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For more than a decade, event designer Jared Reichert of the Reichert Consult was perfectly happy calling the West Village home. But after he ventured out to Palm Springs during the pandemic, suddenly his studio apartment seemed way too small. When he returned to New York City, he decided to stop by a friend’s two-bedroom, two-bath place in Chelsea that was up for sale. “I knew I needed more space. So we made a deal,” says Reichert.
The duplex not only boasted more square footage than his studio, it had a private deck. Sure, the apartment hadn’t been updated since the ’90s and had the espresso-colored kitchen to prove it, but Reichert saw the potential to fix it and got to work on renovations. Then, one month before move-in day, disaster struck. “We were in the middle of construction when I got a text from my contractor telling me to call him,” Reichert recalls. “There was a fire.” A blaze destroyed the roof deck, and the water to put it out badly damaged the rest of his home. Reichert was forced to start over.
“It was a major inconvenience, but there’s always silver linings,” he says. Prior to the incident, Reichert planned on a moody, minimalist interior, something that reminded him of his years working for Tom Ford. “When the fire happened, it was like a sign from the universe,” he says. “Out with the old, in with the new.”
He reflected on his own style and realized he wanted to be greeted with that color as soon as he walked in the door. Specifically, he wanted to be welcomed in by pink. Reichert picked Reform’s Basis collection for his kitchen cabinets, swathing them in a custom blush hue. “As an event planner, I have beautiful glassware and dinnerware that I didn’t want to hide,” he says of his decision to include plenty of open shelving. His favorite ones for cocktails and wine? Mamo Classic’s kaleidoscopic cups.
Reichert carried the soft pink shade into the dining and living areas, complete with a matching console and Golden Girls–inspired artwork above the sofa. If it feels as though this New York apartment is taking a cue from Reichert’s love of Palm Springs, you’re not entirely wrong. It just so happens that warm-weather style works well with two of his other inspirations: poppy Memphis design and his big sister’s past.
“My sister had the most beautiful bedroom when I was a little boy,” he says. “It inspired me to put delicate curves all over the apartment, juxtaposed with sharp angles and color.” He searched for pieces at flea markets and sites like 1stDibs, where he picked up a George Nelson bubble pendant lamp for his bedroom, as well as vintage ’80s side tables for the living room.
When it was time to rebuild the rooftop, Reichert aimed to make his personality shine through, too. “I wanted to find a balance between the prairie grasses of my childhood in Saskatchewan and my love of Southern California, while still making it feel like New York,” he says. “But at the same time, the choices had to be very specific for direct sunlight.”
He worked with Owen York Gardens to plant boxwood shrubs and succulents for sophisticated textures, florals for a wild sense of color, and hardy grasses for a breezy finish. Reichert sourced minimalist furnishings that can handle everything from casual hangs to larger parties, like the Richard Schultz petal table and Blu Dot seating that can be weatherproofed easily.
“I live in a fifth-floor walk-up, so everything had to be brought up by crane,” he says—that included the sofa, beds, and HVAC. “I don’t want to do that again, so I make sure to cover everything well.” Sounds like a solid mix of positive thinking and careful planning.