Peloton’s Robin Arzón makes over her family’s New York City apartment
She’s not just the VP of Fitness Programming at Peloton, she’s also a brand new mom. Recently, she turned to the West Elm Design Crew to transform her NYC apartment into a sleek family space that does it all.
When you step inside head fitness instructor Robin Arzón’s New York City apartment, the first thing you’ll notice is, well, the city. The vast floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Manhattan are impossible to ignore, providing a stunning backdrop to showcase her luxe sense of style.
The second thing you’ll notice? The exercise equipment in the corner of the living room, looking out over the vast waterfront. And third, will likely be the sounds of her three-month-old daughter, Athena, waking up from a nap.
These three elements—urban living, fitness and parenthood—are integral to Robin’s day-to-day, so naturally they played a major part in the design of her home. As the lawyer turned ultramarathoner and author starts this new chapter, she enlisted the help of the West Elm Design Crew to design a space that works for her and her family.
Robin and her husband, Drew Butler, at the kitchen island with their daughter, Athena.
Scott Charles, a stylist from the West Elm Chelsea Design Crew, instantly understood Robin’s goals for her new space. “He was so incredibly efficient and really understood what we wanted,” Robin says. “I felt like he was a mindreader.”
Take a tour of the space below and see how Robin’s list of design must-haves came to life.
“We really wanted New York City to be an element in the apartment.”
A luxe, sleek and calming design
Robin says her style is “minimalist with a touch of bling.” When working with the Design Crew, she was instantly drawn to luxe fabrics and finishes, like distressed velvet and brass accents, which stretch across the open-concept living room, dining room and kitchen for a cohesive look.
Scott took the gray, neutral palette and brought in subtle pops of blue and olive green—although these are technically cool shades, they have a warming and inviting effect on the otherwise gray space, he says. And to really let the city shine in the background, he chose a modern chandelier with sculptural glass shades that brings the eyes upward and lets the city lights peek through.
A home gym on display
Naturally, as a fitness instructor, Robin needed a special space for her exercise equipment. While she has a spare bedroom that could have functioned as a home gym, she decided to set things up in the living room instead—allowing her to enjoy that gorgeous view of the Hudson river as she rides. “Even though it’s open concept, the layout has dedicated spaces that aren’t fighting with each other,” Robin says of the living-dining-kitchen combo. “Each area of the room has purpose, and I love how it all flows together.”
Room for gathering
“Most of my family lives outside of New York, so when they’re here, they stay for days at a time,” Robin says. “We wanted to have multiple family members comfortably in the home at a time without feeling like we’re crowding each other.” Plenty of seating in the dining room and living room makes this possible. The ottoman can even serve as extra seating in a pinch.
Family-friendly finishing touches
How do you incorporate your kids into a room’s design without sacrificing style? It comes down to thoughtful details. Here, Scott chose an extra-deep sectional (great for tummy time), added an extra glider and changing table topper to the primary bedroom to cut down on trips to the nursery, and brought in a soft ottoman with a serving tray instead of a hard-edged coffee table.
“I’m glad that when my daughter starts walking, she’ll be able to play around the ottoman,” Robin says. “We’ll have to baby-proof more when she’s fully mobile, but I’m so happy that many of these core pieces will work as she grows up.”
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Peek inside Robin Arzón’s nursery
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