"We had to adapt the design of the different apartments to the preferences of the American audience."
Apartments in a luxury building in Manhattan designed by Nitzan Horowitz and Dorit Sela (Photo: Nitzan Horowitz and Dorit Sela)
"We are a couple in life, but each of us has freedom of action. Of course there will be disagreements, but we always reach agreements. Sela and Horowitz (Photo: Nitzan Horowitz and Dorit Sela)
In the heart of Manhattan, in one of the hottest and most prestigious demand areas, stands a modern 11-story building, belonging to an Israeli developer.
The design of the apartments - 17 different models of apartments, and the public spaces including a lobby, a gym and a tenants' club, is the responsibility of the couple Dorit Sela and Nitzan Horowitz, veteran interior designers and well-known in the world of Israeli design, each of whom has his own office.
"We were responsible for the design of the elements in the various apartments in the project," say Sela and Horowitz.
"We designed the interiors at the level of carpentry, kitchens, bathrooms and closets, which are very important to Americans. The project includes a variety of apartments, from studio apartments to duplex apartments, and we had to adapt them to the preferences of the American audience," they explain.
"The construction methods and design style are different from what we know in Israel."
One of the apartments in the building (Photo: Nitzan Horowitz and Dorit Sela)
"The developer actually wanted to bring a modern and clean style to the project - that's why he chose us." (Photo: Nitzan Horowitz and Dorit Sela)
Large openings without shutters are one of the characteristics of American construction (Photo: Nitzan Horowitz and Dorit Sela)
"We are a couple in life but each of us has our own office and freedom of action. We join forces in certain projects like the current project, but in our opinion there is an advantage in this because the different perspective allows us another point of view. It is clear that there will be disagreements but we always reach agreements in the end" , says Horowitz.
The couple has already collaborated on projects in Israel, but this is the first time they have relocated for their joint work.
"This is our first joint project in the United States," they reveal.
"There are differences in the nature of the design and the construction process. It can start from the fact that we have to translate the measurement from meters to inches to the fact that the construction methods or design style are different from what we are used to in Israel. In addition, the Americans work according to very clear rules and standards that must be followed and not It is possible to deviate from them. For example, special emphasis should be placed on the issue of accessibility, at a planning level that will allow accessibility for a wheelchair or the location of the toilet in a specific place so that it will be possible to install a grab handle if necessary."
Americans don't buy "on paper"
"Even the sales method is different," they continue.
"Americans don't buy apartments on paper, but see sample apartments when the project is ready. The developer actually wanted to bring a modern and clean style to the project that is less typical of the American audience, and that's why he chose us. He knew us from previous joint work on facades in another building he owns."
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A luxury apartment building in Manhattan designed by Dorit Sela and Nitzan Horowitz (Photo: Nitzan Horowitz and Dorit Sela)
Americans don't buy apartments on paper, but see sample apartments - when the project is already ready. (Photo: Nitzan Horowitz and Dorit Sela)
Luxury marble and walnut finishes in the kitchens (Photo: Nitzan Horowitz and Dorit Sela)
"You have to understand that we were not working with specific customers and requirements, but we were required to adapt the apartments in general to the potential clientele of the apartments, which are located in a prestigious area," Sela and Horowitz explain.
"We put emphasis on distinct preferences of the American audience, such as large developers without blinds or their desire for a walk-in closet. The American audience likes marble floors and coverings and it is very important for them to have a niche for a washing machine. We designed 17 different models of apartments in the project, depending on the size and location that vary from apartment to apartment. They are characterized by similar elements with an entrance foyer and an open public space and a classic-modern design style."
"We were required to adapt the apartments in general to the potential clientele of the apartments, which are located in a prestigious area."
A bedroom in one of the apartments (Photo: Nitzan Horowitz and Dorit Sela)
Luxurious marble and dark shades that break the monochromaticity.
Bathroom (Photo: Nitzan Horowitz and Dorit Sela)
Large developers in thin iron frames bring the urban landscape of Manhattan into the apartments (Photo: Nitzan Horowitz and Dorit Sela)
The interior design of the apartments includes light wood parquet and the use of luxurious marble that finds expression in the bathrooms and kitchens combined with wood with an American walnut finish.
The designers also used these materials in the public spaces in order to create a connection between the exterior spaces of the building and the apartments themselves, so that the tenants will feel at home from the moment they enter the building.
The apartments are characterized by large openings with thin black iron frames, without shutters, which bring the urban landscape of Manhattan into the apartments.
Along with the modern and luxurious design, the designers broke the monochromaticity by using dark shades, for example leather armchairs in a dark walnut shade.
The apartments also include works of art in the various spaces, refined and elegant.
The design style is also repeated in public spaces, such as the tenants' club which is decorated with a wooden ceiling with a walnut finish and similar slatted decorations next to the windows, which also appear in the design of the apartments.
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