City Living
Author:Lindsey ShookDesigner Ashi Waliany of Cusp Interiors infuses an apartment inside The Avery with color and soul
“In my designs, I like to take you to where glamor and high-style are approachable and comfortable, where luxury and children can live under the same roof, and where modern spaces can successfully evoke a sense of the past,” says Ashi Waliany, founder and principal designer of Cusp Interiors. Inside an apartment in one of San Francisco’s newest high-rise buildings known as The Avery, Waliany used her philosophy to curate a colorful, layered design for a retired couple and their daughter. “They live in Menlo Park and have always been intrigued by San Francisco city living,” she notes. “When their daughter started working at Salesforce, that intrigue turned into action and they started their search for a quintessential city pied-à-terre.”
The 1,800-square-foot apartment gave the couple an opportunity to showcase their appreciation for modern design and the sweeping city views. “Their home in Menlo Park skewed more traditional and they wanted their city condo to have the contemporary flair they would imagine for a luxury high-rise building in downtown San Francisco,” Waliany recalls. “They wanted to frame their incredible views, so the heights of furniture pieces and colors were dictated by the outside surroundings.”
Aside from sophistication and comfort, the clients’ number one request was walking into a space that instantly made them feel happy. “A neutral palette with a bold blue sofa was their initial thought, which is not how it ended,” she exclaims. “I saw the space could handle additional doses of color for balance and interest and made suggestions along the way for adding more color.” This resulted in an effortless marriage of blue hues paired with berry jewel tones, olive greens mixed with rust and pinks grounded by rich walnut topped with brass and chrome accents.
To add a personal touch in the den Waliany hung photography of Africa snapped by the father and daughter who are avid photographers. “We saturated the walls in a deep olive green reminiscent of foliage, paired the custom sectional with rich toned wood side tables, added lighting with ethnic inspired prints, and used their photography of the Big Five as the artwork throughout,” she remarks. “Adding personal treasures and antiques gives a space a heartbeat. Our designs are rooted in the people who live there and it’s important to me to ensure that is reflected.” And this apartment demonstrates Waliany’s true consideration of not just the family’s personality but her own perspective.