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Going Grey

by habituallychic

11 . 21 . 08

I think I have found my all time favorite interior to date! The apartment belongs to Calvin Klein designer Francisco Costa and his partner John De Stefano, a horse trainer and manager. It feels very European to me with a perfect mix of minimalism and interesting details. The couple didn’t use an interior designer but did have a little help from their friend Mark Cunningham.

“It really was a quest to find things that suggested a permanence to our lives,” said Costa. “But I think that’s the fun part, making the place feel like it belongs to us. We wanted every single piece to remind us of somebody or something or sometime important in our lives.” The artwork above is by Enrico Castellani.

In the den, a mid-century bench sits in front of very perfectly organized book shelves. You don’t even notice the small flat screen television at first!

The horse photograph was a gift from Linda Fargo of Bergdorf Goodman and the bed linens are from Calvin Klein Home. I love to mix gold jewelry with grey clothing and the same mix works in the home. I think the gold lamp pops against the grey walls and lends richness.
The minimalist kitchen also hides a bar while the whole apartment is painted in various shades of grey. I wish my kitchen looked that clean!

I love the sculptural quality of the two concrete benches and the juxtaposition of them with the pastoral painting. It also reminds me of a wall in the Metropolitan Museum of Art!

Flush doors with an edge pull blend into the woodwork and add to the European ambiance, as do the chevron patterned wood floors. There is even perfection in the bathroom below. The next time I paint my apartment, I may to go grey!

Photos by Martyn Thompson

21 Comments
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  1. An Aesthete's Lament November 22, 2008 | 3:11 pm

    I remember seeing this when it was published and being quite blown away by the masculine beauty of the place. Not a frill or frippery anywhere; just strength and calmness.

  2. Habitually Chic November 22, 2008 | 3:19 pm

    I can’t believe I missed it before. It’s so calm and perfect but not too cold or borning.

  3. Ivy Lane November 22, 2008 | 3:23 pm

    It feels calm and elegant to me. The screen in the first pic, the horse photo and the mid cent. bench are my favs! 🙂

  4. Colour Me Happy November 22, 2008 | 4:35 pm

    Love these photos! Thanks for posting them!

  5. Tina November 22, 2008 | 10:08 pm

    grey is such an elegant colour, beautiful photos!

  6. Anonymous November 23, 2008 | 6:21 am

    Love this apartment! I wonder though, in the first picture, is that a chair made out of elephant tusks? And if so, that’s the one thing I’d replace.

  7. Blair November 23, 2008 | 6:31 am

    This home is perfect! I love the office desk, those doors and the horse picture is spectacular!

  8. the sweet life with olives November 23, 2008 | 9:33 am

    stunning! a vision of grey calm, inviting, strong and chic.

  9. Hill Country House Girl November 23, 2008 | 12:51 pm

    What a great post. Absolutely lovely apartment and yes, strong and serene.

    I think the chair in the first photo is an old Victorian one made from cow horns, though, not elephant tusks, so “anonymous”, not to worry. They are quite common, though still considered fine by many, in the antique world.

  10. Your House and Life November 23, 2008 | 4:28 pm

    It’s so quietly gorgeous, I really love it. Grey is so fab.

  11. Patricia November 23, 2008 | 10:59 pm

    Heather – where was this published? I must have missed it.

  12. Habitually Chic November 23, 2008 | 11:03 pm

    So glad everyone else loves it as much as I do.

    The chair in the first photo is made from Texas Longhorns. Elephant tusks are illegal to purchase unless vintage.

    This was originally published in the New York Times magazine. The link was missing for some reason. I’ve fixed it.

  13. Suzy November 24, 2008 | 4:48 am

    It’s absolutely stunning, I love it!

  14. Emma @ White and Wander November 24, 2008 | 1:11 pm

    Even though I am fairly scared of horses, I would love a copy of this photo … stunner!

  15. Habitually Chic November 24, 2008 | 5:30 pm

    I have bad news about the horse photo. I spoke to Linda Fargo and it was not done by any real photographer. It was something casually taken and framed. Sorry!

    But the moral of the story is that even casual photos can become greatr art when blown up and framed. Something to think about for the holidays!

  16. kay* November 24, 2008 | 6:11 pm

    this is such a great interior. i love that it’s modern but not, to me, sparse. the colour palette is so soothing but masculine. very lovely indeed.

  17. ArchitectDesign November 24, 2008 | 7:22 pm

    I think gray is my favorite palette for an apartment. My last 2 apartments have been painted gray and I get so many compliments! people think it will be a ‘dead’ color, but it really makes everything else pop and is very calming.

  18. Anonymous December 4, 2008 | 6:01 pm

    Ha! Just like a Vermeer painting, the light always come from the left. : )

  19. Anonymous December 5, 2008 | 10:01 pm

    This is a great project, quite beautiful…PomaSteven Architects are actually responsible for this project, as noted in the current British January Vogue Issue, I guess their other friend just lent a helping hand. Kudos to PomaSteven this is one of my favorite projects of 2008!

  20. Vogue Interior December 12, 2008 | 12:43 am

    attention to details.
    comfy and chic
    totally classy without being stuffy.
    THAT’S PomaSteven!

  21. Scott Fazzini December 27, 2008 | 9:58 pm

    I am in love with this apartment…well maybe lust. Who would have thought that the creative force behind Calvin Klein would have such impeccable taste! (joke)

    Okay A.) That library/office area is perfect. B.) The horse photograph in the bedroom is amazingly beautiful. C.) How can I off John De Stefano to move myself it!

    The only negative comment that I have, and I hate to say it, but I am very much over that horny chair! But that’s just my opinion.

    s.