"Nothing is really standard," says developer Miki Naftali, with
the slightest hint of disdain for the word. "Everything is custom and unique."
He’s speaking of the Residences at the Plaza, the recently renovated ultrachic private apartments (85 percent sold at
press time) in the legendary Plaza Hotel on New York’s Central Park. In addition
to the 182 Residences are 152 pieds-à-terre, hotel-condominiums that
function at times as hotel rooms. Naftali, who bought the 1907 landmark in April
2005, hired GNA Architects (of New York and Tel Aviv) to revamp and re-outfit it
from ground level to penthouse. It was a historic opportunity, he says. "It took
only one day to make a decision and negotiate the terms. I loved the location,
the tradition—everything the Plaza symbolizes."
 New York’s Plaza Hotel will open in November after
a $350 million makeover, in which many hotel rooms were converted into private
apartments. To help inspire potential buyers, two model apartments were
outfitted in furnishings from the Couture line of the Versace Home Collection.
Right: The living/dining area of the two-bedroom. (Click image to enlarge)
Without question, the allure of location alone was enough, but
Naftali decided to ramp up the desire quotient by offering prospective buyers
two model apartments to salivate over. When it came to a designer, only one name
was ever considered: Versace. "On the one hand, we’re restoring the tradition of
The Plaza," says the 45-year-old president of Elad Properties. "On the other, we
wanted a touch of new, but timeless, design."
The model Residences are luxuriously appointed in Versace
Home’s 2007 Couture line of furnishings. "We were obviously impressed by the
grand atmosphere one breathes inside this historic hotel," says Roberto Silva,
director of Versace Home Design. "You get the same impact when you visit via
Gesù 12 in Milan because you can feel that the building has a story to
tell."
 While the two-bedroom model has a modern bent, the
one-bedroom has a decidedly more Neoclassical air, with light tones and
touches of symmetry. "For the smaller model, we chose to use only cream for the
furniture and the lacquered table tops," says Roberto Silva, director of Versace
Home Design. "The seating has a silver leaf finish, there are touches of
gold in the porcelain and an amber crystal chandelier warms the room." (Click image to enlarge)
Versace Home tells the Plaza’s story largely in black and
white, and with a mixture of modern and Neoclassical furniture. In the
two-bedroom model (2,656 square feet), this is most dramatically illustrated in
the black-walled den/media room. With its black-lacquer Shadow desk and white
leather furnishings (a sleek Unique chaise embossed with a Greek key motif, a
1970s-vibe swivel chair), it is the epitome of cool elegance. The living/dining
room hews to a modern aesthetic in the furnishings (leather Couture sofas,
Unique coffee tables), but it is accessorized with opulent amber crystal
chandeliers. The one bedroom (1,212 square feet) has a more Neoclassical cast
and creamier tones. Bedrooms in both mix it up, with silver-leafed Vanitas and
Pasha beds and silk duvets.
 The den/media room of the two-bedroom is made
dramatic with black and white. The dark walls are offset by the Maia swivel
chair and the Unique chaise covered in white leather bearing the Versace logo.
"We have pushed the contrast between black and white to the maximum in this
room," notes Silva. "The silky black walls are highlighted by the white
moldings, and the desk is in black lacquer to emphasize the cozy atmosphere." (Click image to enlarge)
All this is set against the clean, classic, whitewashed
architecture of the apartments, handwoven silk-and-wool rugs, and paintings,
photography and sculpture by an international roster of emerging artists. Hints
of Plaza history come in the form of discreet details: bathrooms with Sicis
mosaic floors that trace a design lifted from the 59th Street lobby and double
"P" monograms on all the doorknobs. And, of course, there’s state-of-the-art
technology, namely a touch-panel Concierge Direct system for room controls and a
variety of concierge services.
The Residences, which include four duplex penthouses and one
triplex penthouse, are defined by grand rooms with sweeping views, high
ceilings, lush materials that echo those in the lobby and original detailing—all
part of the Plaza’s $350 million top-to-bottom overhaul in honor of its
centennial and designed to recall its original glamour. Residents will have
their own private entrance on Central Park South and will enjoy the full range
of hotel amenities and services.
Naturally, the decor is not "standard." But Tom Maccani, the home manager at
Versace’s New York offices a couple of blocks away, will work with clients and
the Milan office to customize any room (or rooms) upon request.
Plaza Residences (780
to 5,613 square feet) start at $2.5 million.
Managed pieds-à-terre (500 to
2,100 square feet), which are leased back to the hotel part of the year, start
at $1.6 million. 212.588.8000, www.theplazaresidences.com
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