Perspective New York: 5 Inspired Ways to Design a Manhattan Apartment

November 18, 2014

During our visit to Perspective New York, five designers were asked to create vignettes, or real-room mock-ups, of how they would transform an NYC loft using Sunbrella fabrics. We found these designers and their varied styles to be so inspiring, and we think you’ll love them, too. Here are just a few of the ways each designer used Sunbrella to complete their visions.

Rock and Roll Easter Bunny

LA and Atlanta-based designer Brian Patrick Flynn created a fun room here fittingly called Rock and Roll Easter Bunny. We love how he creatively took a vintage sofa and upholstered it with this pretty cotton-candy pink Sunbrella fabric. The black-and-white shag rug was custom0made and hand-hooked by Bjork Studio, also using Sunbrella fabric. Bjork also custom-made the channeled coffee table topped in black granite and upholstered in Augustine – Pearl fabric, which is the perfect complement to the vintage Bruno Mathsson Ingrid chairs.

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Art-Inspired Design

Alex Gaston‘s black-and-white palette draws inspiration from works of contemporary artists Richard Serra, Ellsworth Kelly, and Robert Longo. Black-and-gray upholstered walls envelop the room, all done with a argyle-like, ribbed fabric created using Sunbrella acrylic —  Nairobi – Black Rhino available from Holly Hunt. Gaston also incorporates Sunbrella in the whimsical pillows with Soiree – Charcoal, a looping grey-on-grey pattern available from Donghia.

A Sophisticated Safari

And now for something really fun and imaginative from Kate Jackson — a colorful playroom full of things a six-year-old’s dreams are made of. Created for the adventurous, what kid (or kid at heart) wouldn’t adore these safari surroundings? As Sunbrella is always a great idea for children’s spaces, Jackson incorporated its fabric in the barley-colored rug from Colonial Mills. the custom-made fabric teepee from United Fabrics, and MT Company’s beautiful sofa and chaise lounge.

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How to Layer Fabrics Effortlessly

Drew McGukin’s talent for creative juxtaposition shines through in this vignette he calls How to Layer Fabrics Effortlessly. Here, he applies Sunbrella fabrics to unique furniture shapes and profiles from his very own collection with Bjork Studio. On the simple sofa, the Bayeux – Turquoise damask Sunbrella fabric by Pindler takes the spotlight. We love the pop-art channel chair upholstered in Oslo – Sunflower, a yellow and gray Sunbrella fabric by Pindler. And a very inventive employment of Sunbrella is found in the wall panel, which features a dotte- stripe pattern in Sparrow – Emerald Sunbrella fabric available through Donghia.

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Comfortable Minimalist

Brian Paquette proves that minimalism isn’t always frigid. His use of Sunbrella fabrics allows the space an air of warmth and a sense of comfort that is often absent in many preconceived notions of a minimalist home. To achieve this, Paquette used Plein Air by Richard Frinier available through Pindler for both the sofa as well as the oversized ottoman/coffee table. The lovely vintage mid-century chairs are done in Chemin – Granite by Richard Frinier available through Pindler , constructed by Bjork Studio. And we love the wall-to-wall custom rug by Colonial Mills, as it brings in the striped sofa and chair fabric while reinforcing the neutral color palette.

Which Sunbrella vignette is your favorite?