Christopher Testani/REAL SIMPLE
A gorgeous penthouse apartment in Brooklyn, New York, the sixth annual Real Simple Home features sweeping views of the city and must-see room makeovers by top designers. But we're especially obsessed with the living room, which was styled by interior designer Bobby Berk, best known for his role on the Netflix show, Queer Eye. With an elegant palette and smart uses of pattern and texture, the living room is both cool and comfy. Read on to learn how Berk took this room from an empty glass-and-steel box to an inviting space ideal for entertaining.
Instead of competing with the large windows, Berk wanted them to inform the design for the rest of the space. “The only way to compete with that is to be harmonious with it,” he says. The designer, who typically chooses neutrals, knew that a showstopping color scheme would make the view and the room sing. So he turned his head to what was right in front of him. “I wanted to pull in colors from the city. And if you look around at all these buildings out here, you see the reddish-orange brick, the light bricks, and the peacock colors on a nearby building,” Berk says. His energetic palette of burnt oranges, blush peaches, and deep blue hues lets the room mesh seamlessly with the skyline.
With a large, rectangular space, it’s important to add some organization to make the room more functional. Bobby created a main seating area with a plush bouclé sofa, velvet poufs, leather-and-wood slingback chairs, and a plush geometric-print chair. To distinguish it from the rest of the room, a navy blue rug creates a visual border. To the side, a wall niche creates the perfect alcove for a bar area. Bobby opted for a console filled with entertainment essentials
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