TRIBECA WATERFRONT

Project Tribeca Waterfront was introduced to us by Zimmerman Workshop - an incredibly talented architecture and design firm that brought us in to work directly with their client. At that time, the design was about 70% complete, so we worked alongside Zimmerman to curate the walls, making them feel cohesive with the design vision and personal to the client. Importantly, the trio of us; Sofia Zimmerman and the client was SO. WONDERFUL. Not to get mushy, but we’re happy to have made long-term friends in the process, and collaborations like this make our day. 

THE CHALLENGE

The clients had an existing collection of about 20 pieces ranging from Impressionistic paintings in gilded ornate frames to large scale pieces we’ll call “angry cubist” in rather aggressive color palettes (ie. bright red and black). One particular diptych that fell in the middle of that style scale had great potential for the home, but one piece was 2” shorter than the other, which looked like a mistake but wasn’t. There were also some rather large walls to fill, so sourcing new works that matched client’s current style and worked with the old was a must.

THE SOLUTION

We sifted through the collection, took a truckload to the framers, and re-framed 10 so they had a consistent feel. The wood float frame in a variety of stains worked well for a number of the pieces, giving them a warm and fresh feel. We then curated them in different spaces of the home so each room had its own particular character. The abstract over the entry foyer was a clear favorite - paired with the console Zimmerman sourced and even some of our shop ceramics, it creates a beautiful vignette that welcomes you into the space. After considerable deliberation, we broke up the lopsided diptych, creating a cozy reading nook in the Primary Bedroom and and an over-the-bed moment in the Guest Room.  

Next, we sourced new works, pulling notably contemporary options that had a painterly and/or geometric component that related to the old collection. Our clients loved the Nir Hod, sourced from Gavlak Gallery in Los Angeles, and a Gudrun Mertes-Frady from Markel Fine Arts in New York. We did a gallery wall in the Primary Bedroom, and the Alice Teichert in the living room became a keystone piece in the collection with its soft blues and layered surface. This piece was also at the center of a heated vendor debate when it arrived back from the framers with a giant dent in its new custom frame. The framer blamed the trucker, and yes, the trucker blamed the framer. This was a learning moment about the good vendors and the not so good ones, which we elaborated on HERE. Let’s just say the framer stepped up to help and the truckers will never be called again. But because the piece is very difficult and costly to get in and out of the building, the framers had to build a new frame offsite, bring it on-site in the largest box ever seen, and do the job on the living room floor. The mission was accomplished and the piece looks great. No project goes on without a single snafu, but those who step up and problem solve are those who we trust. Moving past that, we loved this project and the home we helped our clients create.