Finding the perfect NYC apartment building is no easy task. There are thousands of buildings throughout the city in all different boroughs, each with its own unique charm. As an NYC Interior Designer, I've grown pretty familiar with many of the top apartment buildings in the city, along with some of the hottest up and coming luxury buildings. Today, I wanted to go over some of our favorite buildings and why we love working there -- take a look!   Luxury NYC Apartment Buildings:   111 W 57th Street   Located right across the street from the Kati Curtis Design studio, 111 W 57th towers above the New York skyline on Billionaire's row. The impeccable SHoP Architects have br0ught a refined and innovative design to life in the residences at 111 W 57th, with unmatched views of Central Park. Each unit is highly spacious, and residents can enjoy a private porte-cochere, 24-hour doorman and concierge, an 82-foot indoor pool, and luxury terrace for enjoying fresh air and entertaining guests al fresco.   108 Leonard   Secondly, we have 108 Leonard. Located in Tribeca, 108 Leonard was built in 1898 as the former home of the New York Life Insurance Company. In 2019, architects HLZA and SLCE restored this stunning building to an art deco dream with luxury residences. Amenities include an incredible double-height lobby, concierge, indoor pool, fitness center, wine cellar, and rooftop garden. These residences are state of the...

One of the most common questions I get asked as an NYC interior designer is, "How do I mix interior design styles?" Many times, clients have family heirloom pieces they want to include, but don't want the design to feel dated. Or, it may be a very modern apartment that they want to make feel a little more traditional. Here at Kati Curtis Design, we pride ourselves in having a very layered approach to interior design; it's what makes our special sauce (so to speak). So today we wanted to share some of our best practices for creating a balanced, layered look with different interior design styles. Take a look!   Using Color to Balance Different Interior Design Styles   The first thing we look at when creating a design is the color palette. No matter what design styles you are trying to mix, color is one of the common themes you can look at to bring it all together. One of the easiest ways to do this is to work within a color scale. Take a color, like blue for example, and mix in different lighter and darker shades throughout the room. Since the colors are all in the same scheme, it helps balance the mix of styles in the space. On the other hand, you can also work with complimentary colors. If you look at a color wheel, the colors opposite from each other are complimentary. Take, for...

As we move past the crazy year that was 2020 into, hopefully, a brighter 2021 - we can't help but look back on some of the popular interior design trends from the past year. While there are definitely some that we appreciate, many trends we feel are a bit outdated now and should stay behind. Take a look at some of our thoughts on last year's interior design trends and what to replace them with. Interior Design Trends to Leave in 2020:    White Kitchens   White kitchens have had their moment. Minimal kitchens have been all the rage for the last few years, but the minimal plain kitchens should stay back in 2020. Instead of all white everything, I encourage you to try colorful cabinets and a patterned tile backsplash! You get much more visual interest, and it will appear cleaner longer with out so much stark white everywhere.   Noguchi Lamps   If you go on any design website or publication in the last year, you've probably seen at least 20 rooms with the large round Noguchi lamp. Back in 2020, the Noguchi lamp was one of the hot interior design trends for big visual impact without feeling busy. However, it is now 2021 and it's safe to say we've all had enough. Instead of the Noguchi lamp, try beautiful chandeliers instead! You can find some beautiful vintage ones with a lot of character or use something a...

Working with an interior designer is something a lot of people don't know much about. Today we are going to answer some of the top interior designer questions asked at Kati Curtis Design. Take a look! How many years has Kati Curtis Design been in business? 16 years. I founded Kati Curtis Design in 2005 after 12 years of working in top architecture and engineering firms. My love for design started when I was very young as I watched my father, who was a general contractor, and my uncle, who was a top California architect, delve into blueprints and floor plans. My career started in commercial work, where I specialized in medical interiors and eventually working in top architecture firms in Washington DC and San Francisco. However, I felt as though I wasn’t getting to directly impact the human experience with these design projects. That drive led me to residential design which is what we do here at Kati Curtis Design. Since then, our team has expanded to include multiple interior designers, project coordinators, marketing specialists, and administrative support that make our operations run smoothly and deliver the highest quality interior design projects for our clients. Where is Kati Curtis Design located? Our NYC Interior Design Firm is located in Midtown Manhattan right by Columbus Circle, off of Central Park. Our address is 130 W 57th Street, Unit 14C. Originally, our office used to be a shoe showroom, which we...

2020 has definitely been one for the books, but despite the challenges we've faced, we wanted to reminisce on some of the good things. From new projects, to travel, to photo shoots, our NYC Interior Design firm has done it all. Take a look at our (crazy) year in review! January 2020 In January we took our annual trip to Paris for Deco Off to source the flea markets and preview the latest introductions from our favorite fabric houses like Pierre Frey and Zak and Fox. We were also luck enough to catch the Da Vinci exhibit at the Louvre before it closed to visitors in March.   February 2020 February was definitely a busy month for KCD and our NYC Interior Design firm. I spoke to a crowd at the Kip's Bay Showhouse in Palm Beach and then headed to Frieze LA to source some art for a few projects we were wrapping up.  We completed (is it EVER finished though?) a large Rye interior design project, and finished installing a project in Brookline, MA. Both of these homes will be out in major publications soon, so we're keeping the wraps on them-but stay tuned for the final reveals in 2021.   March 2020 In early March I set off for India with the Soane Foundation to learn more about Indian history and to source textiles and dhurries for some of our projects. While I was there, the world...

With 2020 being the year it's been-I couldn't make it down to Miami this year for Design Miami 2020. Luckily, I was able to catch some peeks at the pieces showcased and scout a bit for our clients! Below are some of my top picks from the show. Take a look! Katie Stout Double Lady (Roman Embrace) Floor Lamp This contemporary piece made with ceramic, glaze, paint, and gold luster is part of Katie Stout's "Girl Lamp" collection. This series is described as "naïve pop" and features colorful and playfully posed nude women in obscure positions. Katie Stout's work is featured in R & Company Gallery. Morten Løbner Espersen, Glazed Pearl 9 Morten Løbner Espersen is a highly renowned Danish ceramics artist with work featured around the world. His focus as of late has been to bring new life to ceramics through vessels. The textures of these vessels are inspired by geographical surfaces. Espersen is featured in Jason Jacques Gallery. Charlotte Perriand and Jean Prouvé Coatrack The coat rack above was created by Charlotte Perriand and Jean Prouve in response to a need for furniture at the Cité Universitaire in Antony France. They decided to create a piece that was both functional for storage and proportionate to the room size. It is in excellent condition. Roger Herman, Untitled 90 (White, Yellow, Purple, Blue) Originally a painter, Roger Herman has recently switched over to ceramic work as his medium of choice....

Art Basel Miami 2020 was only virtual this year, but it still showcased the best in art and design even if we couldn't see everything in person. Below are some of my top picks from this year's Art Basel Miami show: Master Cobra Mansa, 2012, Hassan Hajjaj Hassan Hajjaj is a Moroccan artist, photographer, designer, and filmmaker. His artwork is heavily influenced by the hip hop and reggae scenes in London, along with his North African heritage. More recently, his works draw inspiration from "rock stars" all around the world. Completely self-taught, Hajjaj's diverse portfolio makes him a stand out at this year's Art Miami 2020. The sun arises in the east, 2019, Marcel Dzama With influences from surrealist film, Dadaism, and Soviet-era agitprop- Marcel Dzama creates stunning small ink and watercolor drawings. His work features hybrid figures, such as trees with limbs or humans with animal features. The use of storytelling has made his work very distinct- and you can find his pieces on the covers of many musical bands' albums. Moon gazer and Lemon Trees, 2020, Jannis Varelas Jannis Varelas is a Greek artist who focuses on the surprisingly dull elements of everyday life. His work is constructed of fragments of reality, things that may seem minuscule or unremarkable. The symbols used in Varelas' pieces are almost childlike, yet still remain dynamic and bold. He brings narratives of social issues into colorful and sometimes irrational works of art....

As the days get shorter and the temperatures start to chill, we naturally are cozying up more indoors and pulling out our favorite throws and pillows to get comfy for winter.  Pillows and throws are some of the most versatile decor pieces in our arsenal. Today we're sharing some of our top tips for styling decorative pillows and throws around your home. Take a look!   Draw in Accent Colors from Around the Room   When working with colorful designs as often as we do, it's important to balance the rich tones throughout the space. We love using throws and pillows to bring in some extra color or bring out the color from other styling pieces. In this Chelsea Penthouse, we used the pillows to bring out some of the accent colors from the painting above the couch, like the vibrant green and red. We've got some beautiful Turkish pillows and throws in our shop that pulls out some of the loveliest shades of purple and pink to brighten up any room!   Bring in Color to a Neutral Room by Styling Decorative Pillows and Throws   Another great way to try styling decorative pillows and throws is to add color in an otherwise neutral room. This sunroom right off the master in our client's Fairhaven home was just begging for a bit of color- especially with all the natural light! The little punches of pink make all the difference....

Thanksgiving is fast approaching- and while the dinner table might not be as full as usual, we still believe in decorating and celebrating the holiday! We've gathered some of our top tips for creating beautiful thanksgiving decor with the help of our favorite vendors. Take a look! Tabletop Thanksgiving Decor   Good serving pieces are the core for a good Thanksgiving line up. With so many different sides and main courses, you can never have too many! We personally love to shop at Tamam located here in New York for some of the most beautiful vintage serving pieces. With colorful pieces from all over the world, Tamam has something for every design style and will last you a lifetime. We highly recommend the hand painted serving bowls for all of your side dishes.     Every year I typically take a trip to Paris to scout for the best accessories and treasures for our clients' projects. Last year we found these incredible linen embroidered napkins in the most stunning jewel tone colors. High quality napkins really make all the difference on a table, and can be the perfect color addition to make your place settings pop. Now is the time to pull out your favorite plates and glassware! As you can tell, we love color here at KCD, so our table settings are no different. I just love pulling out colorful crystal goblets and our most formal plates to celebrate...

Living in NYC, the KCD team has seen a ton of people leave the city in search of a bigger, quieter home. We don't quite blame them- especially after the year we've all had! Today we wanted to show a few of our top choices for places to find great housewarming gifts to give to those friends who have undergone a change of scenery. Take a look! Kneeland Co. Rarities: Unique and Vintage Housewarming Gifts When you're trying to shop for someone who already has everything, I always recommend taking a look at Kneeland Co Rarities. In their own words, "Thoughtfully sourced from artists, artisans, and dealers, each product contains a story told through process and history. Ceramics, vintage & contemporary art, found objects, and textiles make up a carefully edited selection of treasures for life and home." From unique coffee cups, vintage prints, and even eclectic plaster cast art- you're sure to find something one of a kind and truly exceptional here. Gregory Parkinson- Colorful Block Printed Textile Housewarming Gifts If you know us, we love the color. So naturally, Gregory Parkinson's gorgeous textiles gravitate towards us! These stunning napkins and tablecloths are all hand woven and block printed with beautiful colors and patterns in all different styles. There are so many to choose from, so you're sure to find something for everyone. Plus, the quality is impeccable. A must-have for any dining room! Jonny Ribiero- Eclectic Art and...