iMag Slide Show

Before he chooses color swatches, feels any fabric or decides on lighting, interior designer Garrow Kedigian sees the space around him. Trained as an architect, Kedigian bases his philosophy on letting the architecture dictate the design. "I try to absorb the elements that speak to me. Sometimes it's a natural source of light, or a high ceiling or crown molding." Regardless of what it is, Kedigian believes that the structure of a space should give way to its design. By recognizing the architectural details, you can bring out the charm in a room, creating a comfortable atmosphere by highlighting what you already have. 

Photo Credit: Prue Hyman

Kedigian immediately recognized the corner window as a focal point in this Manhattan condo. "The view was amazing; you could see all the way to Connecticut," he says. "But the dining room was unusually wide." With the table in the middle of the room, Kedigian wanted to move everything to the corner to create a more intimate space and maximize the view. But building codes precluded him from cutting into the ceiling slab to move the wiring for the chandelier. "I created a ceiling box, which lines up with the edge of the window, so I could move the ceiling wire," he says. The ceiling box required one day of labor for the contractor to build the sheet rocks.

Photo credit: Bruce Buck

The unusually small window in this Manhattan apartment presented a design dilemma for Kedigian. Only one tone on the wall would have accentuated its odd shape and size. "We wanted to anchor that window," he says. Kedigian applied a latticework grid to the walls to frame the window. "The client said he mainly uses that room at night. So I used black raffia paper, and at night it feels like there are tons of windows in the room." To contrast the dark walls, and the night sky, Kedigian chose a creme color for the latticework. Interested by paneling, but don't have the time to apply latticework to your walls? No problem: Kedigian says paint is an easier and perhaps more cost efficient option.

Photo Credit: Bruce Buck

When there aren't many structural nuances present, you can easily come up with your own. "You can create architectural detail if you don't have much. Like with this curtain rod. It's a large U-shaped rod that stops and starts when it hits the beams in the ceiling," he says. As for the curtains? "They are really just panels. They add softness here, especially when you have a modern context." 

Photo Credit: Bruce Buck

In this Manhattan condo, the hallway is essentially part of the kitchen. "I had this important urge to balance the kitchen, as everything was weighted to one side," says Kedigian. "The problem was the hallway was not wide enough for furniture, so I decided to paint a stripe on the wall." The neutral stripe serves two purposes: It accentuates the line of the hallway, and it provides a grounding for the 12 sculptures mounted on the wall, which he chose in place of a painting. "The client commissioned an artist to make these sculptures that depict different poses in tai chi. It gave the wall weight and it balanced the interest of the room." 

Kedigian used paint strategically here, and is a great way to define different spaces within a home. 

Photo credit: Bruce Buck

This small, summer home is quite old and had quirky architecture. "There was this great little nook in the wall, about four or five feet deep, but the nook was elevated," says Kedigian. The reason? Right under this seat is the ceiling of the living room underneath. When the architect wanted to put a wall where the step to the bench begins, Kedigian objected. "I thought this would be a great space for a cozy bench. Now the client says she sits there and has breakfast with the paper every morning!"

Older homes often have awkward negative spaces. Rather than covering them up with furniture or new walls, they can be used to give the space character. Consider cushions for a bench, storage space or installing shelving. 

Photo Credit: Jeff Gahres