A Moon Over the Bowery

After a renovation, a couple knew exactly where to put the biggest artwork from their collection. By , Curbed and New York Magazine’s design editor who covers the city’s most spectacular interiors. The Terrace The untitled sculpture is by Henry Richardson. “It is magical all through the day and night,” says his wife, Barrie Roman. The Willy Guhl Loop chair is a reissue. Richardson did the landscaping, including planting the Bloodgood maple and the smaller Japanese maple. Photo: Thomas Loof/ The Terrace The untitled sculpture is by Henry Richardson. “It is magical all through the day and night,” says his wife, Barrie Roman. The Willy Guhl Loop chair is a reissue. Richardson did the landscaping, including planting the Bloodgood maple and the smaller Japanese maple. Photo: Thomas Loof/ On a terrace in Cooper Square, a giant glass orb sits above lower Manhattan. It is a site-specific sculpture by the artist Henry Richardson, who lives in this two-story apartment with his wife, Barrie Roman. “Henry made this especially for us,” Roman says. “He hammers and chisels sheets of ordinary glass plates and fuses them into monumental forms.” The couple met a decade ago at the Seven Bridges Foundation, a private museum in Greenwich, Connecticut, that owns several of Richardson’s pieces. Roman had moved back to New York after some 20 years of living in London with her two daughters and was making herself go out to meet friends. Richardson played docent for the day. “Walking around a museum with someone is a much better way to get to know them than having a date,” she says. They found their home two years ago in a former industrial building on the Bowery. “It was just a big empty space, like the end of Fight Club, you know?” says their architect Manuel Cordero of the design firm COPA, who advised Roman on the layout. The gut renovation that followed included replacing miles of aging ductwork, exposing original steel beams, and raising the ceiling heights. Folding glass doors were installed upstairs, the concrete floors got a serious polish, and Richardson landscape-designed and planted the outdoor areas. For the main bathroom, Roman achieved an effect that makes the walls seem streaked with sea moss. “I knew I wanted something green, and I had never seen marble like this before,” she says. “We spent a year acquiring all the materials and fixtures,” adds Richardson. The construction lasted only slightly longer. There is one decorative flourish that is all his. In a great room flooded with natural light, the fireplace appears to be covered with ceramic tiles. They are actually over 8,000 sake cups from the Japanese culinary-supply shop Korin. “When I told them what I was going to use them for, they thought I was crazy,” Richardson says. The apartment is the couple’s second fixer-upper. They previously restored a small cottage in the Hamptons, where they are supporters of the Parrish Art Museum. Over the course of the projects, they have rarely disagreed about interior design or art. In fact, they’ve filled the walls with work from the collection they’re building. Richardson hung many of their paintings himself. “It’s a collaboration,” Roman says. “We’re still learning. I’m glad I’m with someone who has the same taste.” The TV Room “This is my office,” Richardson jokes. The paintings, The Violinist and Black Swan IV, are by David Smalling. The Polar Bear armchair is by Jean Royère. The sofas are from B&B Italia. The coffee table is by Nakashima. The wall covering is from Élitis. The leather floor is from Edelman Leather. Photo: Thomas Loof/ The Living Area Everglade Nurse (left) is by Richard Prince. Cone of Shame is by David Smalling. The Camaleonda sofa is from B&B Italia. The Bambole armchairs are by Mario Bellini. “I bought them 20 years ago, before they were trendy,” Roman says. The Nenuphar coffee tables are by Janette Laverrière. The pendant light is by David Weeks. The rugs are from CB2. Photo: Thomas Loof/ The Stairs Gisele is by David Smalling. The hand rails, originally black, were painted to match the window frames. Photo: Thomas Loof/ The Nook The sculpture is by Chris Cairns, Richardson’s former professor. The chandelier is Catellani & Smith. The vintage Japanese garden furniture was found on Golborne Road in London. The stools are from Wayfair. Photo: Thomas Loof/ The Upstairs Dining Room By the Window is by Philip Guston. The oxidized tiger-maple table and speaker sideboard are from BDDW. The 1960s Brazilian modernist rosewood chairs by Joaquim Tenreiro were found on 1stDibs. The rugs are from CB2. The pendants are from Bomma, a company based in the Czech Republic. “They are mouth-blown, so each one is a little different,” Roman says. The Lumenaire windows are fully retractable. Photo: Thomas Loof/ The Kitchen “The pillars were boxed in with drywall. We uncovered them and blasted away the concrete to reveal the original 1920s steel beams,” Roman says. “The uplighting is dramatic at night, and yes, I have a photo of Henry drilling the concrete to fit the lighting.” The kitchen is from Valcucine through DOM Interiors. The stools are from Tronk Design. Photo: Thomas Loof/ The Library Sleeping Nude is by Milton Avery. The 1950s chairs by Carlo De Carli were found at Alfies Antique Market in London. The rug is from the Rug Company. “We kept the original radiator and the old condition of the windows and sills,” says Roman. Photo: Thomas Loof/ The Powder Room “We had a debate about this Gucci wallpaper, and Henry won,” Roman says. “The sink is another Henry original. It’s chiseled and bonded glass. The base was made from a remnant of Quattro Stagioni marble that Henry found at Vista Stone.” Photo: Thomas Loof/ The Main Bathroom “I knew I wanted something green, and I had never seen marble like this before,” Roman says of the slabs she found at Ciot. The bath and mirror are Agape. The Ell Inox stainless-steel vanity is from Agape, and the faucets are from Vola. The stool is from Etsy. The boxes are from Muji. The sauna is from Effe. The vintage pendant was found at Angela Ball at Alfies Antique Market. “Henry and I found the edgewood shelf at a woodworkers-supply shop in the Berkshires. Henry cut and finished it to size,” Roman says. Photo: Thomas Loof/ The Primary Bedroom “I color-drenched this room in Dimity by Farrow & Ball to soften the HVAC ductwork,” Roman says. The linen bedcover is from Cultiver. The bedside tables are from Wrongwoods. The light cove above the bed is a work-in-progress. “I am looking for the right tile to create a diffused, reflective light,” Roman says. Photo: Thomas Loof/ The Cactus Apartment Above Midtown Don’t Mind the Rug, Kids This Old, Very Old, Hamptons House See All A Moon Over the Bowery Your product is saved! You’ll receive emails when your saved products go on sale. Manage preferences.