After having three kids and co-founding the epicurean game-changer FreshDirect.com, Jason Ackerman and his wife, Elyssa, decided to renovate their 4,000-square-foot loft in Soho. The couple enlisted architect West Chin to conceive the new open-plan layout, which would be anchored by a spare and sparkling kitchen. Next, they collaborated with designers Edward Yedid and Thomas Hickey of Grade Architecture and Interior Design to handle the furnishings. Here, Chin’s design of the entry offers a view into the newly open kitchen and the partitioned-off TV and family room. Inground floor lights accent the screen. Photo: Michael Weber
“We used custom-stained oak paneling and custom-cerused oak floors,” says Yedid of the loft’s millwork. Grade finished the original columns in Venetian plaster and custom designed the bench unit running the length of the windows. The decorative lighting in the dining room and entry is by Niche Modern, and the screen on the back wall of the living room is homasote board wrapped in fabric”added specifically so that the Ackermans’ kids can pin up their artwork. It also doubles as sound insulation when the family jams together. “I am the singer,” says Elyssa. “My daughter is the drummer, our son plays bass, my husband is on guitar, and our youngest hasn’t decided on an instrument yet.” Photo: Michael Weber
“The screen is made of rift-cut oak, stained dark walnut and mitered to allow a voyeur to have a glimpse of the loft while also providing privacy,” explains Chin. The sofa is another Grade design; the white pony-hair slipper chair is from B&B Italia. Photo: Michael Weber
Elyssa first encountered Grade’s work on a playdate and described it as “easy and luxurious,” a vibe captured perfectly by the graphic black-and-white walls, skateboard art, and Ikea rug in their son’s room. Photo: Michael Weber
“[The Ackermans] wanted a spalike feel in their master suite,” says Yedid, who answered the call with quartzite stone and wood panels, a lacquered desk and shelves, and other Grade-designed custom furniture. Photo: Michael Weber
Double showerheads by Dornbracht in the master bath add to the suite’s minimalist spa vibe; the room also showcases the same stonework featured throughout the loft. Photo: Michael Weber
