Architect refines the art of the bachelor pad

Architect and interior designer Ira Schachner     INTERACTIVE GALLERY Visit the apartment    VIDEO CNN's Elsa Klensch tours the apartment with architect Ira Schachner Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

July 24, 2000
Web posted at: 5:28 p.m. EDT (2128 GMT)

NEW YORK (CNN) -- At the turn of the century, most of the residences built beside New York's Central Park were meant for elegant entertaining, places where formal dinners preceded evenings at the opera. They were grand structures, built for great effect.

When architect Ira Schachner was asked to design an apartment in one of those buildings, his mission was to restore the apartment to its original luxurious mood. That meant making the artwork the focus.

"I was really detailing it so that it would be appropriate for a single man who had good taste, was sophisticated, ... would use the space for entertaining for his friends, and really have an art collection that he could be proud of," he says.

The starting point for the design of the apartment came from the entrance -- "the gallery," as Schachner calls it. The walls boast a landscape by a contemporary American artist. Done in the classic of Dutch landscape style, the painting features a waterfall, cascading into a darkened pool, surrounded by a somber stand of trees.

"It's really an introduction to the artwork in the apartment in that it's classic and beautiful," he says.

The library also features art of different periods, including a serene contemporary painting of a sunset and 17th-century maps of China.

Color and temperature

The color scheme, like the art, varies from room to room. Some areas create a cool, calming feel, while others achieve a warmer, comforting atmosphere, Schachner says.

Antique 17th-century maps decorate the library

The dining room, for example, has a grayish robin's egg blue.

"I wanted it to be a little cooler and interesting, almost an odd color to give a little bit of edge to it," he says. "I think dining rooms should have some surprise to them."

Schachner chose a a burnt-red color for the walls in the living room. "It was important for the client that he would feel comfortable enough to sit in this room on his own and feel warm, and at ease. That's why it's much darker, comforting -- a little warmer."

Other comfort features in that room include long sofas to accommodate his tall client and a coffee table to conceal the audio-visual equipment.

The bedroom, once two smaller rooms, incorporated Schachner's favorite colors, pale green and black. "The idea was to give it again a quiet feeling," he says.

The artwork, on the other hand, is strong.

"I would say it is contemplative," Schachner says. " There's a great deal of depth. ... Even though it may be (still-life paintings), I think they have a lot of movement in them and depth."

CNN Style Correspondent Elsa Klensch contributed to this report.

A New York apartment for the books
April 21, 2000
New York apartment combines elegance, comfort
March 17, 2000
Designer builds character, serenity into New York apartment
March 6, 2000
London loft salutes past with utilitarian, military themes
February 7, 2000
Peregalli's apartment a link to the past
January 27, 2000
Anna Sui replaces clutter with color in New York apartment
December 8, 1999