A Designer Couple Creates a New York City Apartment Where Their Guests Can Stay For Months

2 min read

Living in a New York City apartment with their two young children, Catherine and Nathan Bruckner found themselves facing a familiar problem: Where would they put visitors? The couple, founders of the design studio Casalta, both have parents who live in Europe and come to the city multiple times a year, often for long stretches. To give them more space—and freedom—they acquired another apartment in their Flatiron neighborhood building and turned it into a pied-à-terre for family and close friends.

“We wanted them to have a place that felt like a true home rather than simply a guest room in our apartment,” Catherine says. The focus was on creating something comfortable and stylishly functional, a place where guests could establish their own daily rhythms while being nearby. The setup proved useful almost immediately: Not long after they finished the project, Catherine’s sister Nicole moved back to New York from Los Angeles and lived in the new space for about a year.

“It was exactly the kind of use we had imagined,” she says, “a place that could adapt to different moments in our family’s life, whether for a few weeks or much longer.”

Victoria Hely-Hutchinson

Axel Vervoordt sofa, armchairs, and coffee table pair with vintage side tables in the living room. The pendant is by Ingo Mauer.

The couple wanted the design to complement their own apartment, so that the two spaces connected in terms of the overall look. “We wanted it to feel like a natural continuation rather than something completely different,” Nathan says.

That did not mean literally recreating rooms but, instead, cultivating a shared sensibility through a restrained material palette. In a reference to Nathan’s background, they added several pieces by Axel Vervoordt, the Belgian designer and art dealer known for his spare, materially driven interiors.

Nathan grew up in Brussels, in a home designed by Vervoordt, and this apartment carries the same emphasis on natural materials and sculptural furnishings. His sisters and old friends have noticed those similarities on visits. That familiarity is part of what he hopes guests feel when they arrive. “It’s fun for them to recognize certain elements and understand where the influences came from,” he says. “As a result, many people say that it doesn’t really feel like they’re in New York. I suppose it feels a little more European.”

Step Inside This Flatiron Pied-à-terreOpen Gallery

Other influences came from much closer places. During the project, the Bruckners and their children frequently dined at Ootoya, their neighborhood Japanese restaurant. Only later did the designers recognize its impact in the new home’s dark wood, white plaster, and stainless-steel finishes. “We weren’t consciously trying to reference it,” Nathan says, “but spending so much time there definitely influenced the apartment.”

The space is quiet but still has plenty of character. The rooms are outfitted with a mix of new and vintage pieces, from a painting by Louis Eisner and a reclaimed cast-iron tub to a comfortable Brazilian armchair and a 1975 stainless-steel-and-granite table.

“People can cook, read, or simply sit and talk,” Catherine says. “That’s really what we hoped it would be: a place where family and friends enjoy spending time together.”

SourcebookKathy Kuo Home Orielle VaseCredit: Kathy Kuo HomeEkko Standing Circles MobileWest Elm Hendrix Drinks TableCredit: West ElmZara Home Wooden Tissue BoxCredit: Zara HomePottery Barn Sherman Task Floor LampCredit: Pottery BarnMark Cross Romy Clutch in IvoryCredit: Mark Cross

Julia Cancilla is the social media & news editor at ELLE Decor, where she oversees the brand’s socials and covers design, pop culture, and emerging trends. She also authors the monthly ELLE Decoroscope column. Her work has appeared in Inked magazine, House Beautiful, Marie Claire, and more.