On Top of the World: A Belgian Antiquarian Designs a Penthouse in NYC - Remodelista
Photography courtesy of The Greenwich Hotel. Robert De Niro fell under the spell of Belgian design impresario Axel Vervoordt after discovering his work at the NYC Winter Antiques Show (others who have succumbed include Sting and Kanye West, as well as legions of deep-pocketed, under-the-radar patrons). The result is the several-years-in-the-making TriBeCa Penthouse, unveiled last spring, an apotheosis of the rough-yet-refined Belgian look that has captivated the design world in the last decade (Gary Friedman of Restoration Hardware, are you reading this?). The penthouse suite, which floats atop the Greenwich Hotel on the corner of Greenwich Street and North Moore Street, is surrounded by a bi-level, 4,000-square-foot roof garden. In the living room, the fireplace is a focal point; the iron fire grate is fashioned from joist hangers that, in a previous life, served as the original structure of the Louvre, in Paris. Vervoordt is adept at mixing primitive elements (a rough-hewn table) with luxe pieces (a green velvet chair). Vervoordt designed the drawing room, with its small oculus window, as a meditation space. In the master bedroom, a 19th-century walnut tabletop is repurposed as a headboard. A 17th-century stone water trough, weathered and smoothed by time serves as a soaking tub with a companion fireplace in the master bathroom. In the guest room, a sofa is made of two twin beds. The two smaller bedrooms are connected by a bath. In the second bedroom, a display shelf is made of reclaimed wood and oxidizing metal. A two-story hall with atrium connects the downstairs living spaces. On the roof terrace, multiple seating and dining areas sit beneath wisteria-wrapped pergolas. Hanging lanterns in the shapes of gourds beside the spa pool were fashioned from the original copper roofing of the hotel building. Lush greenery surrounds the penthouse. A detail of the wabi-sabi garden.