NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

Walking around designer Gabriel Hendifar's Big Apple apartment is a sensorial experience the materials evoking a refined sumptuousness

- EMMA J PAGE

The New York dream' is how Gabriel Hendifar, founder of lighting and furniture design studio Apparatus, describes living in an apartment block in Lower Manhattan's NoHo, and having tried much of what the city has to offer, from industrial lofts to classic brownstones, he should know.

However, like most dreams, there have been some unexpected twists and turns. Gabriel, first-generation American born to Iranian parents, moved here with his former partner, but shortly afterwards their relationship ended and Gabriel found himself flying solo. 'When you share a home you learn to negotiate the space together,' he says. "This time, I allowed myself to follow my instinct and indulge - even if that meant experimenting with mohair flooring and wall panelling. It was an opportunity to be a little eccentric.