Industrial Revolution

The designers of this Tribeca loft apartment took inspiration from the area’s gritty past – yet elevated it to a more sophisticated aesthetic

- Rachel Leedham

With its mercantile past encapsulated in a vernacular of austere yet beautiful 19th-century factory buildings and broad, cobblestone streets, it isn’t hard to understand the appeal of New York’s Tribeca neighborhood and its unique housing stock. And this three-bedroom loft apartment is no exception. Situated in a former book bindery built-in 1882, it features enviably high ceilings and arched, iron-framed windows that at one side of the building overlooking a verdant courtyard garden.

As a real-estate developer, the apartment’s owner was quick to hear of the gentrification of the factory, and so he was able to visit the project when it was in its infancy. ‘I instantly saw that the bones of the old factory were incredible,’ he recalls. ‘What particularly appealed about this third-floor unit was that it has windows facing both north and south and it has a fantastic view of an old brick factory across the street, which nicely reflects the feel of the area.’

The owner, who divides his time between Long Island and Manhattan, approached Edward Yedid and Thomas Hickey of architectural and interior design practice GRADE New York having visited a friend’s home and admired the decor. ‘I liked the fact that they create homes that are distinctly modern, but with warmth and texture,’ he explains.