room all in one area.”; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
Eastern iconography
mingles with high-shine modernism in this New York loft.
All photography by Phillip Ennis. www.phillipennis.com (Click image to enlarge)
Botero understood that the loft’s innately modern aesthetic would be a
departure for Donna and her husband, Patrick Annunziata, a fabric importer. The
couple met Botero in New York in 1980, and their friendship was forged over two
decades; Botero designed their Upper West Side digs and drafted plans for the
couple’s 18th-century farmhouse in Massachusetts.
Top photo: Stainless steel cabinetry by Varenna creates storage in the kitchen. Bottom photo: A stone sink purchased from Ottoman Treasures in the master bath. (Click images to enlarge) ; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
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The designer began the loft’s transformation from the ground up, bringing in
turn-of-the-century wood plank floors, which were stained a rich walnut color to
accentuate the grain of the wood and its charming imperfections. The flooring
became a well-trafficked design centerpiece for the space, and contrasted
dramatically with the entrance walls, rubbed in a warm beige tone, and the
14-foot ceilings, painted a pale peach (Manhattan’s Alpha Workshops treated the
loft’s walls). “Donna thought that her husband might perceive the ceiling color
as being a bit too feminine,” says Botero, “so we jokingly referred to this
ephemeral color as ‘gladiator pink.’” The warm mood was maintained with a
balance of low lighting and track lighting by designer Lana Lenar at New York’s
ZeroLux.
To accommodate both entertaining and privacy in the smaller living
space, Botero devised seamless transitions between the living room, kitchen and
bedroom. The designer installed a floating wall–which serves as a focal point in
the living room–and painted it a dark brown to simulate the look and feel of
leather. The unit is flanked by sliding peach-tinted glass doors that grant
passage into the master bedroom.
The living room area features two silk velvet sofas on each side of a rusted
steel-base table with a detachable glass top designed by Botero. Louis XV chairs
in pewter-colored leather and an Anglo-Indian chaise longue covered in silk
taffeta provide additional seating. Details such as chain-link paneled doors
covering the radiator (also designed by Botero) add to the Annunziatas’ eclectic
mix of antiques, textures and collectibles, which include wood carvings,
Japanese ceramics, an Indian mirror and Chinese boxes discovered during world
travels.; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
An 18th-century portrait hangs over the
Botero-designed bed, which is draped in a raccoon-fur throw. A Tahitian rain
drum serves as a table. (Click image to enlarge)
A dining table that Botero designed seats six to eight and is covered in
painted silver linen. Though the Annunziatas recently sold the loft, they
had often enjoyed quiet dinners or hosted friends and family with the iconic
spire of the Empire State Building serving as a backdrop. On occasion, a table
was added for larger parties, and guests were welcomed in the living room for
hors d’oeuvres or dessert.
“People could hang out, or help themselves in the kitchen, and it always made
for a very informal party,” says Donna. “Even with a catered event, where it was
a little more formal, people could still move about the space; it was a really
casual setting.”
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