A prominent residential neighborhood building on Manhattan's Upper East side has waited many years to receive a major upgrade to all apartments and common spaces.  Our studio combined, re-planned and added new up-scale amenities to existing spaces but most of all re-designed kitchens and bathrooms to be beautiful and luxurious spaces for this long standing building.  All apartments were divided to receive 2 finish package options that not only offered elegant finishes, but also explored/offered several bathing combinations in small and large spaces.     

In a traditional and classic building, our client had a vision of serenity and optimization of space. We collaborated to convert a highly traditional interior shell into a clean and modern space that used every inch for beautiful custom built-in storage units that were designed to blend.  Cierno Designs designed and built-out the space very closely with our client to achieve a functional and creative interior.  

We rarely do typical before and after comparisons with any of our projects, but this special project went so differently than originally planned, it is almost necessary to show before and after to tell the story.  Our client came to us wanting nothing more than a NEW kitchen. They were highly confident in the fact that they wanted a re-design and re-configuration to incorporate a breakfast/eating area and a new flow.  The existing kitchen had so much character (beautiful wood built-in cabinetry and an old style tile floor) as did the rest of the 1920's Tudor style house that with every design/rendering option we showed; our client became more and more lost in what they wanted.  Nothing was fitting.  Cierno changed gears completely and showed finishes ONLY.... finishes to re-new their existing layout. That was it! the project and our clients were found again and the existing character of the kitchen was not forgotten, rather it was re-newed!!   

As an option to moving our client approached us with a challenge to offer an idea of modernizing his home that was last renovated in the early 1980's. During our feasibility study, we discovered voids within the walls and unnecessarily large build outs that interrupted the flow and were just ugly. Cierno suggested that each be eliminated as there was no function at all. Seeing our schematic drawing of his space without these intruding eyesores, our client decided to initiate a full blown renovation.  Before design, we demolished and opened up the entire space and what was recovered was beautiful, structural iron beams that ran from floor to ceiling. This rare find became the center of his space and the feature of our design. Cierno Designs planned, built-out and designed the space.   

Another of NYC's neighborhoods Renaissance. The famed Financial District of Manhattan has morphed into a great place to live and better still, the buildings are old, historic and were BANKS! Cierno Designs was fortunate enough to assist our client with the transition of living (but still working) downtown and design a small yet functional space.  

 The ground floor of a 20th century warehouse in downtown Manhattan was chosen for the canvas for a proposed restaurant where the design is meant to offer its patrons a dish of what "downtown" used the be - "black and raw". With the concept of history intertwined with modernism as the primary design intent, the existing architectural language of the space was not altered. The design pays homage to the rawness of the space by gently working harmoniously with a strict column grid. Focusing on the strong orthogonal feel of the space, subtle design decisions such as a skeleton ceiling grid, row configuration of the tables and playful design of the large back window creatively weave modernism into a very old and vast space.