Name: Cullen
Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York
I collect 1950s antiques and had a unique experience finding an unrenovated mid-century apartment. My search started after already living in New York for 8 years. I had moved just after turning 18 to go to college. After 1 year in the dorms I was ready for my own place and I found a great deal on a 1 bedroom in the West Village off Washington Square Park. It was your typical renovated blah NYC apartmentt, but I did move as much of my 50s collection as I could cram in and made it as retro as I could.
After 7 years in the apartment, not only had I accumulated an unholy amount of antiques, but I was ready for a real sized apartment (my 1st bedroom was 12x7). So I figured since I was going to try to move, I would actually try to find an unrenovated mid-century apartment. This, I knew, was almost impossible. The modus operandi of NYC, especially with lower rent apartments and as I'm sure you know, is to constantly gut renovate when people move out and get rid of all the great original details.
One day, during the 4th month of looking, I get an email from a broker in Williamsburg Brooklyn, saying she has my apartment and I needed to come to Brooklyn ASAP to look at it. So, needless to say, my now favorite broker in the world was right and I put down a deposit that day to sign a lease the following day. I did do some minor restorations, like restoring all the original kitchen hardware, removing all the paint etc ( and also learned at the time as I took the hardware off that the original kitchen had been the same pink as the bathroom). I also painted every inch of the apt and moved a lot more of the antiques I had stored at my parents house to Brooklyn, as I finally had the space and right backdrop to display things. I'm sad to say, there is about as much pictured in my apartment still in storage, so hopefully one day I can upgrade again to a period house. But for now, I honestly think I couldn't have found a more 1950s apartment in the amazing condition it was in in NYC.
Thanks, Cullen!
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Wow, how fun! I love your space. :)
Great collection. Would love to see more.
Where did you get your living room rug?
An antique isn't an antique until it's 100+ years old.
Saying that, you room still rocks.
American collectibles are considered "antique" at 50 years, now, didn't you know?
That is a LOT of stuff. I couldn't live with so much clutter, but if it makes you happy to look at, that's what counts. Enjoy!
where did you find/make/come up with that headboard? it's awesome!
Wowza, its amazing!
Would love to visit--but living there would creep me out! It's over-stimulating for me. I think the headboard is ingenius--but bad feng shui (the reasons are more than bullet-points in some book)--but it too would drive me out of my mind.
Gorgeous, but forbidden fruit for me....
Very cool, very fun! If I bring a gift that is originally from the 50's, may I have a visit?
I love it! I have the sudden urge for a martini and some Frank Sinatra on the hi-fi...
want more pics? retrorenovation.com did a sweet article on this a while back
http://retrorenovation.com/2012/04/12/cullen-meyer-crown-prince-of-kitsch-40-photos/
awesome awesome awesome
Seems I saw this earlier this year; NYTimes maybe? If this is clutter, then it's no longer a dirty word! Great wild bunch of 50s stuff!
I'M from the 50's, so if I move in with you, can you just call me a collectible? I love love this place! Makes me quite nostalgic for what I used to think silly when growing up.
The kitchen would make me sing while I cooked. (while wearing a frilly apron with giant apples on it, of course)
Can't wait to see your destined period house someday.
I'd love it, if it was edited down by about half. Lots of great stuff, just too chaotic for me to appreciate.
WOW.................too much in one place for me.
I agree whole heartedly with KaBoomBOX
the combination of super busy action with humongous oversized stuff fills me with joy <3
Thank you so much! It is actually a children's themed linoleum rug from the late 1930s. It has game boards on it so you can play checkers and chess and paper football on the floor. It came from a house in upstate New York and was in the attic when the family purchased the house from the original owners.
If anyone bring my a 50s gift not only can you come visit but I will make you a 1950s cocktail.
WOW! Where do I begin!!! I'm just going to ramble on here. First of all: You have an INCREDIBLE amount of amazing vintage/antique pieces! It is a bit overwhelming at first...but I can only speak for myself when I say, I'm overwhelmed with JOY! So many house tours on here are picture perfect...minimal, organized and just "picture pretty". This is truly one of a kind atmosphere. I love it! I would LOOOOOVE to see your storage space! haha. I can only imagine what is in there!