I recently moved across the country and, let me tell you, squeezing my roomy Los Angeles sofa into my tiny New York City apartment was nothing short of a miracle. And while my sofa may not be perfectly sized, yours can be if you do your homework and ask yourself these four questions.  

Name: Maxwell & Ursula
Type of Project: Light renovation of a rental apt
Location: Soho, NYC
Type of building: Two bedroom apartment

When I used to work with clients, I always struggled to get them to cover their windows with shades or curtains. "We don't want to lose any light!" they would say, or "I want my home to be modern!", or "Curtains are fussy!". Hmmmmm. Ok, here's my pitch. Windows by themselves are practical but ugly unfiltered openings in the side of your home. By adding what I consider the two essential elements to them, shades and curtains, you soften the hard frame of the window and allow for infinite variation in the light that comes into your home. I'm on a mission. 

Name: Sophia Kramer & Nico (her 17 year old cat)
Location: New York, NY
Size: 450 sq ft
Years lived in: 5 years; Rented

Sophia Kramer is a book conservator and binder. Her work requires an immense amount of talent and is a profession that is rare and special, just like Sophia's home. The eclectic mix of modern, vintage, and auction finds all seem to fit into place here, as if all the pieces agreed to rendezvous at her apartment.

Perhaps it snows for half of the year where you are. Maybe the thought of cleaning a pool, week in and week out, makes your skin crawl. Could be that you rent. Or you just can't afford one. There are so many reasons for not having a pool, but so few that really mean your kids (or you!) need to miss out on the fun of splashing around in the backyard all summer. Bring on the inflatable pools!

Ostrich and Flower Photograph No. 88243 by Kari Herer

Previous On the Wall print

As I mentioned in my first Design Diary post, my best friend Eleni is moving to from Boston to New York City. She's secured an apartment, but we have yet to see it in person. We have, however, seen a few pictures of the space, which provide just enough information to get my design wheels turning...

Replacing an incandescent or compact fluorescent bulb for a new LED unit is the way to go: they're extremely energy efficient, operate cool, contain no mercury, cast pleasant warm light, and are now finally within the realm of "affordable". The current batch of LED bulb offerings can provide comparable brightness to previous lighting options, but unlike compact fluorescents, LEDs provide instant light without needing to warm up, with even lower energy requirements. But which one to choose?

The late Yves Saint Laurent's trestle desk. Via Another Magazine

Creative minds work in mysterious ways. Some need perfect order and symmetry to prosper, others thrive in chaos and clutter. Whether it's design, fashion or science— imagination, and the proper space to cultivate it, is essential to them all. Here are the fascinating desks of eight famously creative people.