MARCO GLANCY
← Interior Design
Sectional cutaway render of the Queen Residence loft showing kitchen, living room, office, and library across two floors.
Two Spaces, One Client · Chelsea, Manhattan

The Queen Residence

Two commissions for the same client, a year apart — a private studio built as an exercise in abstraction, and a full residence built around accessibility. Different problems, same eye.

Julia Queen is an architect and naval historian who came back for a second project after the first: a home for herself, her wife Willemina De Ruyter, and space for family friend Rocco, who uses a wheelchair. Where the studio was a chance to work in metaphor, the residence had to work for three very different bodies and routines, every day.

Part One · The Studio

A room built the way a painting is built.

A private studio for Julia Queen, designed as a spatial response to Vermeer's A Girl Asleep — a painting built entirely around how light falls into a room and what it reveals or leaves in shadow.

The brief was deliberately abstract: no fixed room list, just a study of light, depth, and material. The result splits across a section rather than a floor plan — a bright, open lower level holding the kitchen and living space, and a darker, more private mezzanine above for the office and a small library, linked by sightlines and daylight rather than walls. Exposed brick, blackened steel, and warm oak carry the material story; the household's collection of Richard Avedon photography anchors the double-height living room.

Entrance hallway of the studio with a brick wall, blackened steel volume, and a wood staircase.
Entrance & stair
Dining area of the studio with a concrete kitchen island and exposed brick walls.
Dining, off the kitchen
Office space in the studio with warm oak millwork and city views.
Office & library mezzanine
Part Two · The Apartment

A full residence, built to work for everyone in it.

The following year, Julia Queen returned with a different brief entirely: two apartments joined into one home that had to be fully wheelchair accessible without reading as a clinical space.

Every room in the plan — bedroom, kitchen, dining, living room, guest bedroom — sits on one accessible route, anchored by a foyer and an ADA-compliant bathroom sized to real clearances, not the minimum code. The palette warms up from the studio's industrial materials: red oak flooring, a red feature wall and a Persian rug grounding the living room, all chosen so the accessible bathroom reads as considered rather than bolted on.

Sunset render of the open kitchen, dining table and living area, with warm light across the red oak floor.
Kitchen, dining and living as one roomID118 · PR1 · Spring 2026
01

Three residents, one home

Julia Queen

Resident
Profession
Architect and naval historian
Hobbies
Cooking, listening to music, battleships
Needs
A large kitchen and an open floor plan

Willemina De Ruyter

Resident
Profession
KLM senior purser
Hobbies
Traveling, art, furniture collecting, reading
Needs
Quick-access storage for uniforms and a place to read

Rocco

Family friend
Profession
Cheesemonger
Hobbies
Anything Parmigiano Reggiano
Needs
Wheelchair-accessible spaces
02

California light, brought to New York

Two apartments become one ADA-compliant home for Julia Queen, her wife Willemina, and their friend Rocco, who visits often and uses a wheelchair. Julia is California-based, so the design takes its cue from the Ojai Valley and brings that California light into New York.

References

  1. 01Raw concrete and raking light
  2. 02Clay red block
  3. 03Slate blue brick
  4. 04Ship-like lit corridor
  5. 05Ojai Valley at dusk

The collection · Richard Avedon

Dovima with Elephants, 195527″ × 22″
Mrs. Patrick Guinness15″ × 18″
Brigitte Bardot, 195923″ × 22″
Audrey Hepburn, New York, 196718″ × 24″
Twiggy, Hair, Paris, 196815″ × 24″

Bardot, Hepburn and Twiggy hang together in the living room.

03

Development sketches

Sketch of the accessible bathroom with grab bars and a roll-in shower.
ADA bathroom
Sketch of the living room with sofas, armchairs and a row of framed prints.
Living room
Sketch of the kitchen island with pendant lights.
Kitchen
Sketch of a wall with windows, a low cabinet and a bookshelf.
Window wall
Sketch of the bedroom seen through patterned sliding panels.
Bedroom

Five rooms, first pass

Hand-drawn perspective studies of the rooms the residents use most, from the accessible bath to the bedroom.

04

Space analysis

RoomActivitiesPhysical needsEmotional needsSpatial needsMaterials
Shared rooms
FoyerComing and going, shoes on and offBench for shoes, warm lighting, easy in and outArriving home, warmth, decompressionOpens to the living area, far from the bedroomWarm, durable, waterproof
LivingCelebrating, gathering, socializingSeats 4–6 plus a wheelchair spot; works for twoWarmth, community, gatheringNear the entry, dining, kitchen and second bathDurable, inviting, cost-effective
DiningEating, talking, hanging out over foodTable for 4–6, easy access for less mobile guestsWarm light, comfort, a sense of unityNear the kitchen, living room and common bathDurable, warm in color, sustainable
Bedrooms and laundry
Master bedroomSleeping, dressing, makeup, relaxingBed for two, a dog bed, dressers and closetsComfortable, cozy, dark, homelyFar from common areas; private and quietNo budget cap; comfort comes first
Guest bedroomSleeping, office work, storageCloset, desk, accessible bed with handholdsInviting and cozy, yet good for workEasy to reach from living, entry and common bathDurable flooring; lower spend
LaundryDoing the laundryWasher, dryer and extra storageBright and clean; everything for the chore in one placeSmall; away from the bedroom, but not too farSound dampening comes first
Bathrooms
ADA bathroomBrushing teeth, getting ready, Instagram storiesToilet, sink, mirror, grab bars for less mobile guestsPeaceful and clean, free of stressNear the guest bedroom; reachable from the whole houseADA compliant, but not clinical
Master bathPrivate routines, getting readyRoom for two around sink, toilet and showerClean and calm; a place to relaxAttached to the master bedroom onlyDurable, sustainable, mid-priced
05

How close each room needs to be

The public rooms chain together around the living room; the master suite keeps its distance.

  • Adjacent
  • Near
  • Distant

Adjacent pairs

  1. 01·03Foyer, living
  2. 02·03Laundry, living
  3. 03·04Living, dining
  4. 04·05Dining, kitchen
  5. 06·07Master bed, bath
01Foyer02Laundry03Living room04Dining room05Kitchen06Master bedroom07Master bath08Guest bedroom09Guest bath 010203040506070809
Adjacency matrix
06

Everything meets at the living room

  • Private space
  • Public space
  • Closet
  • Gets sun
  • Major adjacency
  • Minor adjacency
Masterbath Masterbedroom Guestbath Guestbedroom Livingroom Diningroom Kitchen Entrance Closet
Bubble diagram
07

Blocking diagram

Public rooms take the window wall; private rooms and service step down the corridor side.

  • Public
  • Private
  • Entry and service
  • Circulation

Zones follow the footprint of the reflected ceiling plan.

Masterbedroom Traversablespace Kitchen Living anddining room Hall Laundry Master bath Foyer Guest bath Guest bedroom Entry
Blocking diagram
08

Circulation

From the entry, one spine runs west to the master suite and east through the kitchen to the living room, then down the hall to the guest rooms and laundry.

  • Main path
  • Branch into a room
  • Entry
Master bedroom Den Kitchen Living and dining Hall Laundry Master bath Foyer Guest bath Guest bedroom Entry
Circulation diagram
09

Rendered floor plan

Rooms

  1. 01Foyer
  2. 02Kitchen
  3. 03Dining room
  4. 04Living room
  5. 05Master bedroom
  6. 06Master bath
  7. 07ADA bath
  8. 08Guest bedroom
Rendered floor plan: red oak floors, tiled master and ADA baths, a striped rug in the den, a Persian rug under the living room seating, labeled rooms and a graphic scale.
Rendered floor plan · click to enlarge
10

Floor plan

Scale3/16″ = 1′-0″

Open kitchen, dining and living along the window wall; bedrooms and baths step down the corridor side.

Furnished line floor plan with solid walls, room labels and a graphic scale.
Furnished floor plan · click to enlarge
11

Reflected ceiling plan

Scale3/16″ = 1′-0″
9′-0″ AFFTypical ceiling; two 8′-0″ soffits

The key (recessed lights, pendants, ceiling height) is on the drawing.

Reflected ceiling plan with recessed lights, two pendants over the island, ceiling height tags, a key and a graphic scale.
Reflected ceiling plan · click to enlarge
12

ADA bathroom

Scale3/8″ = 1′-0″

Clearances

60″Turning circle diameter
56″ × 60″At the toilet
30″ × 48″At the lavatory
30″ × 60″At the shower
36″Door opening
ADA bathroom plan at 3/8 inch scale with turning circle, clear floor spaces, grab bars, dimensions and a graphic scale.
ADA bathroom plan · click to enlarge
13

Foyer

Intent

A sense of getting home: warmth and decompression.

Finishes
  1. 01Red oak flooring
  2. 06Foyer cabinets
Foyer render: dark wood built-in cabinets with open cubbies, deep green walls and a white door.
Foyer view
Foyer FF&E board: dark wood built-in cabinet, L-shaped bench, white trim, deep olive green paint and oak flooring.
Foyer FF&E
14

Kitchen

Intent

A large kitchen in an open plan, for a resident who loves to cook.

Finishes
  1. 01Red oak flooring
  2. 05Kitchen countertop
Kitchen render: navy island with stone top and stools, black hood over a stone backsplash, pendants and a red feature wall beyond the dining table.
Kitchen view
Kitchen FF&E board: black hood, glass and black pendants, stone countertop, dark stone backsplash tile, pink counter stool, stainless French-door fridge, red Fisher and Paykel range and stainless dishwasher.
Kitchen FF&E
15

Living room

Intent

Warmth, community and gathering, with room for a wheelchair at the table.

Finishes
  1. 03Living room chair
  2. 07Living room couch
  3. 13Main couch
  4. 14Pillow
Living room render: red feature wall, green and charcoal lounge chairs around a wood coffee table on a red rug, black sofa, three Avedon prints on the wall.
Living room view
Living room FF&E board: Persian rug, grey sofa, slab coffee table, side table with desk lamp, mustard lounge chair, navy floor lamp and charcoal loveseat.
Living room FF&E
16

Master bedroom

Intent

Comfortable, cozy, dark and homely: a place to unwind apart from the rest of the house.

Finishes
  1. 01Red oak flooring
  2. 10Wood work against windows
Bedroom render seen through open sliding panels: bed against a terracotta wall, desk and chair, low sun across the floor and a striped red rug.
Bedroom view
Bedroom FF&E board: olive tree, battleship drawing, table lamps, wood desk lamp, platform bed with pink bedding, upholstered chair, oak flooring, cream rug and a white floor lamp.
Bedroom FF&E
17

Long elevation

One continuous wall, from the living room past the kitchen to the bedroom.

Long rendered elevation: living room seating under three framed prints, kitchen with stools, hood and stone backsplash, hallway doors, and the bedroom at the far end.
Living roomKitchenHall and bedroom
18

Physical study model

White foam-board study model seen from the window wall, with four window openings.
Window wall
Study model from above showing the stepped back wall.
Plan view
19

Materials and finishes

Photo of the physical materials board with fifteen numbered samples: wood, tile, stone and upholstery fabrics.
Annotated materials board
  1. 01Red oak flooring
  2. 02ADA bathroom tile
  3. 03Living room chair
  4. 04Pillow covers
  5. 05Kitchen countertop
  6. 06Foyer cabinets
  7. 07Living room couch
  8. 08Pillow covers
  1. 09Master bath tile 1
  2. 10Wood work against windows
  3. 11ADA bathroom tile
  4. 12Pillow covers
  5. 13Main couch
  6. 14Pillow
  7. 15Master bath tile 2
Location
Chelsea, Manhattan
Scope
Two commissions — a private studio, and a full accessible residence
Course
The Apartment: ID118 · PR1 · Spring 2026
Materials
Red oak flooring, walnut & oak millwork, brass fixtures, exposed brick, blackened steel
Status
Both completed, 2026
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