When Art and Interiors Don’t Compete, Chic Happens

The pied-à-terre is a fairly irresistible concept. A small city space. An escape from (or to) the hustle. A spot with great views and none of the drudgery that is yardwork. This particular residence in Tribeca had all of those attributes even before Chicago design firm Studio Gild stepped in, but the space needed to be more. An attorney who travels constantly between New York and Denver, the client rarely sees down time. He wanted a home that didn’t feel like a soulless crash pad after arriving on the red eye. He is also an avid art collector who wanted his favorite works on rotation—several of them. “Whitney Bedford, Janice Guy, Alex Prager, Basquiat by Maripol… we ran out of walls,” says Jennie Bishop, Studio Gild’s co-founder with Melissa Benham and Kristen Ekeland.

He was single at that time, so that bachelor living cliché (may it forever rest) might have haunted the place had he not enlisted Studio Gild. The firm is known for its cool-without-trying sensibility, punctuated by clean architecture and carefully deployed eclecticism.

Which is to say, their interiors don’t favor heavy statements. Bishop was the lead on the project and fashioned the perfect tension between the art and furnishings, so the home wasn’t typecast as just a gallery or just a modern loft. Not every corner is occupied, and the blank spaces play a role in the finished look. Studio Gild selected varied pieces by a diverse group like Piet Boon, Kelly Wearstler, Tom Faulkner, Skram, Lambert & Fils, and Kyle Bunting to enhance the condo’s 1,500 square feet. “It’s small but each piece pulls its own weight,” says Bishop.

Here, she reveals how she created a memorable interior, while also practicing the art of holding back.