6. Billy Cotton Debuts Curated Manhattan Apartments and new Design Collection with West Elm

As one of the art world’s most eagerly sought after designers, Billy Cotton has conceived thoughtfully layered spaces for equally complex talents like Cindy Sherman and Lisa Yuskavage. Now, he’s turned his discerning eye towards two model apartments at The Treadwell, a striking Upper East Side tower by INC Architecture & Design. “The vision for these homes was to create spaces that are natural, simple, and elegant,” says Cotton of the interiors that boast vintage furnishings sourced from the Paris Flea Market and Marché aux Puces de Paris Saint-Ouen as well as artworks by Paul Lee, Rosie Keyser, Jack Pierson, and Kerry Schuss from his personal collection. “I wanted to create a design that felt sophisticated and welcoming, while playing homage to our setting.”

The units’ reveal come just as Cotton is presenting a new 25-piece collection with West Elm. “It was really born out of this desire to create essentials,” he says of the array of seating, tables, lighting, rugs, and accessories, all in white. “I wanted to think about the must-haves and all the essential things we need, and how to make them beautiful and malleable to any space. I wanted them to work for many different aesthetics and age groups—I wanted them to be special and a worthy investment. That was both the challenge and the exciting part of this.” — Jill Sieracki