Author: markholmquistarchitect

Workplace Interiors For decades, workplace interiors were designed primarily around efficiency. Uniform lighting, open workstation grids, hard surfaces, and highly standardized layouts reflected a corporate culture focused on supervision, density, and productivity above all else. That model increasingly feels out of step with how people actually want to work. The shift is not simply the […]

Walk into certain rooms and you know immediately that they are special. The feeling arrives before you’ve noticed the furniture. Before you’ve admired the artwork. Before you’ve run your hand across a stone countertop or settled into a comfortable chair. The room itself makes an impression. Most people assume this sensation is the result of […]

The Glamorous Bathroom: Luxury, Ritual, and Renovating in a New York Co-op In many luxury bathroom renovation projects in Manhattan, the goal is less about excess than comfort, atmosphere, and ritual. There is a memorable scene in Butterfield 8 in which Elizabeth Taylor wanders through Dina Merrill’s elegant Upper East Side apartment, pausing in admiration […]

Most New York apartment renovations feel like a series of small decisions. Finishes, fixtures, layouts, details—each one presented as equally important. The process can quickly become overwhelming, not because it’s complex, but because everything is given the same weight. In reality, a handful of early decisions shape almost everything that follows. They’re often made quietly, […]

NYC apartment design often begins with decisions about kitchens, finishes, and layouts. Where should the island go? What flooring feels right? How can we add more storage? It feels practical—but it’s also backwards. Before any of that, there’s a more fundamental question:how should a New York apartment actually be understood before it’s designed? New York […]

Sustainable architecture is often reduced to technology — solar panels, high-performance insulation, efficient mechanical systems. Those elements matter. But true sustainability goes deeper. I think of sustainable architecture as designing spaces that function with energy efficiency and feel vibrant in their connection to the environment. It includes reducing operational energy — heating, cooling, lighting — […]

Introduction Accent doors in interior design are a timeless design strategy. From the front doors lining Dublin’s Merion Square to Diana Vreeland’s famously lacquered red door, accent doors have long been iconic interior design statements. Even the opening sequence of Funny Face—set inside a Manhattan fashion magazine—understands the power of a door as a moment […]

If you’re considering a remodel of your New York apartment—whether it’s a Manhattan condo or a historic Brooklyn co-op—you already know it’s not like renovating anywhere else. Boards, permits, and century-old buildings make the process challenging. But with the right plan and the right architect, those challenges turn into opportunities to create a home that’s […]

When most people think of New York City residential design, they picture iconic brownstones, Beaux-Arts mansions, or gleaming glass towers. Yet tucked into Manhattan’s grid are some of the most fascinating modern townhouses—homes that between 1900 and 1978 rewrote the rules of what a townhouse could be. These are not just houses; they’re bold architectural […]

Residential interiors are moving away from cold minimalism and toward spaces that feel warmer, more tactile, and more connected to daily life. In contemporary residential architecture, particularly in New York City apartment renovations, there is a growing emphasis on layered materials, varied textures, and interiors that feel visually rich without becoming overly decorative. Rather than […]