August, 2009 Archive
Dining room chairs
I do not like matched furniture. As a broker I see a lot of apartments and that are ‘head to toe’ in the same style or brand name. Its a little sad and lacking in confidence. However I do know that it can be difficult to combine eclectic styles without it all looking like a mess.
I went through this recently when decorating my own apartment. I was completely stumped when I tried to find dining room chairs. I bought the table below in white, from Cappellini on Wooster Street in SoHo.
A very sleek and modern look. I wanted a chair that would be a contrast but at the same time work. I found Jens Risom chairs at Ralph Pucci that I liked but were too expensive for my budget. In the end I compromised with chaires from ABC Home that were well priced, so I won’t mind replacing them when I eventually do find what I want.
Another option are these french chairs that from Amy Perlin but are they comfortable?
Or how about the more formal and elegant style of these James Mont chairs that you can find at CityStudio in Los Angeles.
Lots of choice is not always a good thing
The Final Chapter?
Today at the age of 77 Ted Kennedy passed away. The end of an era.
The Kennedy’s were at the forefront of the civil rights movement in this country. Today we all benefit from the fruits of their labor. A complete circle.
Downtown Chic
Where to live if you seek to combine a downtown lifestyle with some uptown polish? The Superior Ink is one of the few condominiums south of 14th Street to combine pedigree and ambiance. The pedigree comes from Robert A M Stern, the ambiance from the West Village location, and its proximity to the Hudson river.
This development came on the market at the height of the real estate boom and on the heels of another Stern design, 15 Central Park West, the most successful residential condominium in America. The Superior Ink building has sixty nine apartments and seven apartments. According to the sales person on site many of the units were combined into large homes priced in the mid seven figures.
Renderings of the kitchen and corner living room.
As you can see from the image of the living room above, the scale is very grand, with high ceilings that are reminiscent of the great Park Avenue buildings and also the warehouse it replaced.
Lobby has a mid century feel.
So far sales have been brisk. Marc Jacobs has signed up for one of the townhouses and there is a rumor that Hilary Swank is in contract for a two bedroom apartment. That’s pretty good company, a two time Oscar winner and a world class designer of two major fashion labels.
Oh and most important it is Leed certified.
Vintage Bookends
Carl Aubock
I have a kindle for about two years. The ability to store all my books on my kindle has enabled me to cull my book collection. I gave away about twelve boxes of books, only keeping the ones that truly meant something to me. So now that I have beautiful empty bookshelves, I have rediscovered bookends.
Ben Seibel
Very 1950’s chic.
Vinegar Hill
Hudson Ave
In the 1950’s when the BQE was built many of the oldest neighborhoods in this city were effectively abandoned and brooklynites lost access to their waterfront. Vinegar Hill was permanently cut off from the rest of the city and today has the feel of an urban ghost town, with rows of vacant store fronts and empty cobble stone streets.
Admiral’s House
Last week after dinner at Vinegar Hill House ,which was excellent, we decided to check out the neighborhood. We did not pass a single person on the streets or see a moving car. We walked to the end of the Evans Street cul de sac to the gates of the above mansion, which is right privately owned and fronting the East River.
Vinegar Hill House-theselby.com
I decided I had to know more. Vinegar Hill was developed in the early1800’s, and most of the houses were built in the next fifty years. The area was named after a bitter and infamous battle of the 1798 Irish revolution against the British; the battle of Vinegar Hill. Many people died that day including women and children, so the name would have had strong appeal to Irish immigrants. The first mass in Brooklyn was celebrated in local tavern there in 1818.
The good news is that after years under attack from outside forces, the remaining thirty three houses are now historically landmarked. In someways too little too late but at least we know that this special enclave will remain.
Bohemian
One of my favorite collections is from Erdem. Wildly expensive and exquisite dresses that are selling out even in this economy. The one above is shown with these really beautiful antique 18th century spanish gilt wood mirrors from Colonial Arts in San Francisco. So if your taste has a bohemian edge what where would you live?
Flower Box Condominium in the East Village.
Definitely one of the bright spots of the recent development boom, and named for the eighteen inch deep flower boxes that line the facade. There in a great article featuring one of the higher floor duplex apartments in the Home and Garden section of New York Times.
Recommended viewing: Wilco
Walking The Line
Many years ago in the 1980’s when I first moved to New York City it was a much grittier place. My boyfriend at the time had grown up in the city in the 70’s and was very familiar with all the secrets places that were everywhere in the city. I remember speeding through an empty SoHo, or the visit to TriBeCa , so he could show me where the Mudd Club used to be.
One Sunday afternoon in the winter we went up on the High Line. I want to say that it was romantic, I know he meant it to be. But I found it vaguely disturbing, abandoned and ghostly, broken glass and homeless people. The reality of urban decay that the city was striving to emerge from.
The Specials- Ghost town
Flowers in the Meat Market.
Fast forward to 2009 and that time seems so long ago. TriBeCa is one of the most expensive neighborhoods to live in the whole country. SoHo has gone through many incarnations and the High Line is New York City’s newest park. Once an abandoned relic now thousands of people have visited since it opened this summer.
I will wait until a very cold winters day when everyone is indoors to walk the line.
Willem Kage
Accessories and art finish a room, like a handbag and shoes finish an outfit. They reflect who you are, or perhaps just who you are at that moment. One of my favorite dealers for furniture, objects and jewelry is Sally Rosen, from Dallas Texas. You can find her pieces on 1stdibs. She has an incredible eye and usually a very expensive one. However these vases recently caught my eye and seemed reasonably priced
Willem Kage for Gustavberg
Sally Rosen will be in Bridgehampton this weekend at the annual antiques show benefiting the local historical society. This is a great show and well worth the trip.
Jean Prouve-Maison Tropicale
Jean Prouve was a true genius of industrial design. If you know his work you will appreciate how this house reflects his economic aesthetic. Shown above, on site in Long Island City, the ‘Maison Tropicale’ is as radical today, as when it was first designed in 1949. The challenge for Prouve was to design an affordable house that could be shipped on a cargo plane for use in the french colonies in Africa.
Two of these houses were shipped to the Congo in 1951. They were flat packed in six containers and flown in on a cargo plane. No panel is more than thirteen feet long and none weigh more than 200 lbs so that they can be easily assembled.
In 1999 a team flew into the Congo to rescue the houses. After many years of civil war the were still standing, but riddled with bullet holes. Under armed guard they disassembled the houses and brought them back to France where they were restored. Ah, vive le Francais.
TriBeCa Redux
I have always been very excited about fashion, interior design, furniture, art etc. New York has many different styles of buildings and such a diversity of neighborhoods. So many fantastic spaces; houses, lofts, and prewar apartments. The fun part of our job is that you never know what you will find when you open the door. This week we are looking on industrial design, and the loft buildings that have been recycled for residential use.
My absolute favorite of these buildings has to be 145 Hudson In TriBeCa, built in 1929. If you have ever wanted to live in an authentic loft downtown in either SoHo or TriBeCa you will know that it is enough of a challenge to find light, never mind views, in a prime location. As you can see this building has an abundance of both.
In the upper part of the building there are just two lofts per floor, each one with three open exposures. The windows are oversized and plentiful. One of the most luxurious features of loft living is the freedom to design your own floorplan that reflects your lifestyle. If you need rooms, put up walls or just leave it all open. It is like you get to build your own ‘house’ within an existing structure.
The penthouse at 145 Hudson Street
At some point in the future the developer plans on selling the lower floors for residential use. The floors will be divided into four lofts, not as grand as the upper floors but still very special.
Model wears Balenciaga. Armoire is by Jean Prouve, light fixture is French and the bench comes fro the USS United states. All would be at home at 145 Hudson Street.
