Subtle Flourishes Enliven Gramercy Park Co-op

We find today’s featured kitchen in an upscale Manhattan unit that nevertheless retains an air of unpretentious simplicity – and it is no accident.

Situated in an open plan, the kitchen area merges effortlessly into the dining and living areas. The island, which accommodates bar seating, both delineates and bridges the kitchen and dining areas.

As far as fine kitchens go, this one is fully equipped with generously-sized, quality appliances and fixtures while eschewing less-essential luxuries. The farmhouse sink stands out as a visual focal point in this galley-style space, and these is plenty of storage built in.

Notice the rounded feet holding up the kitchen island. The style of the feet on furniture can say a lot. Here, the rounded forms, like the rounded, decorative edge profiles on the countertops, add a touch of soft elegance to the otherwise rectangle-dominated shapes in this space.

The use of white and gray materials for the countertops and backsplash is part of a theme that is liberally repeated in the bathrooms and in the soft, neutral gray paints in the bedrooms.

Located at 201 East 21st Street in Gramercy’s Quaker Ridge co-op, this efficiently laid-out corner unit enjoys fantastic natural lighting from its south-facing and west-facing exposures.

MB Hwang

MB is a designer, educator, and all-around maker. She has contributed to major exhibits at the Museum of Science and Industry, where she helped thousands of people learn design and fabrication techniques. She now designs and writes independently and is renovating a Chicago bungalow.