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    This pied‐à‐terre in New York City by Sandra Weingort is the most enchanting blend of Japanese aesthetic and midcentury elements

    AUG 21, 2020 | By Aneesha Bhadri
    The vintage 1960s Adrian Pearsall sofa from Morentz Gallery is decorated with vintage Japanese cushions from Les Atelier Courbet and Antique Textiles Galleries. A Jo Hammerborg reading lamp for Fog & Mørup from Original in Berlin is placed by the sofa. Below the Serge Mouille ceiling light are Pierre Jeanneret lounge chairs and a coffee table custom designed by Sandra Weingort and fabricated by JM Szymanski; Photographs by Don Freeman
    Pierre Jeanneret lounge chairs flank the bespoke Sandra Weingort coffee table, which holds a Yoshimitsu Ishihara ceramic vase and a 1970s wooden bowl by Marcus Arvin, both from RW Guild. A midcentury floor lamp by Modeline from Danish Modern LA is seen near the window, while the wall-mounted artwork is by Mariano Vior; Photographs by Don Freeman
    BDDW dining chairs flank the vintage George Nakashima table from Lost City Arts, which holds Heyja Do ceramic vases from Dear Rivington. A pair of artworks by Lars Arrhenius is seen in the background; Photographs by Don Freeman
    The guest bedroom features a Johnny Abrahams artwork sourced by Jessica Levy, the custom Sandra Weingort bed and a vintage George Nakashima table; Photographs by Don Freeman
    Andrés Marroquín Winkelmann’s artwork adds warmth and character to the master bedroom. Also seen are the bed by De la Espada from The Future Perfect, vintage bedside tables by Aksel Kjersgaard from Jasper Maison, Chris Lehrecke bedside table lamps, Shibui Vintage Indigo Japanese pillows from Les Atelier Courbet and bed linens by Kassatex; Photographs by Don Freeman

    When interior designer Sandra Weingort met Argentinian advertising executive Joaquín Mollá in Miami, their instant connection led to a gorgeous apartment in New York that charmingly combines elements from Japanese culture and midcentury aesthetic.

    “Our shared passion for design was evident. Being the artist, collector and contemporary art connoisseur that he is, he got very excited. He mentioned he was looking for a home in New York City and wanted me to design it. A few months later, he sent me photographs of two apartments and asked me to choose which one to buy. He said, ‘Just choose, I trust you’. And I chose this one,” smiles Weingort.

    A 1960s Adrian Pearsall sofa from Morentz Gallery is decorated with vintage Japanese cushions from Les Atelier Courbet and Antique Textiles Galleries. Beside it is a Jo Hammerborg reading lamp for Fog & Mørup from Original in Berlin. The ceiling light by Serge Mouille is seen above Pierre Jeanneret lounge chairs and a coffee table custom designed by Weingort and fabricated by JM Szymanski; Photographs by Don Freeman

    With extraordinary light and height, this house showed tremendous potential to become a cosy home. The white box kind of space needed some warmth and edge. Weingort conceptualised the interiors to not only bring in some rawness and soul but also accentuate the double-heighted ceiling. The existing concrete slab in the ceiling was exposed meticulously by hand. “I wanted it to feel authentic and raw, so I didn’t let the contractor use any machines,” explains the designer.

    An antique African headrest side table from RW Guild is placed beside a Pierre Jeanneret lounge chair. The window has a vintage wabi sabi teak bench from Andrianna Shamaris; Photographs by Don Freeman

    Being a Buddhist student, the client wanted a soothing oasis within the hustle and bustle of New York City. To put it in his words, Mollá wanted “the home of a 70‐year‐old modernist Japanese man”—despite being a much younger man himself! His love and respect for Japanese culture is evident is his new home.

    A Marcus Arvin circa 1970s wooden sculpture from RW Guild sits on the frame of the 1960s Adrian Pearsall sofa, while a Federico Colletta artwork decorates the wall behind it; Photographs by Don Freeman

    An open bar sits on one side of the living room, which joins the dining area. Floor-to-ceiling windows on one side bring in plenty of light, adding to the sense of openness. Two bedrooms lie beyond the dining area, both minimally furnished, with popping textiles and artworks that contrast against pristine backdrops. The theme of warm-toned furnishings and contemporary art continues in the powder room.

    Counter stools by Furniture Marolles from FAIR Design line the bar, which holds a Joseph Andre Motte lamp. On the wall are works by Dionisio González; Photographs by Don Freeman

    Weingort dramatically juxtaposed the lofty interiors with low furniture to emphasise the feeling of space, light and air. With plenteous natural light streaming in, she decided to use deep, rich colours and raw materials such as the steel on the coffee table and mixed wood elements—instead of looking depressing or drab with such dark tones, the space is effused with a cosy and intimate ambience.

    BDDW dining chairs flank a vintage George Nakashima table from Lost City Arts holding Heyja Do ceramic vases from Dear Rivington. A pair of Lars Arrhenius’ artworks is seen by the window; Photographs by Don Freeman

    Despite having only four months to complete the project, the homeowner’s trust in Weingort and their shared love for Japanese and midcentury furniture and objects, as well as his astounding collection of contemporary art, made sourcing a thoroughly enjoyable and efficient process for her.

    The guest bedroom is furnished with a custom Sandra Weingort bed, Kassatex bedding, a Johnny Abrahams work sourced by Jessica Levy, a bespoke beside table by Black Creek Mercantile & Trading Co from FAIR Design, a Ymer & Malta lamp, a rug by Woven, a 1957 Joseph Andre Motte lounge chair from Galeria Tambien and the iconic Isamu Noguchi lamp; Photographs by Don Freeman

    Expertly crafted vintage furniture, objects and materials caught their eye and the rarer the piece was, the more thrilling the find. “Rare didn’t just mean the expensive Jeanneret chairs or Pearsall sofa or Nakashima table, it also meant the little African head rest I used as a side table (which sits by the Jeanneret chairs) and the long wabi sabi side table that sits by the window,” says Weingort.

    The powder room is a rustic affair of a 1960s Danish mirror by Kai Kristiansen for Aksel Kjersgaard from Scandinavian Art & Retro, above a bespoke shelf by Weingort. Hirotake Tobimatsu’s pendant light from Nalata Nalata adds warmth, while a Jan van der Ploeg artwork is reflected in the mirror. A 1950s Turkish Anatolian rug from Galerie Shabab is used on the floor; Photographs by Don Freeman

    As excited as kids in a candy shop, the designer and the homeowner procured a lovely curation of furniture pieces and accents on their sourcing expeditions, transforming the airy apartment into a haven abound with art, tranquility and contrast.