Going Grey

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

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