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When actress Patina Miller and her husband, David Mars, were looking for a new home in New York City, she was clear about the type of space she wanted. “I love the idea of loft living,” says the actor, singer, and two-time Tony Award winner, who most recently won the best-actress award for her role in the revival of Pippin and is currently starring in Power Book III: Raising Kanan on Starz. “I love big open spaces. I need to have light, big windows, and a view, because it really makes a difference in my mood and my well-being.”
Little did the couple know that “the gem” they found—a 3,500-square-foot loft complete with a 500-square-foot terrace in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan—would also need to serve as a soothing, color-saturated, and sun-drenched refuge during the COVID-19 pandemic. The apartment was furnished, decorated, and completed by the interior and architectural firm Evan Edward right before 2020’s lockdown began.
“It saved us—my family, my husband, and our daughter,” Miller says of their newly appointed abode. “Unfortunately, at the height of the pandemic, we all caught COVID. My husband was sick a few days before me, and then our daughter was sick.… Because we had this big open space, we didn’t feel suffocated at a time where it was very [heavy] and you could get suffocated just in the emotion of it all.” The Madam Secretary actress adds: “We really [have] a safe space, a fun space, and a space filled with so much love.”
Inside, the airy loft is filled with modern pieces, curated furnishings, and meaningful objects. “We wanted a specific look and style to the place,” Miller explains. “The biggest thing for us was making sure everything sort of meant something to us. I asked our designers to help us come up with a place that really reflected who we were as a couple, as a family.”
Designers Josh Evan and Michael Edward began the project by creating a primary-bedroom vanity from a steamer trunk that opens into a glam station with a pouf. “Then we started working with her and her husband on the overall loft, and we just were off to the races,” Evan recalls. “We were at our first design meeting, and we showed them a really cool vintage Sputnik chandelier found in Germany. Michael and I behind the scenes kind of went back and forth before the meeting. We were like, ‘Should we show this to them? Should we not?’ And Michael’s like, ‘We’re showing it.' [They] ended up loving it.”
While the loft—complete with exposed brick walls, large metal frames, and a standard sprinkler system—could have felt cold and industrial, Evan created colorfully saturated vignettes for the living and dining areas, as well as the couple’s daughter’s room. “I wanted there to be a through line throughout the entire space,” Miller explains, “so that every [room] would tell a story.”
Floating bookcases in the living room are stacked with beautifully covered publications that range in topic from art to fashion, music, classic literature and more. “I’ve always been a reader, I’ve always loved books,” Miller notes. “We had this dead space in the middle of the room, so why not make it a really cool glam library where my daughter can read books? And we could just kind of do that as a family and chill.”
Another area of interest is the large teal blue circular sectional which Miller calls the Conversation Pit. “I wanted it to be sexy,” Miller says of the adult space, which is crowned by the Sputnik chandelier found on 1stDibs. “[It’s] where the grownups hang without the kids.” The sofas are covered with bright pillows while the cozy rug makes for an equally comfortable perch from which to sip wine.
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As for the dining room, located across from the kitchen, textural elements rule the day. An exposed brick wall with plaster treatment by Ben Lai makes for a dramatic backdrop, while a marble table vintage Verner Panton chairs steal the spotlight. Elsewhere, a work by artist Troy Michie can’t help but captivate. “We’re thrilled [to[ have his work,” Miller says. “It’s a provocative and powerful piece, [and so it] has pride of place.” Miller adds: “My husband and I, we're both art lovers, but he is super into art. We really wanted a lot of [works by Black artists]. It’s important in my home to support.”
Impressive canvases can be seen too in the couple’s daughter’s room, thanks to the inclusion of two Damien Hirst pieces, which help set the tone for the sophisticated space. Throughout the room, spotted wallpaper and plush furniture can’t help but convey a sense of infectious energy. As Edward explains, “We wanted to make it into a fun space for a kid, while keeping it within the language that we’re establishing for the larger space.”
