Name: Ann Mack
Designer: Christina Love
Location: East Village — New York, New York
Size: 500 square feet
Years lived in: 7 — rented
Call it the six-ish year itch. After as many years in one place, Ann wanted a clean slate, to banish the shadows and let in the light. She looked to favorite places for inspiration, to a professional for guidance, and in the process, strengthened a friendship and rediscovered the love she once had for her home, all while preserving and polishing the best of a studio in a vibrant New York neighborhood. That's a nice way to start a new chapter.
Enter Change Agent Love: Ann's friend Christina Love, of Love Design. That preexisting friendship made Ann a fan of Christina's interiors. "I had seen Christina's work, and I was like, 'Wow! I want that!'"
A Saturday afternoon over magazine clippings proved early on that client and designer were on the same page about where they wanted to head: to a mix of modern and vintage, to more light, more air, and, at Ann's urging, to the beach. Says Ann, "I absolutely love my time at the beach and I wanted to bring a little bit of that to the city."
Ann promised to jump in to the transformation in a way every designer dreams: "I was willing to get rid of almost everything in my apartment." Responds Christina, "I thought, 'Hallelujah!' But I didn't really believe her!!" Ann made good on her promise, and Christina quickly witnessed a steady parade of bags and boxes to the curb, and sometimes, to the building's lucky super.
The hardest sell, but the studio's biggest transformation, was switching the seating and sleeping areas. When Ann moved in, she did what most would do: plunk the bed farthest from the front door. That put it near the window, so during the day, it pushed Ann deeper into the apartment's darker corners. Like many designers, Christina had already mentally rearranged the space, even before she got the commission. "I just kept saying, 'You can flip this around!'" trying to coax Ann to swap Sleep and Live on the floor plan. "I would even say, when I was over there... 'Can we just try this?'" So when a new mattress was delivered, it went in its new spot. Ann was sold. "She twisted my arm," chuckles Ann, "and it really worked out well."
Part of the success of that reposition rides on the rails of the hanging panels Christina devised, a fresh take on bed curtains, to give the bed a subtle sense of enclosure and separation from the adjacent foyer. Like many pieces in the apartment, those panels respond to even the slightest movement. Gauzy linen at the windows, a suspended Parentesi lamp, and the art installation of tiny birds over the sofa all do the same, giving the space animation and life. It all also helps evoke those sea breezes they had hoped to stir up.
That avian art piece is just one of the intriguing decisions that made the space decidedly art-driven. They ended up with a modern mix of drawing and photo, works on paper, and--those birds!--delightfully 3-D. "I was feeling like we had enough two-dimensional pieces, and I wanted to do something three-dimensional," says Christina. But it was practicality, not put-a-bird-on-it trend that lead her to Ann's new feathered friends: Faced with a big blank wall and a photographer on the way, Christina made a dash to the flower district and crafted up a surprisingly chic installation, dollar store in origin but high-end gallery in appearance. The birds are hung and strung at various heights and distances from the wall, where they perch and dangle, casting animated shadows and catching the slightest breath of air.
Joining Ann's own travel shot from Belize and rounding out the art pieces chosen for the reworked space was "Raging Girl" by Gina Magid. It seemed appropriate to Christina for its portrayal of the full-throttle feminine energy she admires in her friend. "The way she attacks things... whether in her personal and professional life... she's pretty full on!" says Christina with a smile. It's also a great tip on art shopping: while Magid's paintings were out of budgetary range for this project, a smaller work on paper proved handily within reach.
Perhaps the space's biggest style return on investment: the coffee table, a Cinderella story where a castoff ends up the belle of the ball. But it was stainless steel legs, not a glass slipper, which proved the elusive footing. Christina had envisioned pairing the window frame with metal legs from IKEA, in what was supposed to be a quick and easy merge of old and new enlisted successfully throughout the rest of the project. No such luck, since the legs were discontinued. A global search on eBay yielded nothing but frustration, and when a last-resort set of candlestick legs brought the table top too high, Christina did what any good designer does: improvise. "I just wanted to see what this window would look like at the right height, so I took a bunch of her books off the shelf, and I started stacking them one by one to see."
The solution proved perfect, for height and homeowner: in Ann's job as Director of Trendspotting for JWT, she's explored the concept of "objectifying objects." She explains: "As things become digitized, from photo albums to money to (music) albums to books... we'll start to 'fetishize' the physical object." Looking back, Christina thinks the journey may have been more strategy than serendipity. "I think she had planted the seed! She kind of joked (about books): 'Are they going to end up the legs of a coffee table?' And they did!" Says Ann, "It's just a beautiful piece of art, but also functional art. And it leverages one of the trends I've been spotting." A trip to the Strand, with books picked by title and size, and coercing the contractor out of drilling a rod though the books ended up with a literally novel table. There's even a replacement stack nearby, to slide in when the desire to thumb through a favorite title takes over.
Why would a professional trendspotter who takes such care with art and object even need a designer? Says Ann, "It was fantastic to enlist someone I trusted to get what I wanted done, done. Ultimately it came down to time... it would have been nice if I could do it all on my own, but I'm realistic."
But as much about time, it was also about distance: how far the project could go. Ann cites as one example, a hall mirror custom made of reclaimed wood: "I would have never thought to hire someone to make that mirror just in the way I wanted to, or be able to find the person to make that mirror. She broadened my horizons quite a bit!"
But how about that age-old adage that friends should never enter into a business venture?
"I had never worked for such a close friend before, and I was not ready to lose her as a friend," Christina declares. Ann concurs: "If anything, it's made our friendship stronger," and, Ann adds, "I'm definitely using the space differently."
"I trained her well!" laughs Christina, breezily, as a good friend does, sitting comfortably in the light of the window.
Listen to the conversation with both Ann and Christina here.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: Contemporary / Vintage-Bohemian / Eclectic
Inspiration: World travel, love of maritime elements and pop culture.
The feeling was, after living there for over six years, Ann's apartment no longer even came close to reflecting who she was, the success she's achieved and the quality of life her environment should provide her. We wanted to transform it into a sophisticated, bright, happy space - one that's representative of the person she is today.
Favorite Element: 1. The Parentisi floor lamp from Conran, designed by Achille Castiglioni and Pio Manzu. This ceiling-mount fixture hangs from a steel cable with a circular weight attached to the bottom, suspended about a half inch above the floor. The tension created by this weight allows the light to move vertically from floor to ceiling and rotate 360 degrees, via a steel tube that slides up, down and around the cable. (No wonder its in MoMA's permanent design collection).
2. An antique lavender Venetian glass lamp with a ship etched in the side of it.
Biggest Challenge: 1. Flip-flopping the original layout of the sleeping and living areas, then customizing hanging divider panels to work in a pre-war building, where nothing is even or level.
2. Figuring out how to resize the new "vintage floor board" floor mats to cover the whole kitchen using only three 4' x 8' sections.
What Friends Say: It looks so much bigger and brighter!
Biggest Embarrassment: After we added casters to the kitchen counters, someone leaned on them the counter legs splintered to bits! They had to be taken back to the contractor's workshop, have brand new legs made, and match the original wood stain. Now they are indestructible.
Proudest DIY: 1. Designing a coffee table with its top made from an antique window and the legs made of from stacks of books.
2. Creating the art installation (called "A Quiet Night in Florida"), made from decorative birds, air ferns and moss suspended above the sofa.
Biggest Indulgence: "Raging Girl" painting by Gina Magid
Best Advice: Buy quality.
Dream Sources: ABC Home, B & B Italia, Paris Flea Market (!)
Resources of Note:
PAINT & COLORS
- • Benjamin Moore: Decorators White CC-20 (throughout)
ENTRY
- • Metal bench: Totally Bruce vintage and industrial furniture, Red Hook
• Bird fabric: Schumacher
• Wooden bench: ABC Carpet & Home
• Green antique gas canister, round Victorian ceramic and velvet wall hanging, nautical ship print: Meeker Avenue Vintage and Antiques
• Photo of Ann at Café Table: "Ha!" by Christina Love; framing by M&H Art & Framing
• Barn painting: Flea Market Antiques & Collectibles
• Custom Floor Mirror: Amish woodworker, PA
LIVING ROOM
- • Caye Caulker, Belize Dock photograph: Ann Mack; enlargement and mounting - Art Addiction
• Parentesi suspended cable lamp, Hector floor lamp: The Conran Shop at ABC Carpet & Home
• White linen drapes: Crate & Barrel
• Custom wing chair: TCS Design, Hickory, NC; fabric: Schumacher
• Needlepoint Banana pillow: Jonathan Adler
• Antique wooden table between windows: Meeker Ave Vintage and Antiques
• Coffee table: vintage window from "Build it Green," Astoria; books: the Strand
• Acrylic laptop table: CB2
• Striped throw blanket: The Conran Shop at ABC
• Sofa Pillow: coffee bag from Williamsburg Flea Market custom made into pillow by Solomonic Couture for the Home
• Installation above sofa: "A Quiet Night in Florida" (named after a Diego Garcia song); Artist: Christina Love; birds from Sprout Home; additional birds and plants from Jamali
• White lacquer book shelf: Props for Today
• Capri Paiting above keyboard : painting on antique tin ceiling tile by Mladen 'Gino' Novak
• All decorative glass: Jeff Mack
KITCHEN
- • Counters: Wisteria; industrial casters from CWIH
• Pale pink vintage cabinet: Gristies Bucks County, PA
• Vintage porcelain flower lamp, wooden box: Meeker Ave Vintage and Antiques
• Sky plane art: "Meet Me At Macky's" by Christina Love
• Message board, cord kit lamps, whitewashed floor mats: Urban Outfitters
• Pair of smaller barstools : Sundance
• Larger barstool: Cosmo, Williamsburg
• Backed stool:Totally Bruce, Red Hook
• Wire wine rack: Moon River Chattel, Williamsburg
• Stainless cabinet handles: The Home Depot
• Spice Bottles : Williamsburg Flea Market
BEDROOM
- • Bed and hanging panels/system: IKEA
• Silk quilt : ABC Carpet & Home
• Shams: DKNY
• Wall shelf: Salvage Goods, Easton, PA
• Bedside lamp: Meeker Avenue Vintage and Antiques
• Oil and charcoal drawing: "Raging Girl," Gina Magid
• Vintage dresser, Raging Girl frame, turquoise foot stool: Antique Haven, Easton PA
• Lavender etched Venetian glass lamp: Cosmo, Williamsburg; lampshade: Just Shades
BATHROOM
- • Shower curtain, trash can: Urban Outfitters
• Candelabra, koi bath mat: Anthropologie
• Hand towels: ABC
• 3-tier shelf: Antique Haven, Easton PA
Thanks, Ann (and Christina)!
Images: Rima Campbell
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Okay, I'm in love with: the distressed white and turquoise furniture (on, that mirror!!); the original and flaked out window frame, the use of the black book shelf units and of course all that white and light!
Great transformation, Christina.
Honestly, I'm not a big fan of this place. I like the birds and the cutout in the door frame is gorgeous, but the little stool and chair just seemed to ...be there...I like when functional things are used. Otherwise it just seems like clutter. And the coffee table made of books and glass..I know that would never work for me given how much we actually use our coffee table and how slippery books can be.
I don't mind so much the books as table legs but get ready for an AT sh*tstorm coming your way.
Those tiny stools are bugging.... what's the point? You could've put the shoes on one of them at least.
But all in all its an awesome before and after. Dark furniture (and especially so much of it) acts like a black hole in such an airy, well lit place. Great job addressing the fact that you needed a designer.
Very pretty, I love how light and airy the apartment is now. And I love the custom made mirror, it looks great in your entryway.
I hope this doesn't count as part of the inevitable "books as table legs sh*tstorm" but are the books secured in any way? I couldn't make that work in my own home but it's pretty.
Okay, I guess I'll start the shitstorm. Why would you use books? Don't you actually want to read them? I mean, that cook book could probably be pretty useful. But to each her own. I love the harbor photograph.
There's a pretty detailed explanation about those books in the write-up...
Some nice furniture (love the mirror and the pieces in the kitchen), and like the dock photo in the living room. The birds on the wall would make me scream, and overall it is too clutter-y for me. Huge improvement over the previous incarnation, though.
I wish the before the designer pictures were posted first. I love the space. It really does look bigger than 500sq ft! I love the coffee table, it wouldn't work for me but it is beautiful. The architecture is stunning!
I like how the kitchen floor turned out....what a good approach to a rental!
Oh, and it's also GREAT to see floorplans. More of this, AT?
Nice details!
It's so fresh and airy and pretty. I really love this space. I've notice there is this funky little debate going around on AT & other sites about what others should or should not do with their own books. I have a ton of books that I have read, re-read, and re-read again. Some I donate, but many I store on shelves. I think the coffee table is so sweet. I'm guessing if the owner wanted to open one of the books she would simply lift the top and reassemble when done? No big woop.
These books are now not only providing an attractive space & saving precious NYC apt footage but becoming functional in more ways that one. Great job! (On the space and thinking outside of the box). I'd love to live here!
Actually, the little black metal stool is one of my favorite things in this apartment. Love the juxtaposition with the ornate arch.
Lovely! I can't believe it's only 500 sq ft, it certainly has the look and feel of a much larger space. It must be the white airiness, and I think the 3D birds decor adds to the airy breezy feel while still adding touches of colors and personality.
Surprisingly the elements that I normally don't like (white walls, exposed bulbs) works wonderfully into this apartment because they're part of the characteristics and charm of her home. And in this case I think the books as part of the furniture works out great, again it works with the character instead of looking for the sake of trendy. Everything works so well together. Bravo!
what a wonderful transformation. gorgeous apartment!
I like the books as legs for the coffee table. I'm not such a big fan of how this tour is presented on the site. There are a lot of pictures of tchotkes, antique jewelry and vases, pieces of art, even a doormat. And photo #26... what is that exactly?
It's a close-up of the painted tray in the photo immediately preceding it.
Er, immediately FOLLOWING it. :)
I have to say really like this space and decor and what a transformation from what it was before!
The coffee table is spot on - as long as you don't have kids climbing all over - and just as someone else wrote if she wants to read one of the books I guess she could easily lift the window and put it back later (or use another book instead).
Only downside for me is the lack of more personal items (photos etc.) as this would add some 'lived-in' feeling to this charming, little flat.
SUCH an improvement! i love it. I like the use of the books - book collections tend to just sit around until you need them anyway - they might as well be put to use meanwhile!
i always loved reading the interviews in these house tour posts, but this felt like reading a long-winded short story.
anyway, the space is wonderfully transformed and re-interpreted. i love how airy it feels now. great job ann!
This is charming! Thank you for the before shots and the floor-plan. Gives us all hope.
very sweet!
I am really envious of the space, especially the large foyer area, as well as the architectural details like the arched doorway.
The interior design is definitely an improvement, but the results feel hesitant or perhaps "unfinished" to me.
I live in a small space and have been purging for awhile now. It's encouraging to see how great a tiny home can look and feel when it's well edited and carefully decorated. As far as the details go (books, collections, etc.), it's your home, your style, your stuff. Kudos to you for having the courage to make this place you own.
The before and after shots and the floor plan are extremely helpful. Thanks!
@walleee
Well... that's just p(too). It's fairly unique to him, as far as the house tour bloggers here go. And you can always skip to just the survey answers if you want.
Hm... I think it would have been better if you could have found pieces for the kitchen that you could have tucked the stools under.
I do appreciate the floor plan and the before shots. Huh, that really was drastic.
I like the birds and the dinosaurs. :) Or rather, the extant dinosaurs and the extinct dinosaurs....
I like it, especially how the "legs" of books mimic the stripes on the throw blanket on the sofa. And I'm scratching my head: how often do people actually bump into coffee tables and other pieces of furniture?
Absolutely fantastic!
Huge improvement! I'm doing the same thing right now but more slowly..changing my decor from dark/black furniture and green accents to more white and bright with pops of color. The birds on the wall are a little much and yes, I too am not sure about the coffee table (though I do like the concept) but overall really really great!
Yes, it's nice. Big improvement, etc.
I take it that's window glass in the old wooden window frame used as a tabletop, right? If so, it has me hoping that no one with kids and/or a fondness for drink follows your lead. That stuff breaks waaaay too easily to be fit for such a use in all but the most adult, teetotaling homes, and even then I'd advise against it. Even sober, grownup people occasionally trip over their own feet.
Great transformation, and thank you P(2) for always including a floor plan and detailed write-up.
I
Sigh
Truly amazing transformation, it's such a beautiful space now. And I'll add my voice to the chorus of thanks for the floorplan and "before" photographs.
Fantastic.
What I don't get though is the idea of why you can't have kids in this apartment? I think my brothers and sisters and I might have "climbed all over" something once, and then were disciplined and learned what we were allowed to "climb all over" and what we weren't. It's called parenting, as in teaching your children proper behaviors. So many of you sound like this is a new concept.
While certainly more attractive than the "before" shots, I'm underwhelmed.
Lots of little higgly piggly room "dandruff", I mean how many damn stools do you need in a studio apartment?
A lot of the decorative pieces don't seem really functional- can she really eat at the counter? of does she balance her plate on the books/window frame coffee table hoping it doesn't slide off?
meh-not a fan.
I love the shower curtain. Is it still available?
@DONALDN - Part of parenting is reducing the opportunity for injury when kids find that moment of opportunity to be mischievious. You can't watch them 24/7. They have a way of sneaking past the corner of your eye and that is when things are spilled, glass is broken, etc. This apartment isn't very child-friendly because of these potential moments, not because kids are not taught to behave.
Why is "child friendly" a requirement in the home of a single person?
Really Nice. I've lived in my share of east village apartments and know the challenges they present. Really great use of space and resources! well done.
I like the high ceilings and architectural details and also the harbor scene picture. Some of the changes make the apartment seem more spacious, light and airy, which is a plus in a small area. I like the coffee table treatment, although for me it wouldn't be practical. As for "child friendly" I don't see that as a valid critique for a single person without children. And, if per chance a parent criticizes your place as being not child friendly then maybe you can suggest that they may feel more comfortable meeting elsewhere. It would be very rude, obnoxious and quite presumptious for them to expect you to cater to or accomodate their needs.
Where are the rolling tables against the wall in the kitchen from?
Thanks!
Thanks very much for all of your feedback - this project was a lot of fun, and having the chance to hear peoples' impressions is too (so far at least..) I had the benefit of more or less a model client (thank you, Ann!) willing to ditch way more than I ever would have been able to, and with very similar taste to my own.
As Patrick accurately predicted, the coffee table is stealing the show! It's funny how what originated as an inexpensive and temporary experiment has stayed on, and unintentionally become a focal point of the space - both online & in reality. Everyone is right about it - it's not kid or adult friendly, so in that respect, it's far from ideal. That being said, people who see it seem to really like it! My client's been duly warned of its fragility, and (I think) she's still ok with it being a little awkward to move, since by not attaching anything we kept the books accessible.
The shower curtain is available online at Urban Outfitter: http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=17708355&color=050
A big thank you to Patrick, for expressing things so eloquently (can this guy write or what?!) and for your creativity in showing the space very effectively - great job.
Love the write-up, and the transformation is gorgeous! I am generally not a fan of distressed furniture, but in this case, it adds a lot of texture to the monochromatic design.
The two kitchen counters are from Wisteria, originally designed to be outdoor planting tables. We added industrial casters from CWIH (excellent assortment & a showroom here in the city) to give them height and mobility. Keep in mind if you do attach casters, the legs need to be reinforced.
Although I am not a fan of distressed furniture I found this apartmen charming. I especially love the "flip" and that shower curtain. Thanks for the floor plans, sure makes things easier to understand.
Krister "And I'm scratching my head: how often do people actually bump into coffee tables and other pieces of furniture?" Ha ha, if you're a total klutz like me, ALL THE TIME!!! I always have several bruises on my legs or arms. I had to sand down the sharp edges of my platform bed because I had bruises with cuts in the middle... I am a total klutz!
This apartment - I adore the funky doorway arch, Belize Dock photo (!!), the kitchen floorboards, the bed curtain panels, and even (contrary to what I would have expected me to like) the ruffle bathroom curtain. I am not feeling the birds, at all, nor the rose platter, nor the shabby chic distressed furniture (although that is a general thing - I don't mind if it comes distressed, like that mirror, but I hate when people paint and then take sandpaper for a faux distressed edge, grrr)... but all of those are elements of personal preference, and if she likes it then all power to her.
I'm fine with the books under the coffee table (don't adore it, but it's a nice design element), but give you props for not drilling through the books to keep them in line. Maybe to prevent tip-overs (and resulting glass shattering - embarrassing for a clumsy guest like me) you could put a strap around each stack, or even an extra large rubber band? Ooh, that could totally work.
In all, I think it was a very nice transformation, into an airy spacious harmonious place to be. Very well done! And the friendship back story is nice, it adds a sweet glow to a nice project.
Love what you've done with everything - your place looks as though it's got a great flow to it, and everything feels airy, but grounded (thanks to your non-generic furnishings, etc). Great job! p.s. Just say no to child proofing...and to children in general. :)
Thank you!
THAT coffee table....is gorgeoussss! Such a pretty focal point and sets the whole tone to me..very pretty and light...mmmmm breezy and I can tell how light and happy you will now feel there...lots of little stools, but those little stools are great..I'd have to snap them up as well....I enjoyed this tour very much! LOVE the bathroom and it's candelabra..(I couldn't of spelled that right..)
Personally not a fan of using books as legs for the coffee table as the combination seems somewhat risky. (Not a fan of kids either, before anyone comments, but it doesn't seem very practical.) Otherwise, the place looks fantastic! I like the birds and how light and airy the place seems. Also, the placement of the bed is a huge improvement.
I love this apartment. It is so light, clean and airy. If I was young and single again I would love to have the coffee table set up. I like the open and casual feel of it. The door entry way is fabulous and would have sold me on the place as soon as I walked in to it. Why don't they build stuff like that anymore.
You have inspired me to continue to eliminate clutter and brighten up my space...thanks!
Absolutely inspirational and lovely. Amazing what you can do with a small space!
I love love love the idea of using artbooks for table legs. I have amassed a huge collection of them throughout my life and never look at them - and this would save bookshelf space. What a fabulous idea!!
What is with all the unnecessary wires?
Though not my style...I like the table with the book legs...Honey, you do what you can and what you like...end of day its your place..how about that for a s***storm...
Hilarious that this got picked up here...
http://fuckyournoguchicoffeetable.tumblr.com/post/19632907583/fuck-your-old-window-frame-on-top-of-book-stacks
What wires, Sweetiesmom?
Do you maybe mean the wires associated with the Parentisi light fixture that's hanging from the ceiling, by the white armchair in the first photo? If so, one wire is a stainless steel cable that suspends the lamp itself, and allows it move up, down and 360 degrees around. The other wire you see there is the electrical cord.
AMAZING PLACE filled with lots of personality! I especially love the bird installation and the book coffee table!
What kind of frame did you use for the Belize picture? I love it and can't figure it out. I don't see clips or other fasteners.
Oh I love this place. What an awesome makeover. Amazing how flipping the sleeping and sitting spaces opened it up so much. And removing all of the oppressive dark furniture made it so much brighter. I love the coffee table and I adore that kitchen.
Beyond bland. I though I was looking at "before" photos.