(We're trying out some of the best applicants from our New York Blogger Search — this House Call comes from applicant Kat Howard.)
Name: Aaron and Kat
Location: Boerum Hill, Brooklyn NYC
After living in a cramped, under 500 square feet, walk-up with no closets and two cats Aaron and Kat were excited to move into the long cream and white rooms of their new 1,100 square foot railroad apartment with abundant closet space, and a terrace. Their design of the space reflects this sense of relief and combines warm wood, mid-century Danish furniture, earth tones, and a respect for the empty space...
However, with the challenges of one side of the railroad apartment covered in a red brick wall, and the opposite facing wall almost entirely closets, getting color into the space through the traditional method of hanging artwork wasn't going to work. To liven up the space and provide much needed texture, Aaron and Kat used pops of deep orange or blue tones in chairs and side tables, stacked tiers of colorful books at the edges of rooms, and placed their growing vinyl record collection on view. In the few spaces where the wall was open, pieces from the couple's vintage map collection (from a boutique in Paris), along with an art-deco chinoiserie mirror, were hung. They chose natural materials and white lanterns from Pearl River Mart to connect their outdoor space with the interior.
(Images: Kat Howard)
We've had amazing response to our Apartment Therapy House Tour Submission Form. While we will work with homeowners of our favorite homes to feature full tours, we will also share the best as House Calls — short, quick tours of readers' homes. Submit your home here.
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I'm not a fan of the pretend-third-person. It might be more annoying than the "royal we." Nice apartment, though!
More! House tour! I've always been intrigued by railroad flats.
Great looking space, so far.
"a respect for the empty space."
Well put, and something I'm currently experiencing myself. Nice to see it put into words. Lovely place.
Not a very well-written piece (sorry!), but the apartment is lovely.
Who cares if it's a well-written piece?
I care if what I read is well written. It's not just about pretty pics. This piece is poorly written.
OMG I hadn't ever see those chairs yet! They look so beautiful. Does anyone know is they are signed by some famous designer?
If you are talking about the dining chairs, homedesignlover, they are from Ikea
http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/90087249
Errrr, ljbaroudi, this is a test piece for a potential AT blogger. I do believe that the perfect applicant should combine photographic ability with clever verbage. Do you really just look at the pictures? My English major heart is breaking here!
Anyway. This space is like a breath of fresh air- well done. I think the next piece that Aaron and Kat need to acquire is a set of opaque white drawers for under the desk. This would eliminate a slight bit of visual clutter and stay consistent with the crisp modern feel of the apartment.
I'd like to see more of this home, which bodes well for the applicant's design abilities. Also, the pictures are good. The writing, however, was hit-or-miss. Some of the wording is lovely, but there are a few clunky sentences and she used the dreaded passive voice.
I think this is a very well written piece, thoughtful and informative with some nice phrasing.
And I really like the wooden dining table with the white chairs.
However I think the armchair and mirror-on-a-stand setup is very ungainly and uninviting. If the two items of furniture were just swapped around it would work much better (though the tall lamp and probably the things on the wall would have to be rethought).
Really lovely apartment! I agree with some of the comments about the writing. It is generally a good idea to alternate shorter and longer sentences. I tend to read things out loud and if it doesn't sound good, it's not going to read well.
Lovely space, Kat, and I think the photographs give it a really warm and inviting vibe. I do agree that the fake third person is a bit grating. And Kat, if you're reading this, where's your dining table from?
Hi all - cheers to the notes and pointers; it's great to hear feedback from AT readers!
buca45: A railroad apartment is a series of rooms connecting to each other in a line, similar in design to a railway car. It's a common layout in New York apartments, particularly in brownstones.
michpc: The teak dining room table is from a mid-century modern and vintage furnishing store in DUMBO called Baxter & Liebchen. You can find similar tables in other antique stores throughout the city - I located several before I went with this particular piece, due to the price and prime condition.
looks like the apartment 'combines' more 'ikea' furniture than 'danish' furniture... also, these photographs leave me wanting more, but not in a good way: context and cohesion are completely absent.... though i assume it is difficult to shoot in a railroad.
lastly, buca45: a railroad means basically that one room, or more, is connected via an adjoining room.. instead of a hall. its the urban version of a shotgun house.
@shockthebourgeois:
How do you know this is a test piece to become an AT blogger? From what I gather, it looks like just another house call submission. Either way, not everyone is an English major, and the italics tip readers off to the fact that the blurb wasn't written by a writer for AT.
@Writing critics:
I'd rather applaud the writer for the attempt rather than condemning their post for some awkward wording.
It is a lovely apartment. I particularly like the exposed brick!
@shockthebourgeois,
Ah! I see, New York Blogger search as well as House Call submission. I still applaud the effort--it's clear the writer put a lot of thought into the description.
I agree with most that the space evokes a feeling of serenity however I also agree with workweek. I'm not left wanting more. While tidy, the space is lacking inspiration. I don't see anything interesting or different. It's a bit boring and expected. I was intrigued by the map collection but then learned they were from a boutique (they were probably already framed and displayed as presented in their home). How about framing a few key album covers from their vinyl collection to show their taste, a bit of personality and color?
How do you finish the dining room table to keep it so beautiful?
I love the gold shams. Does anyone know where they're from?
I like the apartment a lot and I think that the couple has done a great job in working with a railroad. I have lived in one for 15 years and it's really a tough challenge daily to have to deal with - so, job well done! It would be great to continue to see more coverage on living in railroads or even some references specifically on living in these type of apartments.
I'd also like to comment that I think that the amount of incredibly snarky and rude readers that relentlessly post negative commentary is absolutely atrocious on this site. I have NEVER seen it this consistent than any other site that I frequent. WHAT is wrong with you people - do you have nothing else to do with you time except mudsling? It's so toxic. Take the article for what its worth and if you're so concerned about something being well written and feel so complelled to share your expertise, go get yourself a job as an Editor, in PR, or Proofreading while you're wasting your time criticizing everything around you. Sorry if that's not snarky enough but c'mon, THINK POSITIVE, PEOPLE..!