Inside an airy, art-filled NoHo apartment with a strong design pedigree
What’s more daunting for a designer: a blank canvas, or a space with an illustrious design pedigree? For Jason Saft, it was definitely the latter. The founder of Staged to Sell Home was tasked with reimagining a condo in Manhattan’s buzzy NoHo that had been built in 2017 by BKSK and redesigned in 2019 by the renowned Giancarlo Valle, ‘someone I consider to be one of the most prolific designers of our time,’ he says.
‘The home had been styled by Colin King, whose work I idolise’ Jason adds. ‘It was incredibly intimidating and that was the driver to push me out of my comfort zone to create my own take on a home I felt as if I knew intimately.’
Working to a tight budget and timescale, he set out to create a modern space that would be fit for entertaining, but also comfortable enough for everyday life. ‘I knew I needed to stay true to the home’s design ethos and add my own imprint’ he explains.
To that end, he kept things light, bright and relaxed in the main living spaces, with low slung, curvy seating such as Rodolfo Bonetto’s ‘T/1’ chairs for Tecnosalotto and the ‘Marconi’ sofa by Gianfranco Frattini, earthy tones and tactile elements such as the Moroccan Beni rug, enhanced by bold art by Jess Engle and Kimmy Quillin.
Crisp white walls and the large windows that span one wall in classic New York loft style enhance the gallery-like atmosphere, but the space never feels austere or intimidating.
He decided to turn one of the 158-square-metre apartment’s two bedrooms into a cosy office/den that is rich in colour and texture and filled with vintage finds, antiques, Christian Siriano’s ‘Lula’ chair and a dramatic banquette covered in Dedar’s ‘Tiger Mountain’.
Jason says that while at first this project paralyzed him with fear, in the end he feels like it’s some of his best work. He explains, ‘while I’m used to working under pressure in terms of time, expectations and a low to modest budget, I’ve never worked in a home that had been touched by so many people whose work I admire and aspire to.’
The tranquil haven that is the bedroom has a slightly retro energy thanks to the rich chartreuse carpet, mustard-coloured wardrobes and curvy armchair that speaks to New York City’s 1970s disco era.
Determined to overcome his imposter syndrome, he found that during the process of hanging art and surveying the spaces, his confidence reemerged. ‘It was, by far, my most anxiety-inducing home ever,’ he says, but ‘I created something I was truly proud of, that didn't try to replicate what was done, but gave it a new perspective.’ stagedtosellhome.com @stagedtosellhome
Photography: Hayley Ellen Day / DDReps @hayleyellenday
