Symphony Space

In a Gramercy Park townhouse, Robert Couturier brings color and comfort into perfect harmony.

- By Camille Okhio

In the New York townhouse designed by Robert Couturier for the composer and conductor Jonathan Sheffer, friendship and family led the charge. "His needs are all about his children," says Couturier of his client, a father to seven-year-old twin girls. "Jonathan wanted something very easy, but he still needed his aesthetic demands respected, the most important of which was lots of color."

Fortunately, Couturier wasn't starting from scratch-he and Sheffer have been friends for many years. "I first met him through the photographer David Seidner, who was an aesthete of the highest degree," says Couturier, a Parisian now based in New York. He discovered he had much in common with Sheffer, who, among other accomplishments, has conducted numerous film scores, including Interview with the Vampire and A Time to Kill. The two men share many interests and overlapping perspectives (both are gay and Jewish). Over the years, their friendship endured as they witnessed major life shifts, both societally and personally, together and as individuals. "I find Robert to be deeply rewarding company and a great friend," Sheffer says.