Month: January 2018

When these Brooklyn transplants relocated from a townhouse to a condo high in the sky, they reached out to MSD to outfit their new space on the 49^th floor of an iconic Philadelphia building. Of course, the view is the star here, so custom millwork and a mix of custom and classic furnishings were all kept at window sill height or below. Custom motorized shades were a necessary addition, kept nondescript as they are the same colors as the rooms they occupy. Speaking of color, everything was kept light, save for the custom dark walnut millwork in the library, where a beloved vintage lighted sign was incorporated into the design.

Game room? Check. Coffee bar? Check. Contemporary art gallery? Check. Recent trends in residential multi-family design have been taking cues from the high-end hospitality industry. Case in point, this project, which though it could be a boutique hotel, consists of five residential apartment buildings on 26 acres in King of Prussia, PA. After a complete architectural revamp to the existing site by Varenhorst, Michael Shannon Designs was called upon to appoint the interiors of the public spaces.

The minimalism of the architectural choices is mirrored by the classic silhouettes of the furniture selections, while bold pops of color and pattern were inspired by Takashi Murakami and the like, whose works are displayed throughout the separate buildings in varied media. One structure even features a curated, rotating gallery. It was important for MSD to maintain the clean, bright, open feel of the overall property, but bring a sense of human scale (and fun!) to each individual space.