< Previous104 AD_040_100-107_Arena_Sydney Alexander_11751353.indd 10425/08/2021 04:07:52 PMABOVE AND OPPOSITE PAGE: The dining area has custom wall lights from The Lighting Guild and a carpet from The Rug Establishment. The clear vase and coupes are from Manyara Home, the green glass vase is from Marimekko, and green glasses and plates are from Spence and Lyda are on the table. AD_040_100-107_Arena_Sydney Alexander_11751353.indd 10525/08/2021 04:08:01 PM80 group meeting, and lounge–lobby area complete with a courtyard. Up above, a mezzanine level overlooks the impressive kitchen and contains its own intimate library. A top fl oor, with sleeping quarters, a pink bathroom, and a steam shower, is intended to be a more quiet retreat. The space, clearly, is so much more than your standard cubicle-fi lled offi ce. Living next door with their four sons, Bull and Glasson not only view Alexander House as a test- ing ground and showcase for their work, but also as an extension of their own residence. “Outside of working hours, we use the kitchen, living room, and courtyard to entertain regularly,” Glasson confesses. But it doesn’t stop there. Personal and professional lives subtly intertwine at every moment, especially after school hours, when it comes to their children. “We fl ow in and out; the kids are usually stealing food from the pantry and watching meetings or interactions taking place,” Bull says. “Alexander House has connected work and family life quite profoundly. It surprisingly hasn’t blurred the boundaries in a complicated way; it just seems to have [further] connected us.” From an aesthetic point of view, shades of pink, burgun- dy, and grey dovetail nicely with materials like walnut, oak, and exposed concrete. This balance of raw and refi ned elements also keeps the house from feeling brand- new. “It is fi lled with harvested materials, which are already in the process of being repurposed,” Bull adds of their thoughtful sourcing. That sentiment taps into another component of Alexander House: its commitment to sustainability. Solar and water fi ltration systems and the use of treated tim- bers are two examples. Another is a west-facing glass- block wall that allows light to fl ow in while excluding heat. It’s also the fi rst project to use rammed earth panels from the Natural Brick Co. in partnership with Re.Studio Collective; handmade from recycled building waste, they don’t require fi ring in an energy intensive kiln. The ulti- mate goal is for the house to produce zero landfi ll contri- butions and zero carbon emissions by 2022. “At its very core, Alexander House was conceived as a forward-thinking design laboratory that supports a diver- sity of ways to change our behaviours toward conscious consumption, and how we engage with one another and our environment,” Glasson notes. For such a creative cou- ple, Alexander House is also clearly just the beginning of a new chapter. As restrictions ease, the duo plans to use the space to exhibit art and host design talks. Its future is cer- tainly bright. alexanderand.co FROM TOP: Tess Glasson and Jeremy Bull; a bed by District Eight has been dressed with bedding from Ondene. The rug is by Armadillo & Co. OPPOSITE PAGE: The terrace has a shower and ice bath from Slightly Garden Obsessed. Outdoor furniture is by Re. Studio Collective. AD_040_100-107_Arena_Sydney Alexander_11751353.indd 10625/08/2021 04:08:16 PMAD_040_100-107_Arena_Sydney Alexander_11751353.indd 10725/08/2021 04:08:44 PMHIDE & SLEEK Shawn Henderson has refreshed an open-plan NYC apartment to highlight treasured art and conceal the clutter of family life Words Saiqa Ajmal Photography Stephen Kent Johnson AD_040_108-117_Arena_New York_11748580.indd 10825/08/2021 04:30:14 PMIn the dining room, a vintage Italian chandelier hangs above an oak Inca table by Angelo Mangiarotti. The midcentury chairs are a Marcel Gascoin design. The canvas by Renta is called The Wind is Coming (2012). OPPOSITE PAGE: An irreverent bronze sculpture by Tal R dubbed Caulifl ower Banana, greets visitors in the entry hall. AD_040_108-117_Arena_New York_11748580.indd 10925/08/2021 04:30:29 PMHE O WNER S OF THIS APAR T- MENT IN NEW Y ORK ’ S WES T VILLA GE LO VED THE LO CATION (they have a river view, a rare prize in Manhattan) and the atypical building it is housed in. Designed by the Pritzk- er Prize-winning architects Herzog and de Meuron, its undulating facade means it has quickly become a local landmark, and the fact that legendary hotelier and property pioneer Ian Schrager (he of Studio 54 and Edition fame) is behind the develop- ment meant that the 49 condos went fast. Serendipitously, the couple are friends with Schrager and his wife, who have a son the same age as their older boy, having previously lived in another of Schrager’s buildings, 40 Bond Street. So far, so smooth. The only sticking point was that the current vogue for open- plan living wasn’t to their taste and they wanted something that was more conducive to family life. While they were able to request an en- closed kitchen, the large living area was connected directly to the en- tryway and had no defi ned zones for lounging, dining or play. The duo turned to interior designer Shawn Henderson to help bet- ter utilise the enviable amount of space and make it more intimate, while keeping within the modern spirit of the architecture. “I deco- rated their fi rst apartment in New York City, which they outgrew with the addition of their two children,” explains Henderson, whose clients include several A-listers. “There was already trust established and the only major design requests were defi ned spaces for the adults to relax and for the kids to play, watch TV and eat in the kitchen.” T AD_040_108-117_Arena_New York_11748580.indd 11025/08/2021 04:30:52 PMABOVE: The designer created a seating area by a large window to capitalise on Hudson River views. Tear Drop Swivel chairs by Milo Baughman sit under The tetrahedral night (2017) by Olafur Eliasson from Tanya Bonakdar Gallery. OPPOSITE PAGE FROM TOP: The facade of the building in New York’s West Village; Shawn Henderson. 111 AD_040_108-117_Arena_New York_11748580.indd 11125/08/2021 04:35:35 PM112 “ The owners’ growing art collection creates wow-factor moments ” AD_040_108-117_Arena_New York_11748580.indd 11225/08/2021 04:35:50 PMA blood-red painting by Rachael Howard provides a vivid counterpoint to the pale colour scheme in the living area. 1950s German armchairs fl ank leather-topped brass tables of Henderson’s design. A blood-red painting by Rachael Howard provides a vivid counterpoint to the pale colour scheme in the living area. 1950s German armchairs fl ank leather-topped brass tables of Henderson’s design. AD_040_108-117_Arena_New York_11748580.indd 11325/08/2021 04:36:04 PMNext >