Ember Studio’s debut project, Crosby Street Apartment, transforms a SoHo residence into a serene refuge in the heart of New York City, inspired by a watercolour painted by the studio’s founder.
What began as a simple, friendly gesture—a hand-painted watercolour business card gifted to family friends before their wedding—became the guiding inspiration for North American interior design practice Ember Studio‘s debut project. That same watercolour by founder Stephanie Betesh, which informed the couple’s invitations in Utah, shaped the design of their newly purchased Crosby Street loft, resulting in a home that feels calm, intimate and quietly layered—a retreat from the city’s bustle without feeling removed from it.
From the outset, the apartment orchestrates light and shadow to create a subtle, shifting atmosphere. Dramatic arched doors in reclaimed timber guide the entry hallway toward the heart of the home, where a recessed niche with soft cove lighting illuminates a built-in console topped with a Floris Wubben mirror.
Beyond the hallway, 11-foot floor-to-ceiling windows flood the kitchen, dining and living areas with natural light, allowing daylight to animate the home’s neutral palette. To address the loft’s spatial demands, spaces are tucked behind alcoves. Off the dining area, a versatile office doubles as a guest bedroom, concealed behind sliding slatted oak doors and fitted with a fold-down Murphy bed, combining flexibility and texture without disrupting the flow.
Throughout the apartment, every material and object is chosen for its presence and texture. White oak millwork anchors the interiors, while hand-applied Bauwerk Colour limewash and artisanal plaster lend walls a quiet depth. Vintage furnishings, sourced from small-town fairs, sit comfortably alongside bespoke pieces by independent makers, creating interiors that feel quietly collected over time rather than deliberately assembled.
The apartment’s design uses light and shadow across limewashed walls to highlight the textural warmth of white oak millwork, subtly shifting the atmosphere to suit each space.
Throughout the interiors, hand-applied Bauwerk Colour limewash in ‘Reflection‘ creates a warm, tactile backdrop. In the kitchen, white oak cabinetry seamlessly transitions into the dining and living areas, anchored by oak finishes and crafted for everyday family life.
“Every object has a unique history or tells a story from a point throughout the process, whether it’s an art piece I found on a spontaneous trip to Mexico or a custom ceramic pendant made by a friend,” Betesh says. “This unexpected mix has kept me on my toes—I searched for objects, art or ways to incorporate makers into the space that otherwise would not have had the opportunity.”
The private spaces continue this attention to craft and materiality. The primary suite is quietly refined, its bathroom centred around a custom white oak vanity topped with Moon Grey limestone and paired with sculptural basins carved from a single block of Italian stone. Hand-trowelled Marmorino plaster softens the space, while a dropped oak ceiling above the shower and bathtub adds warmth and enclosure. The bedroom embraces a darker, moodier palette, while the nursery provides a lighter, more playful counterpoint. Here, a hand-painted mural by visual artist Rebecca Major faces framed pressed flowers.
Ember Studio’s Crosby Street Apartment is a home realised in every detail; its layered textures, material integrity, and spatial poise leave no corner unfinished, offering a quiet, resolute intimacy that lingers once the door closes and the city hums beyond.
Oak Belgian brutalist armchairs surround a Yucca Stuff dining table illuminated by an Atelier 001 pendant, while custom slatted oak doors behind slide on a concealed track to enclose the office and guest bedroom.
Layers of vintage finds and independent makers’ pieces enrich the apartment’s minimalist architectural framework.
A bespoke oak vanity is topped with Moon Grey limestone and carved stone basins imported from Italy.
The ensuite features hand-trowelled Marmorino plaster walls and a white oak–clad dropped ceiling above the shower and bath, accessed through reclaimed wood doors that lend a sense of permanence and scale.
In the primary suite, Poppy Seed by Bauwerk Colour covers the walls.
A hand-painted mural by Rebecca Major personalises the nursery, paired with framed pressed flowers and reclaimed timber.
The guest room doubles as an office, hidden behind custom slatted oak doors and fitted with a fold-down Murphy bed, complete with white oak shelving and concealed joinery.
