My first reaction was that this apartment is boring. Then I spent some time really looking at the images and realized it is deceivingly simple. I can appreciate the minimalism and clever use of space...Nice job.

Very beautiful, chic, elegant, everything you want. The (big) downer : less paintings "in the style of such or such great artist" and more "really by this lesser known but talented artist in his or her real style". Collecting art isn't just pretending.

So... to whom is AT attempting to appeal?

Really, Some of the recent house tours and features (including this one - which is expensively and indulgently fantastic) seem to betray what was once the heart and soul of the AT ethos.

I'd make some crack about this being AT and not Martha Stewart but you know, that would be smarmy.

Very elegant,
I have no issue with AT showing low, mid and high end features, After all how many milk-crate turned plasma tv stand features do you expect them to post..
Plain and simple a wide(yet focused) appeal is good for biz

That massive plant in the living room. What is it and where can I get one? Anybody know?

Nice place but I agree with the art comment. Instead of a local talent painting something to resemble another artist, give me some of their own flavor.

Thanks

...a little high end inspiration never hurt anybody...

Wasn't this originally Martha's apartment that Kevin got when she went to prison? I wonder how much money the company spent redoing this (vs Kevin himself) since it was used for editorial purposes.

Does anyone recognize the wall lamps in his library? MSL doesn't give credits for those and I've been looking for something similar.

Always great to see Albers on display, but those are from the Formulation:Articulation portfolio not the Hard Edge Soft Edge portfolio. :)

BrownDogHome - Kevin told us they were from a previous collaboration between Martha Stewart and a lighting company (can't remember which) but they were currently looking into revitalizing that line! Check out Barn-Inspired Lighting for Your Home for a similar look!

I don't think anything this beige can be called vulgar...

I've noticed lately that whenever a high end item, or home that uses them is posted people have this negative reaction about it appearing on AT and I'm legitimately curious as to why this is. There are plenty of posts about DIY, cheap finds and thrifting, nothing wrong with seeing something else every now and then. It is possible to get ideas from these posts too, I thought appreciating good design was about garnering inspiration from a variety of sources.

I think this home (like all the homes I really enjoy on AT) reflects the owner, it is VERY organized and minimal and you can tell there was a lot of thought put into it. It is funny I was actually watching a video about this same apartment yesterday where he talks about living with almost no furniture for awhile and really thinking about what he'd like his place to look like. The end result is great, not everyone's cup of tea, but what apartment is?

My favorite features would have to be the cerused wood furniture in the bedroom and the bleached floors. We see so many interiors with dark wood floors, this is is a lovely contrast.

Nicely said Luxx.

That plant is my favorite part and I do love that crisp all white kitchen. But then when I got to the closet and went ugh. Too much of all the same and lifeless.

Luxx - I think a lot of this negative reaction here is bcs people here see real interiors, which are lived, warm and have a bit of mess in them. These interiors that are photographed by "professionals" have no life in them. It looks like every book, every piece of furniture is millimetrically calculated to be equidistant from the wall or each other. It is too much set up. I bet you anything that if you went for a visit in any random day to his apartment it would feel a bit warmer. Now that I have a kid, I feel nothing warms up a space like some toys laying around in the apartment... So it is all about perspective.

This entire renovation was blogged and reported on by Martha's show and Kevin's blog. Given that fact- I expected it to be showroom ready. However, I think its important to note that almost everything was custom down to each wood stain. Its what you don't see, and thus what you don't initially appreciate, that takes love, time, and care to create.

To comment of the 'in the style of art'. I think its perfectly fine. Why should one only be regulated to local art, when one can't afford a famous original? The pieces in question were done by local artists, and appeal to the owner. They are not copies, or unauthorized reproductions. Art is extremely personal and the decision to what is on your wall should not be dictated by cost or scarcity. The vary nature of 'schools of art' is purely an adoption of an original thought and extrapolated from an individuals original style (think 'the school of impressionism) and that is what is being done here.

Cute, but now I see what an unlimited budget can buy.

I get inspired by all price ranges :) The place is very nice, the only room I don't like is the kitchen...but only because it's boring.

He must not cook-there's no way any cook would choose that much white for a kitchen. I love beige, so I loved this, but I, too, wonder where all his books and movies are. Does he have them cleverly hidden? AT should photograph those tricks of the trade.

Ah 2,500 square feet. I miss that.

One person's warm and cozy is just another person's mess. I usually keep things tidy, but I could dump out everything I own on the floor and put it all back in about 15 minutes. So...yeah.

And why shouldn't someone clean up for a professional photo shoot when thousands of people are going to be seeing their home? I don't particularly care to see your dirty old socks lying around when I can smell my own.

Overall, I think it's quite nice, but much too beige for me. I'd probably want to toss some hot pink or purple appliances in the kitchen too.

Very elegant and inspiring.

The only missteps for me are the 17 purple sweaters, the half-dozen pair of Wellingtons...
...and the white plastic cutting board (Wood or Bamboo would have ruined the all-white effect???)

ok, yes, absolutely stunning perfection. Truly, down the last super detail.

But once again, there is nothing provocative here, nothing that tells me anything about this person's 'real self'. Interesting how the one true piece of his 'real self' is the inspiring ephemera board that's hidden inside his shoe closet. God forbid anyone find out you have any quirks or kinks....

It is still fabulous though.

Understated drama. Luxurious. Tasteful. That plant is genius. Well done.

In answer to self taught (from what i can see in the photo) that plant is called monstera deliciosa - i dont really know where you can get it where you are, but here in Malaysia its abundant in the jungle..
Its a creeping vine and we have a huge one on the exterior wall of my house!

I like the juxtaposition of the earthiness of the flooring and paint colors with the more glitzy furniture choices. The kitchen seems to stark for the rest of the space, though.

First, I love that the detail photo of the baseboard and floor also highlights a flaw in the drywall and painting. I'm not crazy about the pastiches, but to each his own. Still some lovely moments here. Is it really a library if all the books are coffee table books?

Obviously not to everyone's taste above me, but this is about as perfect in my mind as a space can get......but yeah, he must not cook much.

I really can't believe Apartment therapy erased my comment. All I said what that this style wasn't my cup of tea, and explained why. Yes, I said I thought it was unimaginative because nothing there really surprised me, and tasteless because beige on beige on beige on yellow is just a poor choice of color combination.
I understand the high end concept and I respect it. But I just think about the time and the money involved in this project and I can't help but imagine what extraordinary apartment it could have been.

However, I just think it is absolutely unfair (and lame) that AT would just decide to erase the comments that don't agree with their editorial choices.
Why would you put a comments section if you are going to censor a reaction that doesn't please you? Especially if the reasons of this dislike are explained. Plus, I can feel among the other comments that I am not the only one who didn't like this interior. No big deal. It's just my taste and I am nobody. The man who made and now lives in this place is very famous and sucessful. He shouldn't (or AT, by extension) feel threaten by my little reaction.

It is very disappointing, ethically speaking.

(Sorry if my English is a little broken, it's not my first language. AND I am mad.)

Drooling over that place! When I grow up and grow out of my fondness for purple-y/blue paint on the fireplace wall, lime green paint in the kitchen and way too many framed photos in the PUBLIC spaces (oh what a horror, i hear you say), THIS is the home I want (but by that time I'll be so old that that bed will be much too low for me to be able to get out of!). And I'm sure my unsophisticated self will force me to have some purple throw pillows... Going out to find that issue!

(I think his movies and books are stored in some of the kitchen cabinets. And I think he really doesn't LIVE here--with his job, I'm sure he just ducks in to shower and he's out again, hitting some fabulous NYC restaurant. At least, I hope he has such a fab lifestyle!)

I like it. The deep beige, almost tan wall colour is not my favourite. It's just too neutral. I'd go lighter myself. But I'm envious of the organization in the place, not to mention the gorgeous flowers!

My guess on the plant is that it is a Philodendron variety. You can get large specimens like that in NYC from some Plant District shops that specialize in tropicals, or occasionally from any of the big plant shops like Liberty Sunset or Chelsea Gardens.

I also would have thought 'monstera deliciosa', except I do not think this has a vining habit. The leaves look very similar - Bella I am very jealous of what your Malaysian yard must look like with one!

Gorgeous!

Just heaven. Being in this space would be like therapy for the eyes. It's soothing, calm, well balanced, and modern without being cold or plastic. Genius.

I respect that AT maintains its need to be relatable, but I wish more inspirational homes like this would be featured.

I enjoy all things Martha. Her talent and her ability to foster other talent with the same aesthetic. I dvr every episode and I love to analyze and pick apart her every live action. She adores Kevin Sharkey and he is repeatidily on the show with no rhyme or reason for his appearance. His apartment is true art, however the dude himself is creepy.

i LOVE it!

Whatever---its a nice beige apartment with a typical mix of MCM furniture and FAKE art. And a fancy California Closet. The most interesting thing is the cerused furniture, which was profiled in an earlier issue of the mag.

The fake art is really, truly sad. He couldn't find any REAL art in all of NYC with that budget? These *obviously* phony Klines cast an ersatz pall over the entire space---it lacks authenticity, and personality. Anyone who collects, makes or sells art would be nauseated by this.

I have no problem with seeing apartments of people who have the $$ to buy beautiful furniture and get a decent paint job. How many all white living rooms with an electric guitar in the corner, Keep Calm poster, rainbow throw pillow and messy stacks of books does anyone really need to see? Bring on the velvet mohair and custom finishes! Bring on the glamour and sophistication! But not in place of originality or style. Without interesting taste, its just expensive beige upholstery and sad fake art.

I have to say I do wonder at the fake art, given his budget I would say that real art would definitely be an option for him.

nynative, I am so with you on those godawful keep calm posters. They seemed cute at first, but now with every variation on earth (did the world need Harry Potter themed keep calm posters...) showing up in rooms it is so nauseating to see them.

I want to know where the coffee table in the library is from! I love it!

Simply beautiful.

Rothko is rolling in his grave.

This is a beautiful apartment. I would like to live here. I don't think I've ever said that about anything I've seen on AT. Because all aside, I don't care to see or know "who a person really is" by looking at their things. Save the toys, mementos from childhood, dishes in the sink, and other things people think give a space "personality". Give me well organized and clean so i can judge the space and decorating choices for myself, not be endeared to the owners. It's too much like voyuerism at that point.

gorgeous + inspirational. i support apartment therapy straying from it's core msg or "roots" in this way because there is much to be gleaned from spaces even larger or more expensively decorated than my own.

my favorite parts are the signs of life - nature + his personality: loved the peak of his inspiration board. also love the plant in the living room + the dining room table-top arrangements.

love this. Its beautiful and its an apartment. It deserves space here.

personally I'm tired of all the homemade diy stuff.

I have no problem with AT featuring high-end places, but I'd love to see a ballpark figure for the cost of this work. Not everything needs to be DIY, but we're talking about some serious cash here. And, ditto on the lame art. Discussions of copying a particular artist's style aside, those paintings are just ugly.

Thanks bella! I'm searching for one now

on purpose, there are a lot of ideas people can use; for example, draw the eye to the "art" so that one does not notice the cracks in the wallboard joints. the idea of classic, plain pieces with changable accessories (whether people like them or not) works. the white kitchen actually might be usable/clean-able. where, however, is the floor plan?

I liked the art in the first photo, it's what attracted my attention. Not something I'd use in my own place, but neat looking. Saying a painting is ugly seems odd to me. Saying I don't like it personally makes more sense. Also, what is fake art? I'm new to that term.

I wonder how much a home like this would cost including the renovations, furniture, art... sigh.. a girl can dream...

These buildings are beautiful, hovering over the Hudson River. If you can afford an apartment in this building, no doubt it should look exactly the way it does. Simplistic luxury. And think about your neighbors when they come over for a cup of sugar- the likes of Calvin Klein and Martha herself.

(as a side note: who knew Martha paid her employees so well)

... just wondering why AT editors erased some of the negative comments on this home tour and allowed far worse comments on the other house tours.

Is this in a Richard Meier building?.... I'm drooling

you know...most people who read high end fashion magazines (i.e. regular people like me) don't expect to buy all the stuff in there (I would splurge on shoes or a jacket but like once a year) so how is it different for people reading about apartments? why are people so negative, people who read Vogue usually say its not edgy enough, not its too elitist, I refuse to see beautiful expensive things...its meant as inspiration...there's lots of good ideas in this post:
1. full length mirror in the washroom to make it look bigger
2. hiding flaws by blending it into the floor
3. using art (even if its a print) to anchor a room
4. most people have boring tastes like this guy but you can still make it look good

Love it, love it, love it.
The living room is so stunning but the size has a lot do with it. I love the black& white art.

Somebody ask about the plant - I am sure it is a philodendron, often I see them at Home Depot (unless you want to go to a higher priced store). They grow fairly fast.

A.T. has become heavy handed on erasing posts.

Very chic. But there's something "off" about the furniture placement in the living room to me. The seating arrangements seem too separated from one another. I have this urge to pull everything in a little tighter in that room.

I liked his apartment but is it just me or does his living room feel like a posh therapists' office or waiting room? I'm guessing it's one of those rooms no one goes in b/c it's not comfortable and you're worried about spilling all the time. I'm having flashbacks to my parent's formal living room, even though the style is drastically different . . .

Beautiful!
This was originally Martha's apartment that was turned over to renovate and design for editorial. I bet this was a million dollar renovation. Very nice perk for Kevin, unless we believe he paid for any of this.

When I came across this story in MSL I did wonder how such a young person could pay form something like this... my conclusion was family money or an inheritance.

It's a very elegant space, although not my style. However, I find it doesn't have enough life to it, despite the huge plant and despite the art on the walls... I think it is just too perfect. I keep thinking about the Japanese concept of aesthetics which essentially states that there must be some imperfection in order to achieve true beauty.

A bit boring and "deja vu", great space but nothing new....

The giant plant in the living room is called Philodendron bipinnatifidum (was P. selloum) or Elephant Ear philodendron. Very tough plant, will take medium to lower light levels but can outgrow a space over time.

http://www.floridata.com/ref/p/phil_bip.cfm

I, too, was a bit miffed by his choice of art 'in the style of' some well-known artists. It would be nice if he'd taken a chance on someone rather than go the safe road. But I think that being the-son-that-Martha-never-had might be limiting in terms of self-expression.

Such a neutral pallette can easily be boring, but I don't find this to be the case here at all. Instead, it's a wonderfully serene space and has a kind of floating-in-the-clouds feel. I imagine it must be a wonderful respite from the clamor of the city below.

If I had to name the one design element that I love most about this space, it would be the bleaching of the wood floors.

I read all kinds of design sites and magazines for inspiration. I do not have the luxury of working with famous designers or buying outlandishly expensive furniture, but seeing the results of people who do helps inform my own design decisions and even trickles down to my diy projects. Creating high end looks with a low end budget is extremely satisfying.

Based on many of the comments above, it becomes clear why people like Kevin and Martha are the design experts, and most everyone else is not.

Regarding the mean spirited comments, I find them baffling and devoid of any usefullness.

Bland is not the word, nothing new, nothing inspirational,nothing interesting. It looks like hotel design by an mediocre designer. Safe Safe safe etc. Im not worried about the negative comment as this was designed by a corporation with countless amounts of money.

i think it is beautiful and am really tired of all the RUDE remarks from people. What is the deal with INSTANTLY hating a home once you know someone with money lives there?
I like to see how people with money decorate just as I like to see how people who have a limited budget decorate.
The art is wonderful and who cares if it is fake or not.
GAWD....get over yourselves people and grow up!

I cannot understand why so many AT readers are pre-disposed to criticize homes whose owners have a generous budget, who do not knit their own artwork or find their furniture on the street, or who do not consider clutter to be "warm and homey." This site is called Apartment Therapy, not Apartments of the Destitute or Apartment Craftsy. Please, AT, keep showing us homes like this that we can aspire to. I don't know about the critics, but as soon as I win the Lottery, I am going to buy myself some high end furniture. I will not apologize to those who fault me for surrounding myself with things that I can afford rather than keeping it cheap so that the financially challenged, snarky readers can continue to pretend that their homes are superior to those who can and do afford nicer things. Until I win the megabucks, I'm going to continue to get my inspiration from the nicer homes rather. And do they really think that a messy, unkempt home is more attractive than a neat, organized, camera ready residence?

This home is just another meticulous, same-old home that I would find in my home design magazines. I am very disappointed that AT would show such a contrived setting on such an obvious PR push. I stopped buying Martha Stewart Living because it was too staged. AT, I'd buy a subscription from you if you promised to stay fresh. Please keep it inspiring.

I don't know about the neighborhood or budget spent... I just think that the space looks like yet another furniture-company-showroom.

I love love love love the decorative pillows - can i get more information on kevins pillows. The velvet pillows- i mean the magazine source mentions the fabric is from Wolf homes but i need to know who designed the pillow. Was it Kevin or some other designer.

aw man! the painting over the bed is so rad! the scale is awesome and it brings alot of movement and energy into an otherwise very serene space. great.

i love the paint color! i used martha stewart's weimaraner color years ago and it seems almost purplely compared to the heath color. i wish i had waited. the magazine pictures definitely show the best of the apartment...i don't really like it that much now that I've seen the pictures on here. the kitchen has a doctor's office feel to it. imo, he needs shelves instead of those cabinets. overall, it reminds me of john mayer's apartment with better paint and more feminine touches.

that bedroom is pretty darn sweet, though

Scoot hit it on the nose: 'unlimited budget' indeed. I read thru Kevin's apartment updates, and found myself shaking my head in...wonder? awe? incredulity? Sure, it's gorgeous; but when everything is top of the line custom made, custom ordered, reupholstered, done, done and re-done (can't have shadows!); and then when you see the (very posed) 'final reveal' party here: http://tinyurl.com/3oaezwg, with his shower stall packed floor to ceiling with Hermes boxes, and a tray of Chanel lipsticks bought for the purpose of writing game scores on the mirror...WHO can related to that?!? I certainly can’t. Looking at it all I vascillated between being green with envy and just wanting to throw up! :( But the guy definitely makes being OCD look absolutely effortless…

love the art series!