Deflated Disco Balls and a Le Corbusier Chaise: Inside Designer Andrew Torrey's Art-Filled Midtown Apartment

Designer Andrew Torrey has hung and rehung the art in his midtown apartment so many times that he patched the white walls himself. "I have hung and rehung art in this place so many times, there are holes everywhere, repatched by me," Torrey said. "One of the first things I learned was how to patch a white wall."

The apartment, which Torrey shares with James Canner, founder of haircare line Aquadiem, is a departure for a designer known for modern, sleek, clean interiors. Instead, visitors find family heirlooms, cowboy boots, stacks of books, an eclectic art collection — and a few deflated disco balls.

What changed when Torrey moved in?

The space needed little structural work. Torrey cleaned up the floors, installed motorized shades to protect the art, redid the powder room, and switched out the lighting and hardware. He custom designed key pieces: the primary bed upholstered in natural leather and the living room sectional in teddy mohair. Every room features custom rugs by Stark.

The material pairings carry the design. In the living room, a cardboard chair by British designer Max Lamb faces a Le Corbusier LC4 chaise by Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret for Cassina, covered in cowhide. In a bedroom, a vintage brass bed is upholstered in an Hermès silk fabric.

Who is on the walls?

Torrey holds a large collection of works by the late artist Robert Loughlin, whose work often includes the image of a man smoking a cigarette. Torrey is currently working on a project with the Loughlin estate.

Photographer Wolfgang Tillmans is a favorite, appearing both in the home and at Torrey's offices. Torrey is fond of Jack Pierson and is passionate about the artist's Miami years. He began collecting sculpture after a trip to Morocco, where he saw the Senufo bird sculpture at the Yves Saint Laurent Museum. He now owns several bird sculptures, one of which was formerly in the collection of the San Francisco grand dame Dodie Rosekrans.

Gallery owner Ralph Pucci offers a verdict: "Andrew is the next star. He is driven by talent, curiosity, and a strong work ethic. He has all the right tools."

Where did the collecting impulse come from?

Torrey credits his grandparents, who were serious travelers. "When I was growing up, they had a study full of art… All of this in their study in Dodge City, Kansas," Torrey says. "I thought it was the coolest room and loved this eclectic, global life."

That Kansas study, it seems, set the template for a Manhattan apartment now marked by repatched walls and deflated disco balls. The Loughlin estate project suggests the collecting habit is turning professional.