Tour this Greenwich Village duplex!    (Photo: Carlos Emilio)

Three designers working on one house could be two too many. Luckily, however, architect sisters Gisue Hariri and Mojgan Hariri (of Hariri & Hariri Architecture) and product designer Michael Aram were able to give his 1,800-square-foot Greenwich Village duplex the best of all their worlds. "He wanted a home that would double as a gallery," Gisue explains. Aram brought to the table a profusion of objects: his own lyrical, high-shine designs as well as a collection of ancient, expressive Indian sculpture. The Hariris brought a commitment to modernism that included many of the same materials: metal, stone, ebonized wood, plus the urban addition of Lexan, a translucent plastic, which they used for stairs and walls. "We were excited by the idea that Michael also lives in India, and that the craft and the culture of India would be present within this very Manhattan scene," Gisue says. His objects affected their work -- creating display spaces that seem to rise naturally from floors and walls -- but theirs also affected his. "His work for the apartment became more simple, more minimal," she says. "It lends itself to the way our architecture is -- you see India and New York together."

Photo Gallery! Tour this Greenwich Village duplex>>>

Related:

• Archive: “Cover Story”
• Articles by Wendy Goodman
• Table of Contents: October 14, 2002 issue of New York | Subscribe!