FRENCH POLISH

Chris Aswad and Chris Pridemore’s timeless apartment combines the energy of New York with Parisian elegance

- KARINE MONIÉ

After getting married in Hawaii in 2018, we started looking for an apartment to buy in New York City the following year,’ says Chris Aswad, who lives with his husband Chris Pridemore. For this new phase, the couple set their sights on the vibrant and fun neighbourhood of Morningside Heights in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. ‘It also has a wonderful residential feel and the beautiful green spaces of Riverside Park where we love walking our Shiba Inu/Pomeranian mix dog Jasper.’

Initially, the one-bedroom apartment didn’t reflect the charm of the pre-war building in which it was located. Its potential, however, convinced the couple. ‘The herringbone floors really got me at first sight,’ says Aswad. ‘They reminded me of the gorgeous properties we’ve seen in Paris. When I discovered the space, I immediately saw the “bones” of a grand old Parisian apartment and knew we could do something special by updating it to reflect a more modern sensibility.’