Five years ago, when Valerie Onor, of Valerie Onor Interior Design, was looking for a new home in New York City, she told her husband she would love a little outdoor garden space, never imagining she would end up with 1,500 square feet of lush green and richly flowered rooftop splendor in the middle of Manhattan’s upper east side. “It’s a magical place,” Onor admits, “with lively color against a backdrop of varied evergreens. We’ve entertained as many as seventy-five people here, but our favorite time is enjoying a casual breakfast or lovely lunch for two amidst the greenery and the wonderful pre-World War II buildings that provide the picturesque cityscape around us.”
Painting a richly planted landscape on a rooftop canvas presented quite an unusual and unexpected challenge. “The floors of the roof area could not be changed, as the tiles were specifically designed for that use. They are removable and allow access below for maintenance and repairs of the building,” Onor explains. “Of course, there was no soil on the roof, so we had to plant everything in pots, but weight was a concern, so we had to be very careful about the planters we chose. According to the co-op regulations, we were not allowed to attach anything to the vintage brick exterior of the building, so we had to do some innovative things to bring light to the garden.” All of these obstacles required creative solutions, which Onor successfully achieved.
Read the rest HERE at Home by Design.
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