Leyden Lewis, the founder of Leyden Lewis Design Studio and a Parsons School of Design alumnus, is an acclaimed architectural designer and fine artist residing in Brooklyn, New York. He has been creating lyrical and culturally sensitive environments in the United States and worldwide for the past three decades. He comes from a diverse background, including “Trinidad and Tobago’s culturally rich Caribbean heritage, urban sophistication, and classical European Modernism.”
Leyden Lewis Design Studio has been named one of the top 125 designers globally by Elle Decor in 2019 and 2020 and has appeared in Architectural Digest, New York Magazine, and several television shows. “Through the process of creative alchemy, we bridge the worlds of art, architecture, design, and performance, often seen as distinct practices, resulting in environments that are timeless, poetic, and meaningful to our clients, who unavoidably become our collaborators,” (Leyden Lewis Design Studio, 2021) he claims.
Leyden Lewis specializes in interior design, architecture, development, art consultancy, feasibility studies, decoration, and lighting design. Ten of his noteworthy projects in the high-end residential, commercial, and exhibition sectors are listed below.
1. Fifth Avenue at 83rd Street Residence
Location: Kips Bay, New York
Project Year: 2009
The Leyden Lewis’ “Ghost” screen, composed of sheet silicone and lacquered steel, conducts ambient light in this art-filled room. It sits atop a red leather herringbone floor, which gives it a feather-light appearance. Ulf Moritz’s cotton and woven rubber cover Lewis Klismos’ chair. The impressionistic composition is made up of an eclectic combination of furniture and paintings.
“A Jean Royere curved sofa from the 1940s, a 1930s Modernist rug, a Scottish Arts and Crafts runner, a 1960s Swedish-modern African-inspired slipper chair, a Tony Whitfield coffee table, a contemporary Japanese ceramic vase classically placed on an Art Deco pedestal, and a Manuel Neri sculpture positioned on the original 19th-century fireplace are just a few of the elements.” (Leyden Lewis Design Studio, 2015).
2. 7th Street and Avenue C Residence
Location: Manhattan, New York
Project Year: 2010
This residential project by Leyden Lewis Design Studio is an excellent example of a modern home design. The staircase leads to the upper-level master suite and is made of waxed leather and wooden treads supported by an oxidized steel spine. On the upper level of this Lower East Side duplex loft, the “wall-as-door” creates a private workspace.
3. 59th Street, Columbus Circle Residence
Location: One Central Park West, New York
Project Year: 2010
In Columbus’ busy circle, Leyden Lewis Design Studio created this modest apartment at the Trump International Hotel and Tower. The client, a close friend of Leyden Lewis, desired a contemporary and modern style for his home. The dining niche within the living space is defined by the creamy lacquered canopy, surrounded by Warren Platner and Jack Lenor Larsen’s furniture.
The sculptor Donald Judd inspired the unique built-in shelves. The seating space is defined by the illumination of the lacquered canopy and drapes. Rogers and Goffigon’s pale pumice-coloured silk is used to make upholstered wall panels that soften the room’s visual and aural experience.
4. Fifth Avenue at 84th Street Residence
Location: Museum Mile, New York
Project Year: 2011
This Leyden Lewis Design Studio’s residential project is an embodiment of minimalism in architecture and interior design. “Ebonized wooden flooring and pearlized walls surround Lyle Ashton Harris’ “Blue Billy” and Karl Klingbiel’s sumptuous and ephemeral painting in the entry foyer beyond.” (Leyden Lewis Design Studio, 2015)
5. Prospect Park West Residence
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Project Year: 2013
Pocket doors, made of bronze-clad steel with textured glass, frame access to the apartment’s entry foyer from the dining room, finished with untanned leather flooring. Two Alexander Loge’s cast bronze benches, with horsehair upholstery, flank the entry door. This home’s kitchen features quartzite countertops, bleached anigre wood perimeter cabinetry, and a cream satin lacquer peninsula. A Jeff Goodman handcrafted chandelier anchors the curved form.
The Prospect Park West Residence, bathed in golden hues, creates a unique, high-end atmosphere. The fireplace’s modernist sculptural design harkens back to the building’s 1930s origins, and the three choreographed curves, concrete troweled by hand, create the resulting dynamism.
6. 100 United Nations Plaza Residence
Location: Manhattan, New York
Project Year: 2013
The use of reclaimed herringbone oak flooring throughout this art gallery-inspired apartment, featured in New York Magazine, is one of the primary design aspects. The dining area serves as the apartment’s fulcrum. It is where the living room, office, and kitchen all come together, and all of the eating activities take place. Furthermore, for a seamless aesthetic, the lighting fixtures are fully integrated and semi-recessed into the ceiling.
The UN Plaza Residence’s interior is, to put it simply, a work of art. “This project is where my love of contemporary art, architecture, and high-quality workmanship form a delightful pied-à-terre for my South African clients,” says Leyden Lewis.
7. Façade Design
Location: United States of America\
Project Year: 2017
The Leyden Lewis Design Studio has undertaken various façade design projects involving conceptualization, fabrication, and installation.
8. Williamsburg Residence
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Project Year: 2019
The idea behind this makeover was to highlight ‘art’ as a key determinant of ambience. A West Elm sofa divides the living room, which sits underneath Ricardo Gonzalez’s painting. Anthony Whitfield handcrafted the coffee table, Vico Magistretti designed the armchair, while Axel Schultes designed the pendant lamp.
9. Black Artists + Designers Guild (BA+DG) Dining by Design
Location: United States of America
Project Year: 2019
The BA+DG Dining Room is a stellar example of Leyden Lewis’ passion for art. The lovely dining room, painted in a rainbow of colours, exemplifies how much Leyden enjoys making something simply exquisite.
10. Beyond the Mask Exhibition
Location: Plant Seven, High Point, North Carolina
Project Year: 2019
The exhibition “Beyond the Mask: narrative in Black Art and Design” was held in conjunction with the High Point Market trade event and featured the work of various members of the Black Artists + Designers Guild (BA + DG). It was a remarkable presentation of Leyden Lewis’ creative process, including how he thinks, creates art, and designs these incredible environments.
References
[1] Cohen, E., 2021. 10 Questions With… Leyden Lewis. [Online] Available at: https://interiordesign.net/designwire/10-questions-with-leyden-lewis/ [Accessed 31 August 2021].
[2] Galerie Editors, 2021. Galerie. [Online] Available at: https://www.galeriemagazine.com/leyden-lewis/ [Accessed 3 September 2021].
[3] Houzz, 2021. Leyden Lewis Design Studio. [Online] Available at: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/interior-designers-and-decorators/leyden-lewis-design-studio-pfvwus-pf~1200190524 [Accessed 3 September 2021].
[4] Leyden Lewis Design Studio, 2015. Issuu. [Online] Available at: https://issuu.com/leydenlewisdesignstudio/docs/leyden_lewis_design_studio_lookbook [Accessed 3 September 2021].
[5] Leyden Lewis Design Studio, 2021. About. [Online] Available at: https://www.leydenlewis.com/about [Accessed 2 September 2021].