Mercer Street Residence is a minimal apartment located in Soho, New York, designed by MV-LLC, with Coburn Construction Management as the general contractor, Acid as the millworker and Gemayel Group as the millwork coordinator. The renovation of this 2,200-square-foot residence in the historic Hohner Building represents more than mere adaptive reuse. It embodies a sophisticated understanding of how contemporary living can coexist with industrial heritage, creating what might be called an archaeology of comfort. The design team’s decision to retain the building’s original character while inserting carefully considered interventions reflects a maturity in American design thinking that has moved beyond the simple opposition of old versus new.
Consider the choice of 4-inch wide floor planks, deliberately selected over the fashionable wider boards that dominate current interior design. This seemingly minor detail reveals a deeper commitment to historical authenticity, referencing the thin industrial flooring that once supported the machinery of textile production. Such decisions demonstrate how material choices can function as historical footnotes, embedding memory within the very structure of daily life.
The apartment’s spatial organization follows the logic of the original loft while accommodating contemporary domestic patterns. The open-concept main room, where living, dining, and kitchen areas flow seamlessly together, honors the warehouse’s original vastness while creating intimate zones through furniture placement. The black Vipp modular kitchen with its oversized island operates as both functional workspace and sculptural anchor, its Scandinavian minimalism providing a counterpoint to the building’s ornate terracotta detailing.
Furniture selection throughout the space reveals a curatorial sensibility that treats each piece as both functional object and cultural artifact. The rare Milo Baughman walnut storage coffee table exemplifies this approach, its clean lines and elegant proportions embodying the optimistic modernism of mid-century American design. Similarly, the Florence Knoll round table in Portoro marble represents the intersection of European sophistication and American industrial capability that defined postwar design culture.
The Raoul Raba vintage lamp from 1972 introduces a note of sculptural drama, its curved metal forms casting theatrical shadows that animate the space throughout the day. Such pieces demonstrate how lighting can function as both illumination and installation, transforming the mundane act of visibility into an aesthetic experience.
