For any resident of New York City, the real estate journey from a cramped, walk-up starter apartment to an ideal, long-term home is a long, winding path defined by compromise and gradual upgrades. Along the way, city dwellers check off amenities that are taken entirely for granted elsewhere, holding out until they finally land in the space they first imagined when they arrived in town. In your very first home, you are fortunate if the building simply features a working elevator. In your next apartment, you hope for the luxury of a dishwasher or central air conditioning. Subsequent moves might bring upgraded storage options or, for the exceptionally lucky, a sliver of private outdoor space. The quintessential "I’ve made it in this town" dream home, however, combines all of those elements into a single address—with the ultimate crowning achievement of urban real estate: dedicated parking.
For high-end fashion designer Brian Atwood and emergency medicine physician Dr. Jake Deutsch, this arduous New York City apartment journey ultimately culminated in a sprawling 4,000-square-foot duplex in West Chelsea. Complete with a terrace spanning half that size—measuring a massive 2,200 square feet—and overlooking Manhattan’s iconic High Line, the residence checks every single item on their wish list and leaves room for plenty more. "It’s our big, grownup apartment," Atwood says of the newly completed dwelling.
The path to this striking urban sanctuary involved several moves across Manhattan. Atwood, who launched his career designing luxury accessories for Versace before establishing his own high-glam eponymous shoe brand, and Deutsch, who trained in emergency medicine and founded the longevity and medical concierge clinic Oakwood Precision Medicine, previously lived together in SoHo and later in Hudson Yards. When their real estate advisor presented them with architectural renderings of the West Chelsea building while it was still under construction, the couple immediately recognized an opportunity to build a residence tailored precisely to their lifestyle.
"We could see that this was going to be the ultimate entertaining home," says Deutsch. "And that’s really what we love to do." The couple officially closed on the property in 2024 and wrapped up an extensive renovation project last November. "We really wanted to create a space that was versatile and luxurious, masculine and sexy. We wanted it to reflect our personal style," Deutsch explains.
To help bring their ambitious vision to life, Atwood and Deutsch enlisted architect Maurizio Bianchi Mattioli of Studio MBM. "They basically gave me carte blanche," Bianchi Mattioli recalls of the initial collaboration. "The space itself was fairly simple and linear." Rather than viewing the layout as a blank slate without character, the architect saw an ideal opportunity to craft a series of dynamic, architecturally engaging moments designed to guide the couple and their guests naturally through the expansive residence.
The design process began with the grand stairwell, intended to connect the upper-level living and dining areas to the lower-level bedrooms and media room. Both owners agreed that the stairs needed to serve as a showstopping centerpiece. "In our first meeting with Maurizio, I just said it needs to be ‘Wow,’" Atwood remembers.
Bianchi Mattioli responded by transforming what would have been a standard structural void with a basic metal railing into a dramatic, curved portal clad in rich Corvetto marble sourced from Ann Sacks. The marble features dynamic veins and striations that the architect meticulously aligned so that the natural patterns flow almost seamlessly across the surfaces. "I feel like it’s a satellite view of the earth," Atwood notes. The custom-designed handrail was engineered to double as an integrated light source, casting a warm glow that accentuates the stone’s intricate details. Greeting visitors at the bottom of the staircase is a vintage print of a photograph by Chris Von Wangenheim from a 1970s Dior advertising campaign.
"It kind of set the tone for the whole space," Atwood says. "The entire project could have been called Project Wow."
With the tone established, the trio set about developing distinct architectural moments throughout the duplex, creating separate yet interconnected spaces intended for everyday use. "Every square inch and the way that it’s laid out is so functional that we get to utilize all of the apartment," says Deutsch.
Extending from the main entrance and wrapping around to the open-plan living area, Bianchi Mattioli constructed a custom washed zinc wall that adds tactile texture while reflecting the abundant natural light pouring in from the terrace. The living room features a carefully curated mix of pieces from Atwood’s extensive vintage collection—including a mirrored screen, Romeo Rega side chairs, and a Stilnovo tripod lamp—alongside contemporary designs like metal and leather chairs from Prototype, a fourteen-foot-long sofa by Estudio Persona, and custom elements by Bianchi Mattioli, such as the plush area rug. The generous proportions of the room easily accommodated two glass and metal Alanda coffee tables by B&B Italia.
The open dining area sits opposite the living room and is anchored by a custom resin bar designed by Bianchi Mattioli that illuminates the space after dark, performing triple duty as a striking art piece, a functional light source, and practical storage. The dining table is by Sanayi 313, a glass chair is sourced from Germans Ermics, and the surrounding artwork is by Matthew Chambers. The couple’s two Golden Retrievers, Ti and Zeff, frequently make themselves at home in the space as well.
In the eat-in kitchen, Bianchi Mattioli played off the sharp angles where the corners meet by dropping in a curved, elongated banquette with blond wood beadboard that conceals clever extra storage. Eschewing traditional paint or wallpaper, the design team commissioned Mexico-based painter Rafael Uriegas to create a sweeping custom mural across the walls and ceiling. The artist insisted on staying at the property during its final construction phase, sleeping on a basic mattress in the guest bedroom for a week while he worked around the clock.
"We had a mattress in the guest bedroom and that was it," Deutsch recalls. "We’d come in and there’d be a bottle of red wine and a cigarette, and he’d been working through the night. We just gave him the liberty to do his thing and it’s spectacular." Atwood proudly refers to Uriegas as their "artist in residence." In a display of couture-level attention to detail, Uriegas also painted the physical frame and provided a digital image file for the television mounted over the kitchen counter so that the mural remains completely uninterrupted when the screen is not in use. The kitchen table is by Joris Poggioli, paired with a chair by Thomas Defour.
Downstairs in the home office, where Atwood works and showcases his vast collection of fashion books, Bianchi Mattioli found another opportunity to highlight the building’s unique structural angles. German designer Frederik Fialin was commissioned to engineer a custom shelving system that fits precisely inside the space, spanning evenly across the window to create the immersive feeling of a room within a room. The surgical-grade stainless-steel bookshelves stand in striking contrast against lacquered black walls and ceilings. A desk by Arhaus allows the vibrant, colorful spines of the books to bounce and reflect throughout the room, which also features a sculptural paper bust by artist Li Hong Bo.
The primary bedroom suite maintains the home’s sophisticated, masculine palette. "We really wanted everything to feel very integrated in the bedroom," Bianchi Mattioli explains, "but also very masculine and strong." To achieve this, the team built a custom bed and headboard spanning the entire length of the room. The headboard panels feature woven leather reminiscent of Bottega Veneta’s signature intrecciato technique. Matching the aesthetic of the grand staircase, the nightstands are crafted from Corvetto marble, while silk carpeting and a dark blue stain on the wood walls introduce textural softness. A vintage Serge Mouille lamp from Atwood’s personal collection hangs above the bed, a placement inspired by a famous historic photograph of the same lamp positioned over a bed by Mattia Bonetti and Elizabeth Garouste. A framed jockstrap from the Versace Fall 2014 runway hangs nearby.
Given Atwood’s career in fashion and the couple’s shared passion for apparel, they dedicated a prominent area to storing and displaying their wardrobe. Taking over what would have been the primary bedroom’s seating area, they installed a custom closet system by Ornare that acts as a glamorous entry foyer to the bedroom. The closet doors function as full-length mirrors when the interior lights are switched off, and transform into illuminated display cases when turned on. Lighting design throughout the entire residence was executed by Sarah McElroy of Silver Shoe Design, whose portfolio includes retail flagships for Proenza Schouler and RE/DONE. A custom carpet designed by Bianchi Mattioli and fabricated by Sacco flows seamlessly from the media room through the dressing area and into the primary bedroom.
Even the ceilings on the upper level presented an architectural opportunity. The original construction haphazardly concealed ductwork and mechanical systems behind varying heights of drywall. Bianchi Mattioli smoothed out the planes, creating a cascading overhead effect that shifts from low to high as one moves from the apartment entrance toward the terrace. He then inverted this design concept on the terrace floor itself, starting low near the threshold and introducing tiered patio levels extending outward toward the perimeter.
Out on the expansive 2,200-square-foot terrace, the team intentionally placed the living, dining, and kitchen zones opposite their interior counterparts, ensuring residents at the indoor dining table are not simply looking out at another identical layout. Deutsch, an avid gardener, collaborated with landscape firm Manscapers to incorporate boxwoods, evergreen trees, and hydrangeas to frame each distinct outdoor zone. "I wanted things that would also look good in the winter," he notes. The terrace also features a custom pergola by Azenco equipped with motorized louvers, a pouf by La Double J, and a vintage loveseat by John Salterini.
To furnish the interior, the couple brought along very few items from their previous residence, retaining only their dining table chairs. Almost everything else was purchased specifically for the space or retrieved from Atwood’s Milan storage unit, which held years of accumulated vintage design objects. "Jake calls it luxury hoarding," Atwood jokes about the vintage furniture, fashion books, and photography he has amassed over the decades. A robust collection of iconic fashion photography spans every room in the duplex, featuring works by renowned artists such as Herb Ritts, Bob Richardson, Steven Klein, and Chris Von Wangenheim.
Reflecting on the completed project, Atwood and Deutsch feel they have successfully realized their vision for a permanent urban home. For Deutsch, whose medical practice centers on wellness and longevity, the finished residence represents the culmination of a long personal and creative search. "For me, as a doctor focused on longevity, I look for things to be harmonious," he says. "The home is a cultivation of all those ideas and passions." And, naturally, it came with the parking space.
