When Turkish-born architect Koray Duman bought a three-bedroom apartment on the border of Chinatown and the Lower East Side three years ago, he basically considered it a teardown. “Nothing remains from the old,” says Duman, who replaced floors, exposed the brick, raised the ceilings and carved out a huge living room space comprising 450 square feet of the 770-square-foot apartment.
“The living area and the entrance corridor is a very irregular shape. It is a corner unit, with all these windows, so I wanted to find a way to make it more defined,” says the architect, principal of Buro Koray Duman. He started by eliminating the bedrooms and installing a multi-functional wall that runs the length of the apartment. The wall starts in the sole bedroom, housing a closet and bathroom, then turns into a powder room off the living room and ends up at the kitchen’s pantry and closet containing a washer/dryer.
The sculptural wall contrasts with the whitewashed brick in the living room. “These two elements play together, rather than selecting one or the other to make a strong statement.” And why did he choose to paint it bright chartreuse? “It makes me feel happy!”
The wall makes the living room feel more open — cleverly providing an area for a library and desk. The kitchen is minimal, with modular white cabinets and a stainless-steel sink and counter. The living room also includes an oak-wood circular coffee table from Design Within Reach. Duman’s other design firm Sayigh+Duman designs all new DWR showrooms nationwide, including its 20,000-square-foot NYC flagship, opening today on East 57th Street.
Duman said he struggled to find the right furniture and wanted just one piece to be comfortable and different. He collaborated with his friend Carol Egan, of Carol Egan Interiors, to craft two sofas perched on a pair of egg-crate bases. The result is a custom sofa actually comprised of two L-shaped sofas that can turn into a daybed. Overall, the renovations were reasonable, though Duman admits he splurged on the sofa.
The chic living space is perfect for gatherings with his boyfriend, a gallery owner. They often host drinks with curators, artists and designers.
