Newlyweds Paul Wesley and Natalie Kuckenburg Used One-of-a-Kind Pieces to Create a Quintessential Downtown New York Apartment

For Paul Wesley, living in New York was never a question of if, but when. The actor best known as Stefan in The Vampire Diaries series and who is set to return as James T. Kirk in season four of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premiering this week, grew up in New Jersey and began spending time in Manhattan in his teens. “It’s always been my playground,” he says of the city. So when the opportunity arose to put down permanent roots in a two-story downtown loft, he and his wife, model and entrepreneur Natalie Kuckenburg, didn’t hesitate.Wesley, Kuckenburg, and their rescue dog, Greggy (a.k.a. Gregory), soak up the sun on the couple’s private terrace, a favorite retreat when they’re in town. “For me, the terrace is definitely a highlight,” says Kuckenburg, who recently launched Nareia, a charitable brand that creates organic clothing hand-crocheted by women in Brazil. “I wake up, make a coffee, and sit there while looking at the Empire State Building. I’m just like, ‘How is this real?’” Wesley, a longtime design enthusiast—who also has homes in Los Angeles and Austin—wanted top-shelf collaborators for the New York project. After hiring Jack Wettling of Wettling Architects to gut-renovate the apartment, which boasted soaring arched windows and a private roof deck, he and Kuckenburg were introduced through a mutual friend to designer Alan Eckstein of Somerset House. “The minute you talk to Alan,” Wesley says, “you just know that he’s this quirky genius, but also the nicest guy ever—honest and with a perspective that is so unique, brilliant, and exactly what we were looking for.”“They definitely entertain. They’re engaged. They’re very social people,” says designer Alan Eckstein of Somerset House of homeowners Wesley and Kuckenburg. A set of four paintings by Landon Metz animates the whitewashed brick wall, while a pair of 1920s Poul Henningsen pendants above the dining table—among the project’s earliest acquisitions—remain favorites of both designer and clients. “They draw your eyes right up,” Eckstein notes. For Eckstein, that vision meant Somerset House’s signature blend of richly layered materials and distinctive antiques spanning centuries and continents. The firm, which Eckstein cofounded with his wife Haley Lowenthal and also operates as a gallery space in Long Island City, is guided by a commitment to creating interiors with lasting resonance. “I’m trying to go the distance as much as possible,” he says, “where someone can enjoy their home for a very long time.”Before enlisting designer Eckstein, Wesley and Kuckenburg worked with architect Jack Wettling of Wettling Architects and K&K Renovation, Inc. to sensitively overhaul the apartment. “We created the layout, demoed the place, and, I realized, even though I do feel like we have pretty good taste, we need an interior designer to create moments,” says Wesley. “It’s a fairly smallish space, but it needs to feel defined.” Porta Gem CatchallSomerset House Lacquer & Wood Deco Side TableThat philosophy shows itself throughout the apartment in a curated collection of one-of-a-kind furnishings. A pair of 1920s Poul Henningsen pendants anchors the light-filled dining area, next to a compact workspace that doubles as a guest room. From the outset, the couple embraced the process. “I definitely don’t come from a design background, but I’m half German, half Brazilian,” Kuckenburg says, “and Paul and I did a trip to Brazil and brought a lot of details from there back to the apartment—combining the texture of the white brick with the wood and little pieces that give it life.”“In New York City, a dining table is kind of a novelty if you’re working with limited space,” notes Wesley, who always wanted “not only just a dining room, but an impressive dining room that has kind of an oomph factor so when you’re sitting [there], it feels special.” He and Kuckenburg gather with their guests around a 1960s teak table by Fredrik Kayser for Gustav Bahus paired with early-20th-century Art Deco walnut chairs. Vintage French Turned Oak Pedestal Side TablePH 3/3 Pendant by Poul Henningsen for Louis Poulsen“It’s not the largest apartment, but it packs a punch,” Eckstein says. Nowhere is that more evident than in the living room, where a Noguchi Akari pendant hovers before the loft’s monumental windows, casting a warm glow over an ensemble of vintage pieces. A 1960s Edward Wormley sofa for Dunbar faces a pair of Esko Pajamies lounge chairs, while a tiled coffee table by Maison Regain and Robert Deblander, created in collaboration with Pierre Chapo, grounds the arrangement.At the far end of the living room, painted in Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee and illuminated by a Noguchi Akari ceiling light, a painting by Purvis Young is flanked by circa 1955 copper sconces with green patina by Paavo Tynell. A 1920s bentwood Art Deco Bridge chair upholstered in a Dedar satin stripe sits beside one of two metal lamps in the manner of Jean Royère. Revival Hart Jute RugNoguchi Akari 120A Ceiling Lamp“I’ve always appreciated things that are aged and have a story,” Wesley says. “Alan is so brilliant because he somehow puts it together like a puzzle and it fits perfectly. He could see the vision for matching these unique pieces, some that are seemingly unrelated.” Despite the caliber of the furnishings, the atmosphere remains warm and approachable. Kuckenburg’s favorite spot is the sofa, where she often curls up with Greggy, the couple’s rescue dog from Los Angeles who recently played a role in their wedding earlier this month.In the workspace, which transforms into a guest sleeping area, a 1930s Utö chair by Axel Einar Hjorth pulls up to a desk topped with a circa 1930s lamp in the style of Piero Portaluppi. Above it, a self-portrait by Leon Maxwell, and a midcentury hand-embroidered Swedish mirror completes the cozy nook. Vintage Hand-Embroidered Swedish Mirror"Utö" Dining Chair by Axel Einar HjorthEckstein’s alchemic mix continues upstairs in the private suite, where a 1930s Swedish ceiling fixture, 19th-century Austrian wall hangings, Ghanaian textiles, and a rare 1950 side table by Pierre Guariche for Trefac Meurop coexist in harmony. The result feels less like a collection and more like heirlooms, each element contributing to a layered sense of place. The view of the apartment’s upper level—best enjoyed from a striped Guillerme et Chambron lounge chair—captures the spirit of the project as a whole: sophisticated yet relaxed, deeply personal yet unmistakably New York.A mix of antique books, personal objects, and pieces sourced by Eckstein line the shelves. “We wanted to create an apartment that focuses on beautiful, aesthetically pleasing moments in this quintessential downtown spot,” Eckstein says. Looking back, he sees the home as an expression of the city itself. “It’s just so New York. It screams what it is, and it is the full experience.”Wesley, Kuckenburg, and Greggy gather in the apartment’s work area, which cleverly conceals a trundle bed for overnight guests. Greggy, a Los Angeles rescue, has taken particularly well to New York life. “He’s a bit of a Peeping Tom,” Kuckenburg laughs of his penchant for watching neighbors through nearby windows. The couple always envisioned a crisp white kitchen, so Eckstein introduced a touch of color and whimsy with stools attributed to Pierre Jeanneret from Chandigarh, India. A pendant from In Common With hangs above a Calacatta Viola marble–topped island from Beata and Agnes Stone Gallery, while the cabinet hardware is by Rejuvenation. Rejuvenation Ansel Appliance PullIn Common With Saga PendantIn the primary suite, a bed by Jenni Kayne Home sits beneath a series of 19th-century Austrian wall hangings and is flanked with globe sconces selected by Charlotte Perriand for Les Arcs. A Ghanaian Ewe Kente cloth rests at the foot of the bed, while the rug is by Ernesta. Jenni Kayne Pacific BedVintage Ewe Kente ClothIn the downstairs bathroom, walls finished in waterproof green Tadelakt plaster set off an antique pine mirror flanked by 1980s Josef Frank sconces. The framed artwork, sourced from TIWA Select Gallery, is by Daniel Long. Ernesta Celeste RugGetYourMirror Midcentury Modern Oval Wood MirrorIn a corner of the primary bedroom, a 1960s lounge chair by Guillerme et Chambron, upholstered in a striped Dedar fabric, sits beside a 1950 Prefacto table by Pierre Guariche for Trefac Meurop and a 1930s French metal floor lamp. A silver-plated vase by Luc Lanel for Christofle and a 19th-century Italian marble relief plaque complete the vignette.