The unexpected things in architect Steven Harris’s own New York home reveal a deeply personal approach to architecture, where family histories, collected objects and an appreciation for how others see the world shape a Tribeca loft. Located in Manhattan, the New York apartment belongs to Steven Harris and Lucien Rees Roberts, whose respective practices, Steven Harris Architects and Rees Roberts + Partners, have helped shape its architecture and interior design. For Harris, Tribeca has long been home, dating back to a time when the neighbourhood was markedly different from the destination it is today.
Though conceived within a loft, the apartment is relatively modest by New York loft standards. This informed the design of the living room as what Harris describes as the “one perfect room”, with the remaining spaces following behind it. Throughout the house, personal objects reveal layers of family history. Portraits by Lucien Rees Roberts’s mother sit alongside his grandmother’s 17th-century English gateleg table and an easel originally made for his grandfather. Still used for portrait sittings, the easel occupies a position selected for its natural light.
These collected pieces are central to the unexpected things in architect Steven Harris’s own New York home. Rather than presenting the loft as a pristine architectural composition, the home tour reveals rooms animated by books, art, photographs and objects acquired over time. A small head purchased at auction, later discovered to carry a Renoir signature, reflects Harris’s belief in the importance of how things are seen rather than simply who created them.
The dining room and library further demonstrate this sensibility. Combining the two allows books to become part of the experience of gathering, giving those seated at the table something to discover, revisit or discuss. The table itself has neither a defined head nor foot, making it adaptable to different numbers of guests and creating an informal alternative to the conventional dining arrangement.
Elsewhere in the apartment tour, architectural interventions are deliberately restrained. A mirrored hallway connecting the library and bedroom brings light into what would otherwise be the darkest part of the New York apartment. In the bedroom, wire-brushed French oak bedside tables echo the living room panelling, while French plaster lamps and a long-held chair upholstered in a graphic Deco-style fabric add further layers of character.
What emerges from the unexpected things in architect Steven Harris’s own New York home is an understanding of design as something accumulated rather than imposed. Architecture provides the framework, but paintings, furniture, family photographs and everyday rituals give the house its identity.
For Harris, visiting an architect’s own home offers an opportunity to understand how another person looks at the world. This Tribeca house tour captures precisely that idea. The unexpected things in architect Steven Harris’s own New York home are not unexpected for novelty alone; they reveal the relationships and memories behind the interior design. In turn, the unexpected things in architect Steven Harris’s own New York home demonstrate how a Manhattan loft can become an intimate portrait of the people who inhabit it.
0:00 – Introduction To Steven Harris’s Own New York Home
1:21 – An Intimate Collection Of Family Treasures
2:14 – Stories Behind The Sculpture Collection
4:08 – Designing An Art-Filled Living Space
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Architecture by Steven Harris Architects.
Interior design by Rees Roberts + Partners.
Filmed and edited by O&Co. Homes.
Production by The Local Production.
Location: New York, New York, United States
The Local Project acknowledges the traditional territories and homelands of the Indigenous peoples in the United States. We recognise the importance of Indigenous peoples in the identity of our respective countries and continuing connections to Country and community. We pay our respect to Elders, past and present, and extend that respect to all Indigenous people of these lands.
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