Design by Robert Passal
Photography by Stephen Kent Johnson and Joshua McHugh (kitchen)
They don’t call Robert Passal “the Mix Master” for nothing. The 49[CHECK]-year-old interior designer, known for doing the residences of New York Yankees Jorge Posada and Alex Rodriguez and other luminaries, loves to mix eras, styles and colors in ways that are unexpected but not discordant. And there’s another kind of mixing too. Passal blends his highly individual aesthetic with the client’s own personality and needs, living up to his firm’s motto: “Make It Personal.”
So when friends of Passal’s—a New Jersey native and one of the area’s top real estate brokers along with her South African husband—asked him to design their apartment’s interior, it was bound to end up with their own imprint as well as the designer’s. Happily, they were collectors, and they’d gathered intriguing items that were just waiting to be deployed with a knowledgeable eye.
Passal’s transformation of the 2,000-square-foot space begins in the living room, where vintage meets contemporary under a kaleidoscope of colors. Curtains and antique armchairs of light blue combine with a coral Oushak rug to give “a pop of unexpected color,” he says. A collection of shapes and motifs from different countries and periods, highlighted by an 18th-century Louis XIV chest, makes a harmonious whole.
In the kitchen, a statuary marble island with an attached circular dining table is the centerpiece. Its design, Passal explains, is meant to soften a space that’s necessarily long on squared custom cabinetry and stainless steel appliances. Window details such as a hand-carved mirror and a contemporary Roman shade “create a bit of a hip country vibe,” he says.
The couple’s antique American portraits, abstract paintings and other murals hang throughout the home, with a large collection assembled “Parisian salon style” inside the study/family room. That room is Passal’s interpretation of a man cave, and its custom seating, vintage decorations, accent pillows and rich, deep hues were inspired by men’s couture. “Just as in men’s fashion, it’s the layers that create the interest and understated luxury,” says the designer. The chocolate-colored walls are “incredibly soothing, creating a cocoon-like atmosphere and a perfect place to watch television, read or just stretch out and relax.”
The master bedroom is truly a personalized space. The patterned wall covering evokes the client’s South African heritage, while a 19th century Venetian chair and an antique secretary desk from the homeowner’s collection were refurbished for their new roles here. These items pair with an “acidic” yellow bed that was specially designed for the room.
“I find it essential to incorporate the true personality and history of my clients in their space,” Passal says. “When we’re through with our projects, they’re the ones who will experience their home every day. It needs to reflect them on every level.”