Private Air New York Magazine
Issue link: https://privateair.uberflip.com/i/1546577
www.privateairny.com 66 | Private Air Fall 2026 a continuous skylight, creating a luminous spine from the entry to the rear patio. e gallery separates public and private volumes, yet the long line of glass keeps the house visually connected from front to back. Custom reclaimed timber beams cross the skylight in a measured rhythm of solid and void. Excavated from beneath the sea and left with a raked texture, the wood brings a rough, almost elemental counterpoint to the uninterrupted glass above. As daylight changes, the beams throw shifting bands of light and shadow across the gallery walls, floors, and adjoining rooms. e ceiling never presents exactly the same way twice. Its beauty follows its purpose. e skylight was fundamental to the planning of the residence, requiring a carefully coordinated beam system that conceals structural supports while integrating lighting and mechanical systems. What might have been a long corridor instead becomes the organizing device of the house, drawing daylight deep into the plan while maintaining a visual connection to the landscape beyond. Here, the fifth wall does not finish the room. It draws the line through the house. JMA Interior Design approaches the fifth wall through proportion. In one dining room, a tray ceiling articulated with warm wood beams and a grasscloth-inspired inset creates enough visual structure to make the table and pendants below feel naturally placed within the architecture. "e tray ceiling enhances the room's proportions, while the warm wood beams introduce natural texture," the designers explain. Across two distinct spaces, JMA Interior Design demonstrates the expressive potential of the fifth wall, from the measured coffering of Colorful Scandinavian great room to the warm beams and layered tray ceiling of a tailored dining room in a project called California Coastal. Elsewhere, Juliette Byrne takes a more theatrical approach in a Dresden stairwell, where cherubs, light, and a constellation of stars turn the ceiling into a moment of wonder. LUXURY LIVING