Although Richard Ouellette and Maxime Vandal run the successful design firm Les Ensembliers together, day in and day out, the couple were in total disagreement when they began their search for a dream pied-à-terre in New York City. But after stepping off the High Line to get a drink after a long walk in the city and stumbling upon Cushman Row in Chelsea…it was love at first sight.

“We knew right then and there that we had to have a flat on this stretch of the street, it was the perfect corner.”

The duo decided on a second-floor apartment in an 1840s townhouse located in Chelsea, featuring original moldings, parquet floors, and airy 12-foot ceilings. Their approach was to create an atelier that would nurture their creativity: they split up the apartment's single open living space into a lounge area, an entryway, a library, and a dining nook. Nothing matches, but somehow everything works together cohesively.

Not a single piece of artwork is hung up in the space. Rather, paintings, photos, and drawings rest nonchalantly against one another. "It’s more of an atelier approach; it feels like you’re a painter, that you're artistic, that the space is lived in," Ouellette says. Vandal adds, "It’s a bit of an understatement. Instead of putting something of value up proudly on the wall, it’s a humble way to display your art."

“Living in New York is not for the faint of hearts, so it's important to find a place to stay that envelopes you as soon as you walk in, that is filled with people and things that nourish your soul,” states the couple.