For years, actress Julianne Moore and her husband, filmmaker Bart Freundlich, maintained an active presence in New York’s downtown scene. The couple lived in the West Village, initially in a loft before moving into a townhouse featuring a garden designed by Brian Sawyer.
Both homes were renovated and refined by her brother-in-law, architectural designer Oliver Freundlich. Each of them was infused with Julianne’s passion for design. As the kids got older, the couple decided to downsize, and Julianne began looking for a new apartment.
She got lucky when a two-bedroom duplex in the centre of the Village came on the market. The apartment had been constructed in the 1920s as a residential hotel, and its sprawling terraces eased the pain of losing her lush garden.
The Renovation Process
The eight-month renovation was the sixth project Julianne and Oliver worked on together. Fortunately, the woman who had lived there for 20 years had exquisite taste, and the apartment had been beautifully maintained. Most of the changes they made were cosmetic.
Oliver notes that the trick was to make the place functional but without losing any of the magic. They didn’t change the layout, though they did a lot of editing, reducing patterns, simplifying, and adding storage. The kitchen has no upper cabinets, so they installed an adjacent pantry.
Design and Furnishings
Julianne’s taste is consistent, though it has evolved. She loves modernism, but this apartment is prewar, and you have to address that. The furnishings are a mix of pieces the couple already owned and ones specifically purchased for the apartment.
The Paavo Tynell light fixture in the kitchen hung in her former home. The shades were made from fabric once used for curtains. The dining chairs she got in Paris in 1995 have been in every house she’s had since.
The Pierre Chapo table in the entry, the Raoul Guys table in the kitchen, and the living room seating by Charles Pfister for Knoll are all new additions. Julianne and Oliver were stumped occasionally, but they decided to work with the existing bookcases in the library.
A Sense of History
Julianne wanted a sense of history, of time, of all the people who have lived in the apartment before them. She feels that they’re just passing through, and that’s the magic of New York City. The results of the renovation couldn’t please her more, and she finds the apartment to be very serene.