Modern Artistry in Prewar Midtown
Architectural Digest called Amy Lau “one of the design world’s most original voices,” describing her luxurious Midtown home as a “punctuation mark to an extraordinary life and career — a love letter to the trailblazer’s twin muses of art and design.”
Just months before her passing, the eternally stylish Amy Lau had finally finished the meticulous six-year gut renovation of her apartment in the legendary Alwyn Court building, set at the southeast corner of Seventh Avenue and West 58th Street. Living in this 12-story landmark, flanked by an ornate French Renaissance-inspired terracotta facade, had been a dream for Lau, a longtime renter prior to purchasing the one-bedroom co-op in 2018. Soon thereafter, she enlisted architect Michael Schmitt to draw up plans for the place, which hadn’t been updated since the 80s.
Lau’s reimagining of Unit 5F is utterly modern and contemporary, yet deeply respectful of the Alwyn’s historic grandeur. Born and raised in Paradise Valley, Arizona, Lau was known for her love of Southwestern colors and her expertise on midcentury modernism, both of which are well evident. Her final home showcases her singular talent for sourcing furnishings and art pieces and designing warm yet bold interiors to surround them.
The wonderfully designed residence opens from a generous foyer that doubles as a dining space, with a circa 1902 brass-and-Loetz-glass Vienna Secessionist chandelier that Lau found in Europe. It hangs above a glass table by the contemporary furniture maker Germans Ermičs, paired with equally eye-catching seating by Joseph Walsh. Surrounding the room is a stunning pastel watercolor wallpaper with metallic gold flecks, personally designed by Lau for Fromental. Herringbone white oak floors by LV Wood boast a stunning walnut inlay.
The adjacent living room features 10-foot ceilings, a colorful patchwork rug with earthy, desert hues by Kyle Bunting, cozy upholstered pieces, and two sculptural wood creations by Michael Coffey: a Mozambique fireplace surround and a black walnut cocktail table, their forms flowing with dramatic curves.
The Bulthaup galley kitchen features high-end Gaggenau appliances, sumptuous marble countertops, an Art Nouveau brass chandelier, and walls from Artistic Tile. The sleek bathroom flaunts Silver Wave marble from Artistic Tile, with a book-matched vanity, medicine cabinet, and Kallista brass fixtures. In the blue-and-white bedroom, you’ll find more Lau-designed Fromental wallpaper, along with a cashmere rug, custom window treatments, nightstands by Amorph, sconces by Olivia Barry, and a headboard covered in Kravet’s curly polyester fur.
Originally built between 1907 and 1909 with 22 units, Alwyn Court was reconfigured for 75 in 1938, and it went co-op in 1980. This building is as centrally located as they get, moments from Central Park, Columbus Circle, Carnegie Hall, Bergdorf Goodman, and the Plaza Hotel. Designated a New York landmark in 1966 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, it underwent a full exterior restoration in the late 1990s and early 2000s, preserving its timelessly New York elegance for years to come. Alwyn Court is pet-friendly with a 24-hour doorman, a live-in super, storage (the sale of 5F includes one large unit), and a bike room.
