apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

The slate color in the hall is lovely. What is the specific paint color and finish?

I was just going to ask that same question. I have been searching for an "urban bluey gray", have tried numberous Benjamin Moore samples, but from these pics, this looks perfect.

I'd love details on the paint.

Great apartment, and I love the daybed, but...I hate to be the one to bring this up, but this is the second or third apartment slideshow with the toilet seat up! Come on, let's put down the seat for the picture!

Perhaps the toilet is original to the former sex club and no one wants to sit on the seat.

Lovely apartment otherwise. A real beauty!

Love the apartment, but not a big fan of the placement of the daybed. Living in an old sex club, who could resist that?

Ditto the slate blue paint. Details please!

How much was the apt rented for?

Yeah, the daybed next to the similar-sized upholstered ottoman/coffee table makes the daybed look like a second ottoman/coffee table. The rest is great!

I originally wasn't going to comment on the apartment, but changed my mind after reading the other comments. It is a really lovely space, feels grown up but still has a sense of character and fun. But, the placement of the (really cool) daybed is so jarring to me. I know the guys (or at least Michael) love it, but it seems to interrupt the flow of the living room area. And it's just too big for the space. Wouldn't it make better sense in the guest bedroom instead of the twin bed? In fact, the piece could dictate the color scheme of that room (wall color, floor covering, accessories, etc). I think it could really shine in that room! Going back to the living room, maybe re-think the ottoman also? It also seems too big for the space. Maybe something smaller that could serve double-duty as storage too (i.e. 2 storage cubes or 1 smaller wooden chest). And for additional seating, maybe a leather pouf or two (lower profile and takes up less floor space)? The bedroom looks great. And I love the hallway between the two bedrooms! (It's perfectly accessorized with the wooden bench and wire sculpture!) Sorry, hope I don't come across as a hater, but the living room area just seemed so cramped and unresolved to me. And it's such a shame to block the mantle.

Eliza. Since entering my bathroom in a previous AT contest, I now keep the toilet seat and lid down since getting so many negative comments about it--all female, btw. But you know what, give the guys a break. Boys live here. And it's much more convenient to leave it up.

Enrique,
I know I was being harsh re the toilet seat (I actually hesitated to post, but it was too funny!), and I understand that boys live there. But for a picture? I just think it looks better if the toilet is closed for a picture ; ) But boys will be boys.

BTW, your design comments are always right on, and in this case, I think you offered some great, practical suggestions.

And there is peace in the valley as Eliza and I stroll hand-in-hand through the aisles of Bed Bath & Beyond... ;)

great apartment in chelsea. Although i live in london, i enjoy this site very much. it is nice to see some london houses featured here.

the main thing i enjoyed about this house was that it was not very pretentious but yet retained a stylish feel throughout. it was not a high-tech, modern or extravagantly furnished place. but rather it was created by some clever considered touches, some regular furnishing materials and a lot of imagination.

ADORABLE! You can tell warm and intelligent people live there.

Architectural Digest would blanch at the raised toilet seat. Hats off to that.

I would KIND of like two smallish clubs chairs flanking the fireplace instead of that daybed, which does appear to kind of block the fireplace, but I can definitely see that depending on what kind of party you're hosting, the upholstered coffee table and that daybed might be fantastic together!

Michael here,

Thx for the comments, some responses

the paint is glidden "windson haze" we bought it at home depot and it's an eggshell enamel finish

sorry to all the ladies regading the toilet seat, we will to keep it down for our next photo shoot. But we are only two boys lving in the apt,,..

i appreciate the comments and agree about the daybed/ottoman dilema, our apt in london terrace had extra wide rooms which made the layout much more gracious. It's difficult to find an appropriate layout in 11.5' rooms

sorry guys, typo

i meant "Windsor Haze" (not windson)

i second curtis' comment about having 2 smallish club chairs by the fireplace; it seems by far the best solution to me. congratulation on a great job overall!

Why did you remove the 4 large hooks? That type of unique feature is usually great for resale.

I love it. It looks welcoming and cohesive, the lighting is great and you've made room for all of your books.


Don't mind the daybed; guests need a place to sit more than they need a place to do jumping jacks.

Great job. Your apartment is spare, yet personal and welcoming. I love your work. Agree about the toilet seat, thanks very much. The Windsor Haze paint--brilliant!

I love it! Esta hermoso!

The color in the house is lovely. What is the specific paint color and finish

Please. let me know asap.

Damnit! I knew we should have gone with the high gloss!

Damn, damn. I'm being ridiculous. But really, who knew?

I, for one, think the daybed should stay exactly where it is. Too much design totalitarianism here--when does the person get to make a mark on the space? If you love something, why not put it where you can see it all the time. The design feature is that it is the thing you love and so you want it right there.

And also, I'm now realizing that it wasn't a bad idea to buy those hold everything shelves because they look good in your place.

How did I miss this the first time? How, how?

Y'know, while I would have put two chairs by the fireplace because I have this "thing" for chairs, I kinda like the daybed there. If people using the room are comfortable with backless seating...

I hate to bring up unpleasant thoughts but keeping the toilet seat down when you flush just makes sense.

I can't believe I have never heard this mentioned.

Susan

Perhaps I'm naive or uninformed, but what the heck is a sex club?!

Gosh, how do New Yorkers live without windows and light? Guess I'd never survive in the big apple.

Beautiful job on making a small space work.

Mat, it's exactly what it sounds like.

Too bad about taking down the hooks. Those would be fun to have.

I have to say I'm not digging the living room. It looks a bit too linear to me, with everything lined up parallel. That sad little plant in the fireplace needs a better home.

Nice place, Michael and Walker.

I saw your office chair in the office/guest bedroom, and it's the same chair I have for my home office.
I bought it on Craigslist for only $30. It's a Knoll chair, and it looks like one of the Saarinen chair shapes. Whatever that particular chair is, Knoll no longer makes it with casters.

Do you guys know anything else about it? Mine is upholstered in a pretty dusty rose pink wool. I love it.

Re: daybed, you can maybe also keep the daybed against the wall where the sofa is, and replace the sofa with a couple nice big comfy armchairs. And if you have bigger parties, borrow a couple smaller chairs from your kitchen.
I live in a small space too and that's what I have to do.

You should absolutely close the toilet lid every time you flush. Otherwise, germs cascade out of the toilet and hit every surface in reach - typically including your toothbrush as well as many things you touch often, such as the lid and toilet handle. The name for this in hygiene circles is the "fecal plume," in case you were wondering.

Did anyone point out to Meera that there is also a Chelsea in NYC, which features a large apartment complex called London Terrace?

Agree about rearranging the living room a bit. I'd move the daybed to the empty wall space between the windows. The ottoman/coffeetable seems a bit bulky for the space also.

I thought the space looked a bit uncomfortable and dark, though I couldn't place the blame on any specific element other than the small windows. I couldn't help thinking that the description of the place they left behind sounded so much more beautiful. Must have been an awfully good deal to tempt them away from a penthouse to a ground floor.

Cool redo! I'd LOVE to see a floorplan--the bedrooms downstairs, etc!

Do both bedrooms have windows? If not, most likely, you will NOT be able to claim that it is two bedrooms when you sell because every place I've ever lived has had a fire code that requires a window in every bedroom. (BTW, I added two windows to my house, and it cost me about $1,500. So in NYC, that'd be...$4,000? The family room had a single 3.5x6' window. Now it has a 5x6' and a 3x6' window. LIGHT!!!!! And a better view of the mountains. :-))

I know you love the daybed...but when you decide to put the apt on the market, I'd suggest several changes! I agree about the club chairs and cubes--the daybed and ottoman shoud temporarily find another home. :-) In addition, you should get rid of the current TV and put a flat panel on the wal above the fireplace. If you add two builtins on either side of the fireplace, it could give you shelf space above (for books) and storage space below (for A/V equipment, like your DVD player).

If this is to flip, be careful about putting too much personality in the space, however fun it is. Boring sells.

Michael (of michael and walker) here,

For all of you still interested in this you will be happy to know that the daybed has since been moved out to our country house. We have moved the club chairs to the window wall, bought a fuzzy white rug, and recentered the ottoman/coffee table. this has opened up the space quite a bit. We also completely redid the kitchen.

thanks to all for the suggestions.

And now - after our public thrashing, sorry ladies - we do keep the toilet seat down (most of the time.)

Doesn't have 1/4 of the charm of Olga's inspired creation.

The daybed looks fine where it is. Perhaps it is the fabric that people find jarring.

what is that thing with the hose going to the window
in slide 20? An air purifier? Does it work? Comment please.
It'd be cool to seethe spiral staircase w/ afresh coat of paint, not necess. black. Two different colors for the central pole and the stairs maybe?
The guest bedroom is nice in a way but also has a bit of 'grandmother's attic space' to it (my own grandmother, RIP). I can smell the mothballs and mildew(sense memory)from here.Any grandmothers reading, please - no offence meant.

fresh, casual, and relaxed come to mind looking at this apartment. michael, daybed or no daybed the living room looked great. i guess now it's enjoying the country air. thanks for sharing.

eeeck, c'mon, "hygiene circles"?

LOVE the guest room office chairs1
(& hallway wooden table + wire sculptures, the day bed fabric, grey paint...)

i too lament the loss of the hooks tho

chairs! that is.
Zed honey, doesn't that just mean people who work in hygienne?

Eeek, what made me give up hope is that, apparently, even if you close the toilet lid, that plume is just lurking to explode out the first time you open the lid. So sayeth a study I read anyway. Yet we've all survived despite the odds.

Michael, love the daybed, but your new arrangement sounds wonderful and spacious.

My sister used to be the brand manager for a hand sanitizer and came home with this and many other disturbing facts, I'm not sure what else you'd call the industry! I do agree that you can't be germ-free in this world, I always keep my own toilet lids closed for a more practical reason - it keeps the cats from drinking out of them ;-).

M or W

I like the light in the hallway leading to the spiral steps. Could you site your source.

Thanks

Can you tell me where you got the glass interior doors?

answers to some questions above.

the light in the hallway came from Craigslist, origin unknown

the glass door is jeld-wen, interior wood french door, check out their website.

michael

It's a nice apartment, but I think it's a shame that the livingroom is so cramped with not 2 daybeds. I think the space would look much better with just one. Other then that I like it.

If this is a 2005 House Tour, and they were going to flip in 2 years, I'm VERY curious ... have they? Will they? Or did they fall so far in love with it that they never will?

Wow, what a nice place you have. I really liked this tour.

I'm curious too; do Walker and Michael still live there?

there is a massive spam thread about sex toys on image 19 of the slide show...fyi

Please post an update on the owners and their properties when re-posting house tours. If E! can update all of their True Hollywood Stories, it shouldn't be too hard for an AT editor to get new information and photos from the property owners or renters.

Michael here, yes, we did flip last october (and did well). We are currently renting two blocks away while we await our next apt (condo in new construction at the Caledonia) to be completed in about a month or two.