Designer Rodney Lawrence imbued the family residence with a “gentle” palette, letting the sky-high vista speak for itself

It was only meant to be a temporary solution. When AD PRO Directory designer Rodney Lawrence was asked by longtime clients to renovate an Upper West Side property for their family of five, it was in the interest of timely comfort. “The couple purchased this apartment to live in as we worked on extensive renovations of their primary residence,” he says. “The original plan was to do a quick facelift.”

The owners, who work in the biotech industry, met Lawrence years ago as his career was getting underway. He appreciated that they remained in touch as he opened his namesake firm, Rodney Lawrence Inc., and believed that his skills continued to complement the couple’s style. Before this project, Lawrence would’ve described their palette as bold and colorful. But this apartment presented many unexpected twists.

“This is a modern space, and from the beginning, we didn’t want it to have much color,” he says. “It’s a quintessential New York City tower apartment—in the sense that there’s so much natural light with beautiful views of the park and the surrounding buildings—so it made sense to do a calmer palette that was more about creating a mood.”

It was only meant to be a temporary solution. When AD PRO Directory designer Rodney Lawrence was asked by longtime clients to renovate an Upper West Side property for their family of five, it was in the interest of timely comfort. “The couple purchased this apartment to live in as we worked on extensive renovations of their primary residence,” he says. “The original plan was to do a quick facelift.”

The owners, who work in the biotech industry, met Lawrence years ago as his career was getting underway. He appreciated that they remained in touch as he opened his namesake firm, Rodney Lawrence Inc., and believed that his skills continued to complement the couple’s style. Before this project, Lawrence would’ve described their palette as bold and colorful. But this apartment presented many unexpected twists.

“This is a modern space, and from the beginning, we didn’t want it to have much color,” he says. “It’s a quintessential New York City tower apartment—in the sense that there’s so much natural light with beautiful views of the park and the surrounding buildings—so it made sense to do a calmer palette that was more about creating a mood.”

A custom São Paulo sofa and chaise from Holly Hunt is upholstered in fabric from the Great Plains line. Lawrence designed a custom coffee table with a wood top by Miguel Saco and a base from Wainlands. A John Pomp Studios floor lamp stands next to the sofa. For an unexpected hit of color, Lawrence hung Nobu Fukui’s Victory on the wall.

A “Saturation 1” Tai Ping area rug from the Blur Collection matches chrome Coraggio drapery fabric sourced from NY Drapery, Inc., while slabs of Kenya Black from HG Stones were perfectly matched for the fireplace.

A bespoke Constellation Mirror by Tom Palmer was hung alongside a pair of hand-blown crystal pendants by Alison Berger Glassworks above a bench made by J. Robert Scott. The cushion is upholstered in Élitis fabric from the private collection.

Lawrence chose pyrolave in the color anthracite for the countertop and backsplash so that natural light would reflect off it. Amuneal made custom metal fittings for the open shelving, with glass by Outcast Studios. A teak cutting board from Sur la Table adds a wood element.

In the breakfast nook, Wildspirit chairs from Lepere surround a Tucker Robbins dining table with a back-painted top from Zecca Mirror Glass & Architectural Metal. A Ted Abramczyk Cumulus chandelier for Ralph Pucci hangs overhead, and custom wallpaper by Trove surrounds the space. A blackened-teak bowl from Home Nature sits on the table.

In the dining room, a Black Knight Base table from Hudson Furniture is surrounded by Astor chairs found at Dennis Miller. The chairs are upholstered in Venetian silk-velvet from Schumacher, which coordinates with the custom Mazu wallpaper from Holly Hunt. A custom rug in a dew design was sourced from the États d’Âme Collection at Tai Ping, and it sits under an Alison Berger chandelier, also from Holly Hunt.

The den is outfitted with a Cassina sectional upholstered in a Holland & Sherry bouclé fabric. The pillows were made by J Quintana Fabrication in Élitis fabric, while a praesidium nest of tables from France was sourced from Donzella. A rug that was custom designed from the États d’Âme Collection at Tai Ping is spread out beneath, while a Lindsey Adelman light fixture hangs above.

In one bedroom, a Recoleta bed from Dmitriy & Co. is made up in a velvet pink bedspread from RH and topped with a throw from Rosemary Hallagarten. A Troscan Design nightstand from the Bright Group is accented by a Hervé Van Der Straeten lamp from Ralph Pucci, which is near an Oslo sideboard from Holly Hunt. Custom paper from Assemblage covers the walls behind Valéria Nascimento’s Drift Triptych from Atelier Courbet hanging over the console.

Calcutta Michelangelo slabs from Stone Source were paired with mosaic tiles from Sapphire Fine Finishes in the primary bathroom, which has Waterworks plumbing and a Michael Taylor flush-mount made with Jean Karajian molded glass. A chandelier from Ochre hangs above the bathtub, while a Mesa ottoman from Holly Hunt adds a touch of color.

Plateau lounge chairs from Sutherland sit beside a custom Plateau sectional and a concrete Erin coffee table from Kathy Kuo Home. Pillows from Rule of Three are scattered throughout.