DesignNJ-OctNov2023_Digital issue

The soaring fireplace is a focal point of the
main floor. For the walls, Dean Marchetto and
Paula Rocha chose two distinct treatments.
“To distinguish between the exterior perimeter
walls and the interior perimeter walls, a Venetian
plaster was applied to the interior walls in a
three-coat process to add depth and complexity,”
Marchetto says. “Although separated by the
upper level’s balcony, the Venetian plaster
treatment helps minimize this vertical separation
and gives the double height its continuity.” The
wall finish coordinates with the simulated stone
cladding on the fireplace base.
“We wanted to make an interior design overlay
to work with the modern architecture and create
art-filled spaces,” Marchetto says. The art on the
second-story wall is an abstract painting titled
“Circle” by artist Juan Restrepo. The triptych in
the dining area is “Untitled” by Mario Torroella.
The Hoboken building that houses this three-bedroom loft
was built in the early 20th century as a warehouse to store
coconuts. The loft itself, though, was built much more recently, during
a 2007 renovation by Manhattan-based SHoP Architects that added two
stories to the original structure. “The two new floors are set back from the
original roof line,” Dean Marchetto says, “to create modern, light-filled,
duplex apartments with wraparound decks.”
Marchetto, a fellow of the American Institute of Architects and a
founding principal of MHS Architecture in Hoboken, worked with Paula
Rocha, NCIDQ, an associate interior design director at the firm, to create
a home that was a departure from the owners’ previous residence. Rocha
explains, “The clients’ acquisition of the loft brought about a lifestyle
shift from the suburbs to urban living. They embraced this change by
enthusiastically adopting a fresh perspective and prioritizing efficiency
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