apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Looks cold and sterile as is. I'd like to what it looks after it's been decorated and lived in.

that void of decoration, no wonder he's a lunatic.

The fact that he lives in what looks like a mental institution explains A LOT.

I love it. Its so spare, but better than other MTV Cribs that have huge chandeliers, 6 motorcycles in front and lots of gold. This speaks volumes about his taste, and the architecture of the space I think is very cool. Its not like anything you normally see, which in itself is a breath of fresh air. As we all know, money doesn't always buy taste, but I think this place is pretty cool. Though, I would love to see it now that is is totally done and he is living there - a little more life to it now would be nice.

Wow. A glimpse of two things I haven't seen before. I will definitely be checking out Dezeen.

The apartment images are renderings but either way, I'll bet there will still be a very dream like quality to it in "real life".

The massive stone elements give it an ancient Roman feel. I wonder where the lighting will come from.

i LOVE it. so minimal. would have never expected this of him. with his personality, i would assume everything he does is over-the-top.

Where the hell was he planning on placing all the "awards" he thought he was entitled to?

Where's the padded room where he sits and writes lyrics with his feet?

nut job fa real...

Who is Kayne West?

It's over-the-top minimal.




Surfaces, Sweetie Dahling! Surfaces, I want SURFACES!

People. This is not a nut job apartment. It's a real style, with many admirers. There are lots of books on it. The style has acknowledged masters, second tier names who are just as good or better, and amateurs like me whose heart flutters at images like these. Silverstrin is probably one of the masters. He was John Pawson's partner early in their careers.

It's certainly shows the owner's great wealth.

This particular place doesn't do much for me, except for the hallway, which would lift the heart every time you walk down it.

To me the best minimalist places ( like Pawson's house) DO feel like homes, but this one feels like an art installation.

thanks for that wannabe minimalist,

I am a new admirer of Pawson's work. I was thinking about his influence here. Perhaps my lighting question is answered then. Pawson tends to use illuminated gaps along walls for lighting.

i love it

yeah, that hallway is magical. everything else is a little tough for me. it seems better suited for a less permanent space like a hotel room or even a loungey club.

Artistic
but is it liveable?
I have read bios of people living in such places and end up changing things drastically or moving away from the 'minimilast lifestyle.
It would be interesting to know if the place really functions for human living.
Or at least for the human attracted to such a place.
...designed by an architect or a 'starchitect'?

kanye west.. a nut job?
do you (negative) guys really know anything about kanye west besides what you saw on "Entertainment Tonight"?
Go look at Knaye's blog. He has great taste.

these are computer renderings. of course theres nothing in there.. they arent photos.

He is UNDOUBTEDLY one of the best music producers working today.

finally - someone in the hip hop industry with the good sense and good taste to hire a real architect and spend their money wisely. hopefully he'll start a 'trend' among his peers!

I am with wannabe minimalist and art on this. I find spaces like this calming. I could quibble with the details, but it is such a relief from the garishness that infuses most of the current trends.

I'm not sure why people are calling West nuts.
I think the space is beautiful - the lines and lighting. The entrance hall is beautiful. Love to see it when its completed.

It raises the question, if you had unlimited money would your sense of what you like and your style change dramatically?

I'd love to see Common's and Mos Def's digs too. Also the Beastie Boys and Lupe Fiasco's.

Kanye is not a nut job. He may be a bit of a megalomaniac, but unlike P Diddy, he's far more talented and has much better taste.

Funny where these notions come from...

Wow, the great thing about wealth and the ablity to have multiple homes is that you can go to extremes and have show houses. I doubt Kanye has even used this house but as a piece of art and as an investment it is wonderful. I am sure when he is actually living there it doesn't look this perfect.

I am a big fan of all the built-ins and how the walls are parts of the design and the artistry of it all.

Kanye is highly educated guy who knows exactly what he is doing with the media image he portrays and the musical choices he makes. He is one musician that will end up wealthy and content.

Where do the comments come from?

Well, considering up until the untimely death of his mother, Kayne was throwing tantrums. Didn't have to see that on "Entertainment Tonight", it was displayed on every television interview "he" gave to the media. Being educated has nothing to do with it. So I wondered where the hell was he going to put his "awards"...His videos have more color...

My comment was MY Opinion. IMO A home should be comfortable to live in. This home IN MY OPINION is equal to a cold sterile hospital.

And I've read his blog, way before I saw this photo of his apartment. So what?

I'm willing to bet that if he gets married, his wife will change this apartment, you can be sure of it.

People on this site get so damm defensive about everything that gets posted. It's ridiculous.

BTW, I am a Kanye fan. I'm a Prince fan as well and I loved his place and I think he's a nut as well.

Got a problem with that? lol...

People...

Less is more...and nothing is even better.

This space is the ideal place for a control freak to switch their brain off. Perfect. 100% my thing.

Well, for a man who seems to think that the white man won't give him a chance, he sure has surrounded himself with that color.

woah, controversial comment, Volvoguy!

my comment on the place is, where's the stove or refrigerator in that kitchen? i'm sure there is room for them on the other side but i'm having a hard time picturing how the kitchen would come to life when used.

the entrance hall reminded me very much of the outdoor Holocaust Museum structures in Berlin.

Here's a link to some pictures of John Pawson's own home in London,

http://www.johnpawson.com/architecture/residential/pawsonhouse1999

Real photographs of this architectural style make it a little more easy to digest.

@peahen,

the stove will most likely be a very minimal unit built into the countertop. The refrigerator will most likely be built into a bank of "cabinets". Not traditional cabinets but a wall of panels that conceal the refrigerator and storage.

Let's face it. Most wealthy urban people do not cook. I know I'm being presumptuous when I say Kanye probably doesn't cook, so this style is probably perfect for him. But that's not to say a minimal style is not conducive to cooking either--it's distilling your surroundings and things down to the essential elements necessary for "Living and Eating" which happens to be the title of Pawson's cookbook.

Forgive my excitement as I am thinking out loud! I just searched for a link of what I consider to be the most minimal kitchen system in the world to give an example of how cooking elements fit into them when I discovered that the system's designer is actually Silvestrin!
http://www.minotticucine.it/webproject/index.asp?myRecord=ITALIAN_CHL005_CHL001

Just to enhance my already dorky enthusiasm I am gearing up for Mies van der Rohe's birthday party tonight! Martinis and The Duke Ellington Orchestra.

http://www.minotticucine.it/webproject/index.asp?myRecord=ITALIAN_CHL005_CHL001_CHL003&myMode=showFile&myFile=/minotticucine/portfolio_2006/maya/maya_14.jpg

thanks for the links, art. it helps to see how the space may be used.

West doesn't cook, but he did go to art school. See the article: http://www.interiordesign.net/id_article/CA6469699/id?stt=000&text=kanye west

I agree about Grand Hyatt Tokyo. It is one of the most inspirational hotels on the planet.

This would drive me nuts, simply because I have too much STUFF to be a minimalist. Even after years of simplifying things I still end up with receipts on my desk, and books on my bedside table, and weird little odds and ends kicking about. To me, all of those things signal "home". Being in a minimalist space would make me crazy because there would be no indicators of what the space was, or how it relates to me, my family, my life. I love Pawsons house, but I still feel like that has some warmth, with the views of nature, and the open windows and light. This is dungeon like! (In fairness, I feel like the most comfortable basement apartment is dungeon like if there's no natural light).

wow...i thought i was on pink is the new blog or one of the gossip blogs for a minute with these comments..

it looks interesting..but not my style..i need "me" reflecting in my living...

I heart Kanye. He's a genius. Lots of people judge him by what they see repeatedly on the tv, but Kanye is so much more. I love his home in LA. His art collection and choices are stunning.

Most people will never know the genius because they base everything by what media wants them and tells them to see.

And people...these are renderings...not the actual home or space.

Thank you, Keisha Kornbread.

I love it. Nice contrast to the blinged out MTV Cribs crap celebs usually go for (or the Under the Tuscan Sun wannabes you see most actors opt for).

Kanye rocks. We designed his GOOD Grammy after party last year and his taste was impeccable. Very nice guy too. I wouldn't say he's an ego maniac, I think he is proud to work hard and succeed.

also, what other hip hop artist is brave enough to sample Peter Bjorn and John (Young Folks) into their track? Not licking the tea bags, just can see talent where talent exists. Funny how we all criticize the renderings but for the architects out there who have produced renderings, most are pretty minimal and only filled in by the owner after construction.

I think it's interesting how Kanye's talent and personality are being analyzed here. It sounds like people love him or hate him--just like minimal architecture?

Of course, just like musical taste, taste for architecture can range from the traditional to modern from safe and to "brave" like cafeen75 commented.

In this situation though, I see a "safe" musical artist and a "brave" architectural statement. Why? Because in order to reach the masses, content must be pretty safe. Safe moves units and that's what top 40 artists do--move units. I'll agree that he has used the work of those "starving artists" like Peter Bjorn and John or the Daft Punk folks, but just in small enough doses so that his product can be sold on an enormously massive scale.

Sure, he has a few catchy tunes but as far as producers in this genre go, RZA or the Beastie Boys even whose commercial success was unique, their body of work is/was very, very clever.

Regardless of who owns this or its designer pedigree, this place reminds me too much of a mausoleum. Or the set of some "age-defying" L'Oreal skincare product... Ultimately, the place feels like a tribute to his own ego.

I don't know much about Kanye West...

I heard from someone that Moby had a nice example of minimalist design in his NYC apartment, and that it was featured on MTV once.

Are those real pictures? They look like 3D rendering and I don't believe they are the "final" design (with the owner's stuff).
I'm pretty indifferent to KW's work, but I have to admit he's talented. As far as I'm concerned, he's more genuine than most celebs who pretend to be simple. Having a high level of self-esteem is better than faking humbleness.
I wonder what people would have said if they didn't know it was KW's apartment.

not my style. I love simplicity, but not something without personality.