Natalia Miyar Enlivens a New York Aerie with an Inspired Mix of Texture
The designer draws on the colors and materials seen in the Manhattan skyline for a sumptuous apartment with bold works of art
No matter where in the world designer Natalia Miyar is at work, her projects draw from a familiar arsenal of color and pattern, inciting drama and visual interest with fabric, metal, and stone. “We work so much with mood and texture, trying to create a really interesting palette of materials that play off each other,” says Miyar, who then layers that overarching ambience with geography, giving an interior a sense of place with furniture and art that capture local flavor.
Such was the case with a New York apartment the designer helped shape for clients who purchased a 4,400-square-foot, four-bedroom unit in one of the city’s most prominent buildings. Having worked with the homeowners before on another residence, Miyar already had a sense of the family’s aesthetic. “There’s a learning curve that’s cut out when you do a repeat project for someone,” she says. “They really let me play with textures and pattern.”
That freedom is demonstrated right from the start, where an entry is enveloped in a rich, tobacco-hued wall covering by Phillip Jeffries. A beautiful, custom brushed-brass bench in a Pierre Frey fabric is surmounted by a dynamic Elena Dorfman photograph that’s bookended by a pair of vintage wall lights found in New York. Additionally, a hall with no windows takes on new life wrapped floor to ceiling in a striking black-and-white Pierre Frey wallpaper. “You’re going to see a lot of textures on the wall, lots of fun pattern on the upholstery, and then you’re going to have interesting artwork,” she says of the home’s design plan.
Without question, letting Miyar stretch the boundaries of her imagination produces uniquely wondrous results. A prime example is the bespoke chandelier that hangs over the custom dining table and chairs. The fixture, a sinuous string of bronze and glass disks glimmers from every angle, its dynamic mix of materials radiating against an exuberant composition by Tomas Vu that’s backed by a hemp wall covering from Phillip Jeffries. “I think that set a lot of the scene,” says Miyar of the large-scale mixed-media artwork that not only harnesses the same pattern and palette as the interior, but also the building façade seen out the window (a visual cue the designer also translated into a custom monogram for towels and other accents placed throughout the home).
Rooms reflect not only the family’s convivial nature, but also read deeply personal with touches that celebrate individual preferences. In a long, narrow cinema space, Miyar imagined an expansive sofa that allows plenty of room for people to gather, dressing the bespoke work in a soft, neutral Pierre Frey textile with a sharp linear print. Just behind, a geometric shelving unit features panels of midnight-blue leather as a nod to the wife’s love of the material.
Miyar conjured a multitude of furniture pieces for the home; however, her influence can be readily observed in the art on display—a thoughtful mix of vintage finds and new acquisitions by both established and emerging talents. “One of the things I’m really proud of is the art curation in the project,” says Miyar, who sourced a Reinaldo Sanguino stool from The Future Perfect for the living room that also hosts a Davide Balliano canvas found at Frieze New York, while a series of cheeky Kelly Breez pieces gives a graphic kick to a bedroom dressed in earthy browns with punctuating shades of rich teal.
With the creative mix of art coupled with unexpected vintage finds and bespoke furniture produced with a tactile range of materials, the home looks as layered as the cityscape viewed out the window, and radiates a Manhattan-like energy and air of individualism. “This was probably one of my most soup-to-nuts projects for a private client,” reflects Miyar. “Everything I tried to choose was really curated for them.”