How One Creative Couple Built an Avant-Garde Nest Uptown
With its Old World apartment buildings and brownstones, its coffeeshops, bookstores, and bakeries, the Upper West Side of Manhattan is not usually thought of as a hotbed of avant-garde creativity. Camille Henrot, a French artist whose bronze sculptures are currently showcased in a one-person exhibition at the Hauser & Wirth gallery in Manhattan, admits that the neighborhood was an unlikely choice. “In the 11 years I lived in New York, I think I was on the Upper West Side maybe once,” she says. “But the moment I stepped into this apartment, I had a crush on the view.”
Her husband, acclaimed composer and sound artist Mauro Hertig, who performs as Xol Meissner, notes that the area, with its parks and quiet streets, is ideal for their two young sons and dog. “There’s constant movement on the Hudson,” he says. “The view is great for the boys, especially when the big boats go by. It’s like a megahighway—but slow.”
To update the space, which had not been renovated in decades, a friend suggested Husband Wife, a firm known for its refined, elegantly detailed work. Its founders, Justin Capuco and Brittney Hart, knew that working with two such innovative talents might be challenging. Capuco says, “For sure, we were intimidated.” Hart adds, “We had to navigate the differing needs and desires of a highly creative couple. But we are a creative couple. So we understand the nuances of that.”
They all struggled with how to adapt the layout until the designers proposed the dramatic idea of transforming the living room into the boys’ bedroom and play area, and tearing down walls to create an expansive living room, dining area, and open kitchen. To address Hertig’s fear that at his height—six feet, five inches—he might feel a bit claustrophobic in the space, the designers pointed out that softening the angular beams and posts with gentle curves would give the illusion of more height and air.
Now a curved sofa seems to snuggle into the corner of the living room, the perfect spot from which to enjoy those killer views. Next to it sits a unique fireplace designed by Adam Charlap Hyman. The co-founder of the ELLE DECOR A-List firm Charlap Hyman & Herrero met Henrot years ago, when both were featured in an exhibition, and he was inspired by the famous tile fireplace that Robert Winthrop Chanler designed for Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney in 1917. Even the kitchen is unexpected. The cabinetry swoops and curves, the bronze hardware was cast in shapes that resemble punctuation marks, and the counters are higher than standard to accommodate Hertig, who says, proudly, “I do most of the cooking.”
The designers also collaborated with Charlap Hyman to create for the boys a magical room that evokes the folksy charm of a Swiss cuckoo clock, complete with a mysterious grotto straight out of a Hardy Boys novel.
Kitchen
In the kitchen of Camille Henrot and Mauro Hertig’s prewar apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, designed by the firm Husband Wife, the oak table is by Michael Anastassiades, and the Rio chairs are by Pascal Mourgue for Artelano. The sink fittings are by Lefroy Brooks, the bronze cabinet hardware and table sculpture are by Henrot, and the walls are painted in Antique White by Benjamin Moore.
Living Room
In the living room, the custom velvet sofa is by Husband Wife, the rocking chair is by Josef Hoffman, and the cocktail table, rug, and sculptures are by Henrot. The artwork (on table) is by Tim Simonds and (on wall) by Erika Verzutti.
Living Room Fireplace
Adam Charlap Hyman of Charlap Hyman & Herrero designed the living room’s mantel and shelving, which are clad in a custom tile made by Elissa Medina. The sculpture on the mantel is by Henrot.
Children's Bedroom
In the children’s room, the custom bedframes and room divider are by Charlap Hyman & Herrero. The vintage sconce is by Leif Wikner and the custom blankets are by Henrot for Studio Voltaire.
Primary Bedroom
In the primary bedroom, a 1988 chair by Bohuslav Horak has a seat in a fabric by Kvadrat. The desk is custom, the curtain fabric is by Sign, and the custom silk carpet is by Inigo Elizalde Rugs. The walls are painted in Sprout by Sherwin-Williams and the artwork is by Henrot (left) and by Mai-Thu Perret (right).
Primary Bedroom
The bed is in a fabric by Pierre Frey, and the quilt is from ABC Carpet & Home. The artwork is by Mai-Thu Perret.
Guest Bedroom
The guestroom’s red daybed and curtains are in wool textiles from Mood Fabrics. The ceiling is painted in Flirt Alert by Behr and the artwork is by Henrot.
Guest Bedroom
Two paintings from 2019 by Henrot hang in the guestroom, from left: Little Charm Made of Shell and No Way Back.
Guest Bathroom
In the guest bathroom the mirror surround is of a custom design by Henrot and the sink fittings are by Fantini.
Color was another challenge. “Camille and Mauro originally wanted more dramatic colors,” Hart says. Hertig adds, “We completely underestimated the light.” Now the main areas are painted in a warm, peachy cream. But vivid shades do appear. A guestroom has vibrant red walls and curtains; the adjacent bath features sage porcelain tiles. The pale pistachio primary bedroom has its own burgundy bath with a fossil stone counter. “We call it our vampire bath,” Henrot jokes.
Throughout, custom pieces mix with vintage furnishings, many from Henrot’s mother, an artist she credits with inspiring her sensibility. In her work, which deals with bodies, beasts, and the primal bonds between mother and child, Henrot moves from film to sculpture to painting. Similarly, she sees no rigid distinction between her art and items she creates for her home. Just as she works in bronze for her sculptures, she also uses the material for decorative objects including hardware and the living room’s impressive cocktail table, her first furniture design. She also designed the room’s rug, based on one of her watercolors.
Small niches throughout showcase her sculptures, and the walls are hung with her own art and pieces by friends like Elizabeth Jaeger, Misha Kahn, and Greg Carideo.
The result is an apartment that serves day-to-day practicalities even as it celebrates the ineffable and magical. “Brittney and Justin were ideal partners,” Hertig says. Hart adds, “If there weren’t a deadline, we would still be collaborating.” ◾
This story originally appeared in the March 2025 issue of Elle Decor. SUBSCRIBE
You Might Also Like
