How a Humble Doorknob Dictated the Entire Overhaul of an Apartment
Inspiration often stems from big-picture thinking and flights of imagination. But it can be found in the smallest of places too. Such was the case for one group of creatives—interior designer Jessica Helgerson, designer Andra Padilla, architects Selin Semaan and Josh Weiselberg of TBD Architecture + Design Studio, and a client couple— for whom a rare architectural detail was unanimously a key start of play in the design of a Manhattan apartment.
“In our first walk-through of the apartment, we noticed a peculiar set of ornately carved chrysanthemum door knobs original to the apartment,” Helgerson says. “The doorknobs, which were accompanied by similar hardware in the attic, signified a flower that is native to East Asia, where the wife was from.” The doorknob motif became the jumping-off point for the entire project.
The couple purchased the 3,300-square-foot apartment—a three bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom residence within a 1910 landmarked building along Central Park West—in 2020. With three children in college, the couple was seeking a space that would offer a respite from their busy lives (hers at a nonprofit, his in law), and take them into their next phase of life, which includes family gatherings, space to entertain, and being surrounded by books and good artwork. They found fitting renovation cohorts in TBD Architecture + Design Studio’s Semaan and Weiselberg, and Helgerson, who runs her own Portland, Oregon–based interior design firm. The trio had teamed up before—including on retail projects for Soho’s Parachute linen shop and Cobble Hill’s Stumptown Coffee Roasters—proving that their combined aesthetics made for a spirited dialogue between traditional and modern.
Before the trio could begin such a balancing act, however, some walls had to come down. In fact, the layout, nearly untouched from its original construction, required a complete reimagining. The layout consisted of three rooms along the park side of the apartment— for a service kitchen and staff quarters—with beautiful oversize windows. “When we sat down to do space planning, the main question became, How do we capitalize on those park views and how do we give more rooms access to these views?” Semaan explains. The kitchen was the greatest offender, nestled in the back, furthest from the windows. “The breakthrough happened when we started thinking of the kitchen as a very large room.”
The designers’ plan of action was to expand the kitchen into the next room, creating added space for the entire family to dine or lounge alongside a long expanse of windows. The entry, living, dining, and family rooms were then all interconnected by a series of towering white oak pocket doors that open the kitchen to the landscape while allowing it to be hidden away for formal events.
The doorknobs’ influence can be seen in the rooms’ subtle glamour. A white oak parquet floor ties each room together, punctuated by muted hues and metallic accents. In the living room, a sky blue Ha Chong-Hyun painting contrasts with an undulating purple Vladimir Kagan sofa, a color that is echoed throughout the space. “Purple is the wife’s favorite color, and I wrestled a bit with it,” Helgerson admits. “But I really came to appreciate it, especially when it played so well with all the orangey tones of the woods and the brass accents.”
The adjacent library is walled in white oak, leaning into the apartment’s organic warmth and understated opulence. A Casey McCafferty cocktail table sits underneath a Lindsey Adelman chandelier, and cozy Mazo Design shearling chairs sit by the window. But the room’s pièce de résistance is a custom bar with a brass ginkgo leaf pattern inlaid into a walnut accent wall, highlighting one of the couple’s favorite native East Asian plants.
Entry
In the entryway, a Good Colony daybed is complemented by a Studio Salaris rug. The chandelier is by Eva Menz, the artwork is by Frederick Linden, and the mirror is by David Wiseman.
Living Room
Another perspective of the living room, seen through the apartment’s white oak pocket doors. The soft purple sofa is by Vladimir Kagan, the low lounge chair is by Simon James Design, and the tall lounge chair is Jaime Hayon. The cocktail table is by Egg Collective, and the rug is by Emmanuelle Simon. Beneath the chrysanthemum plaster ceiling hangs a Gallotti & Radice chandelier.
Living Room
The living room features a curvaceous Vladimir Kagan sofa in a soft purple—the wife’s favorite color—which complements a blue Ha Chong-Hyun painting and a commissioned green glass artwork by Maya Lin, the shape of which is inspired by the Han River in South Korea, the country’s main waterway and an important cultural touchstone. The piano is from Steinway.
Den
In the den, a pair of Mazo Design shearling chairs sits by the window. The sofa is by Mario Marenco, the cocktail table is by Casey McCafferty, the bistro table is by Galvin Brothers, and the chandelier is by Lindsey Adelman.
Den
The library den, walled in white oak, exudes a warm, organic feel. The rug is by the Rug Company.
Den Bar
In the den, a custom bar features a ginkgo leaf pattern in brass inlaid into a walnut accent wall. The motif highlights the couple’s favorite native East Asian plants.
Kitchen
The kitchen boasts a dramatic Calacatta Macchia Vecchia stone slab along the back wall and on the countertops. The white oak cabinet pulls are inspired by lotus flowers.
Kitchen
The kitchen features a built-in sofa and large dining area that creates a cozy and inviting area for family gatherings. Above the sofa, with custom cushions by Trio Furniture, a hand-stitched commissioned Korean bojagi artwork by Wonju Seo casts a diffused light over the room and offers privacy from the neighbors. The dining table is by Sawkille, and the chairs are by Emmanuelle Simon, overseen by a mobile-like David Weeks brass chandelier. The sconce is by Atelier de Troupe.
Kitchen
In the kitchen, a Sawkille dining table and Emmanuelle Simon dining chairs sit in front of a white oak built-in cabinet with a new ceramics collection from Borja Moronta and RW Guild.
Dining Room
The dining room features another chrysanthemum plaster ceiling with an elegant glass Ochre chandelier. An artwork by Minjung Kim provides contrast to the warm wood color palette. The dining table is by Man of Parts, the dining chairs are by De La Espada, and the rug is by Stephane Parmentier. The sconces are by Apparatus.
Primary Bedroom
The primary bedroom exudes earthy, soft hues. A bojagi artwork by Wonju Seo echoes the muted purple tones in the Matteo & Parachute bedding. An antique Korean chest, a family heirloom, adds a personal touch. The bed is by Philippe Malouin, the nightstands are from Soho Home, the rug is by the Rug Company, and the sconces are by Farrah Sit.
Primary Bedroom
The primary bedroom is a serene space pervaded by desaturated hues. Here, a family heirloom antique Korean chest adds a personal touch to the room.
Primary Bathroom
The primary bedroom features a striking Breccia Capraia marble and botanical mosaic tiled floor by Artistic Tile. The sconces are by Giopato & Coombes. “The whole project was a gentle tug-of-war between modern and traditional,” Jessica Helgerson says. “And I feel like this bathroom really represents that nicely. The gently rounded sink is defined against the striking marble in a way that is sleek yet simple.”
Kids’ Bedroom
In one of the daughters’ bedrooms, a soft palette of muted pinks creates a cozy retreat. The bed is by Sarah Ellison, and the bedding is by Matteo, Citizenry, and Parachute. The nightstands are by Yucca Stuff, the desk chair is by Snelling, and the rug is by the Rug Company. The swirly metallic wallpaper is by Aqualille, punctuated by a blobby Snelling desk lamp.
Further on, the chrysanthemum hardware, which was salvaged from the original apartment and refurbished to fit into modern hardware with high-tech magnetic lashes, was a subtle theme throughout the space. In the entry, a David Wiseman mirror commissioned in a blooming chrysanthemum pattern hangs opposite a Good Colony daybed. That motif again appears in the living room, in a custom plaster ceiling, designed by JHID, the shape of which is also reflected in the Stephane Parmentier rug.
The chrysanthemum plaster ceiling continues in the dining room, which is elegantly punctuated by a glass Ochre chandelier. “The whole project was a gentle tug-of-war between modern and traditional,” Helgerson says. “We were constantly, delicately trying to bridge that gap.”
Every soft transition and delightfully unexpected moment of the space is proof that healthy collaboration, while the hardest to carry out, is the secret to good design. “There were a lot of voices on this project,” Helgerson explains. “But we pushed through any feelings of ‘this is hard because it’s not going just one way’—and the end result was so much better.”
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