Home screening rooms

Sheila Kim -- Interior Design, 9/1/2003 12:00:00 AM

As lofts colonize ever larger swaths of New York real-estate, design-build firm Atlas Industries has made a thriving business from a growing necessity: stylish partitions. You name it—Atlas creates it, from a cherry-wood breakfast-nook partition in a downtown apartment to a series of fiberglass ones zoning a midtown office. For the TriBeCa loft of event planner Michael Paxson and Elizabeth Varbaek, partner Joseph Fratesi came up with a graceful way to divide the 2,000-square-foot space without obstructing light from southern and western exposures. Then, for good measure, he renovated the kitchen.

Fratesi's screens—horizontal walnut slats pierced by vertical stainless-steel poles—fall somewhere between blinds and walls. He installed one at the entry, a second at the bedroom, and a third at the kitchen, all in varying heights and widths.

The entry screen, supported by a custom walnut and stainless-steel credenza, extends to the 12-foot ceiling. Between the bedroom and living area, a screen 8 feet high and 5 wide works in conjunction with a custom sliding door of laminated translucent glass framed by powder-coated steel; the door overlaps the screen just enough to hide the bed. At 6 feet high and 4 wide, the kitchen partition is built directly into a stainless-steel countertop and the ceiling soffit.

Stainless steel reappears on other counters and cabinetry, and a wall clad in limestone adds visual weight. As Fratesi explains it, "The area is continuous with the rest of the apartment, but materials and color achieve a subtle differentiation."

From top: Constructed of walnut slats and stainless-steel poles, a custom screen defines a TriBeCa loft's bedroom, with the help of a custom sliding door of laminated translucent glass framed by powder-coated steel; the oil on canvas is by Brian Farrell. For the kitchen, Joseph Fratesi chose limestone wall tile and a counter topped in stainless steel; the dining area comprises a mahogany table and custom leather-upholstered banquettes, supported by cantilevered steel brackets.

Opposite: The living area is clearly visible from the bedroom. Flooring is red oak.

BED (BEDROOM): DUX. NIGHTSTANDS, RUG: THROUGH DIALOGICA. DOOR HARDWARE: HFELE. VASES: THROUGH REGENERATION. RANGE, HOOD (KITCHEN): VIKING RANGE CORPORATION. LIMESTONE TILE: STONE SOURCE. BANQUETTE UPHOLSTERING: PRECISION LEATHER CRAFTER; HOLLY HUNT (LEATHER). SOFA (LIVING AREA): BB ITALIA. VASES, PILLOWS: JONATHAN ADLER. GLASS: MCGRORY GLASS. ARCHITECT OF RECORD: ARCOLOGICA. GENERAL CONTRACTOR: E.S. RENOVATION CONSTRUCTION.