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DESIGN BUREAU
Design Thinking
IN THE DETAILS
The curved bar is made of wood with a plaster overlay to create a metallic look, while the handmade blue onyx countertop has built-in lighting underneath
double floor design Creating a two-level penthouse means removing the floor in between
PROJECT: Ritz Carlton Penthouse Location: New York, NY Interior designer: Björn Björnsson of Björn Björnsson Interior Design
Not only did New York-based interior designer Björn Björnsson have the challenging task of combining two penthouse units at his Ritz-Carlton Penthouse project, but he had to do so while the clients were living there. “It would have been easier had they not been there, but we worked around it,” says Björnsson. To combine the units, he took out a portion of the main slab between the floors. During this time, he designated half of the bottom level as living quarters for the homeowners, while he finished designing the top floor and staircase that connected the units. The project took nearly two years to complete, but Björnsson says it was mostly due to the red tape he encountered while waiting for approval from the city’s building department. “It’s always a risk taking out a floor in a new building,” says Björnsson. “The structural engineers were very hands-on with me. I asked a lot of questions and made the necessary investigations before essentially putting a hole in the floor.” In the end, Björnsson says he’s very happy with the approximate 7,500-square-foot residence. “One day, I walked through the space and looked at everything, touched it, felt it, and knew I did the right thing.”—lesley stanley
Photos by Durston Saylor
When working with Björnsson, it pays to have years of shared experience. “Because we have known each other for so many years, we know what to expect from each other and the way we like to operate, which speeds up the entire process,” says Bernard Sobus, president of Zen Restoration. At the Ritz Carlton Penthouse, Zen helped Björnsson turn the design for the impressive stainless stair into a built reality. The stairs stand rigid with their brushed steel frame and walnut railings, yet they appear to float miraculously up to the main floor. “There are custom-made stainless steel stringers with posts, and a stainless steel stair tread frame cladded with walnut,” Sobus says of the stairs’ basic components. And the walnut handrail that anchors the stairs’ sleek lines? “It was only bolted to posts and slabs,” Sobus says of its suspended look.