It may be the wow-factor views that grab your attention but this NYC condo’s interiors are equally captivating
STYLING Holly Waterfield
LIVING AREA
‘While this space is flooded with light, we wanted to make sure it felt comfortable as it’s our family’s main gathering spot,’ says owner and designer Bill Caleo. ‘We used a variety of textures to firmly ground the space and a monochromatic palette to embrace the views as a focal point.’
DINING AREA
‘Our favourite piece is the ceramic artwork on the wall by one of TBHCo’s co-founders, who is also my brother-in-law,’ says Bill.
‘You could say it’s quite a change,’ says Bill Caleo, speaking of the move from a four-storey Brooklyn brown stone full of historic features and masses of stairs to a minimal, new-build, high-rise apartment, where the f loorto-ceiling windows are the focal point and the wow factor is the view. It was his wife Megan’s idea to consider leaving behind vertical living to embrace a lateral space for their newly blended family of four children – each has a son and a daughter. ‘I had come to think that running up and down stairs to retrieve a school bag or forgotten keys was normal and just my life,’ says Bill, who co-founded The Brooklyn Home Company (TBHCo) with his sister and brother-in-law in 2007. ‘But when I saw this apartment on the 26th f loor, overlook ing New York Harbour, with views of the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building, my eyes just dived into the idea and I fell in love.’ The apartment was in Brooklyn Heights, a favourite neighbourhood for families, with parks and sports fields nearby, so that was an important box ticked.
The couple were able to purchase two apartments to knock into one space and luckily the developer allowed them to finish it and do the architectural and interior design themselves. ‘It was a great opportunity for us to spread our wings with a different kind of project as we’re really known for renovating houses,’ says Bill, referring to the many beautifully crafted homes his company has produced over the years, a number of which have featured in the pages of Livingetc. Each of the children has their own room – ‘it was important that they feel comfortable as a blended family’ – and the boys have en suites, while the girls share a ‘Jack and Jill’ bathroom. Otherwise there are no c
