apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

are there no shades or window coverings in the bedroom at all? yowza

I like the lines of the leather chair in the bedroom. Can you tell us where its from? Thanks!

Redesign that kitchen??? Whaat? It's beautiful!

Yep, no shades as of yet! Noone can really look in, but you never kknow! The windows have a reflective covering! (Hurray up and get your binoculars before the shades get installed! WHOPPEE! HA!)

mabel73,

Go to ABC Carpet and Home! The chair was on sale for a ridiculously low price last month and there aren't any more! However, see my very favorite salesperson, Marne Cahn 212-529-1941 in the Urban Oasis Home Shop at ABC. They have outrageous prices and she is sooo helpful!

goonie,

So as not to sound spoiled, I just need more space. I love my current kitchen because it IS so beautiful, but because I am a professional baker and develop recipes for my website, baking911.com and for client's, I need more drawers and shelves and workspace. My current one here only has three drawers! And, I built lots of closet space into this new apartment (not shown in the pics)where everything is put away, but I need everything close at hand and a big center island!

You would not believe what I can bake and cook in such a small kitchen, though! It would be an article and kitchen tour in itself if you saw me in action!

wait, why was this place featured?

so much money, square footage, and the nearly incomprehensible chance to design your own home out of that much space...

this is not how the humble 'other' 98% of us live..

i thought AT was more about the little people who try to design in their 400 - 1200sq ft homes on more modest means? shniff, whimper, somewhat befuddled and envious shniff..

Her apartment looks into my office. Small world.

Well, it's nice to meet you, I Love Upstate!

chair:
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/fur/563935301.html

Yeah I'm with Heather Leaf. This post didn't inspire me at all, it just annoyed me.

What happened to play nice? I think couple comments on here a little unfair to the Homeowner..

We arent ALL going to be living in small spaces forever.. its nice to see something to aspire to And alot my inspiration pages come from larger spaces!

be nice...

Thank you, lettuce227! Well put!

When I left home, I started out in a teeny, tiny dorm room at college, and sought out good design even then.....I built my own bookshelves, painted the walls, made my own curtains and so on. So, good interior design can start at any time.....You need not have money to be able to design a wonderful space....

But, that's not the point. Good manners are appropriate at all times.....

...or should I say, Good manners are in fashion all the time!

RE: the comments of mollybb and heather leaf - I am appauled that some people are so jealous of someone that can decorate a home so beautiful. I don't think the tour was to show how much money someone has but to show that it takes a special talent to put it all together without the help of a high price decorator- would love to see a tour of these two females homes and then read comments on them.

Ya gotta have mahble cawlumns!

Seriously though, apart from a dearth of rugs, good job! I look forward to seeing what you do with the kitchen.

It's a fabulous location.

Were the floors part of the original build-out? I could see replacing them with some real wood salvaged boards from an old NY building.

It's hard to tell what kind of space you have in the kitchen. Hopefully, when you expand, you can build on to what you've already got. Cabinetry looks like Kraftmaid or something similar which could be re-matched. A couple of 220 v. outlets to accomodate dual electric wall ovens and an island with outlets for multiple kitchen aids and deep drawers outfitted with bins to hold flours and sugar would be useful. A The range with commercial hood though must be a Godsend.

Thanks, Christopher and Art! Great suggestions! (We cannot have rugs because our adorable dog in one of the pics is a 4-month old puppy and they will get ruined quickly and we have severe dust allergies, too!!)

The floors are a part of the original building! Bad choice on the part of the architect because they dent and scratch really easily - the floor is soft and is very hard to maintain! (I wish there were more practical architects/designers around who designed for real people who actually live in their spaces...gghhrrr!) The floor will have to be replaced in a few years, I suspect.....

I can expand the kitchen within the space we already have....I already have some ideas....

May I have the chandelier?? I love it. Saw something similar on Ebay, but scared it won't be as beautiful.

Sleek,

I taught myself a lot about crystals buying our chandelier. There are lots of grades and one has to be careful because not all of them look great when you take them home!

The best (and least) place I have found to buy chandeliers from so far is The Light House, 162 Bowery, NYC, 212-334-4980. They can custom make you ones ranging in price and size using Swarovski crystals, which also has several grades, and are a lot less expensive than cut crystals. The Light House, of course, has other makes of chandeliers.

Good luck in your search!

I meant to write "least expensive" place...

Great job, Sarah -- this place has a curated feel to it but still feels personal. Fantastic views!

Thanks so much, Sarah! I'm going check them online now!

Thank you, peanut! How nice of you to say!

And, you are welcome, Sleek! Let me know if you need further help!

Beautiful.
It is really nice to see someone show us a bigger space for a change.
She has money and talent too.
Not just some wealthy person's tasteless attempt either;
this was very well executed.
Thank You, Sara.

Thanks, paulmuscat. Your post means a lot to me!

jlg, that craigslist chair you linked to has way different lines. Sarah's is much more interesting.

Some nice rugs would really warm the space up. i really wonder why some people opt to only have bare floors. Not only cold for feet or paws, but sort of cold looking as well.

Jon_B,

The green Italian chair came from the Yellow Furniture Barn in Armonk many moons ago! They are now out-of-business! I have no idea where you can get it, now!

sammie2,

We love the cold, harsh look! HA! You should have read my post above: (We cannot have rugs because our adorable dog in one of the pics is a 4-month old puppy and they will get ruined quickly and we have severe dust allergies, too!!)

And, P.S. sammie2 - Why do some always think rugs are needed? What's wrong with looking at a beautiful floor as an element of design? I love the look of wood! Why cover it up? I do not think a bare and beautiful floor makes a room look cold...In fact, wood can lend a warm look to a room!

And, in today's homes we have heaters in a room and in modern times, slippers, too! Dogs do not need slippers or shoes, either! This is 2008!

I just checked, we did pay the heating bill, so the furnace is ON!

Nontalent: A) Did you join AT just to post that comment? B) I assure you that I am NOT jealous of her home. And I think it's valid to say that we don't see the point of posting a housetour that is so far out of reach for 99.9% of readers. This is not Vogue Living or Elle Decor. My post may have been blunt, but I don't think it was nasty. C) If I were to post pictures of my home, I would certainly anticipate some negative feedback. This is the internet, after all! If people can't make petty anonymous comments here, where can we make them? D) I am "appauled" by your spelling of the word appalled.

Sarah, I love your home, your view and your chandelier.

Thanks, jendavid99!

mollybb,

I think you should invite one of the editors of this blog to post pictures of your apartment. You are free to send them to AT. Are you afraid? I'd love to see it. It takes guts to show the whole world where you live! Then, we all can make blunt and petty anonymous comments about your apartment! We have a right to, according to you! To quote you, "This is the internet, after all!"

I mean, 99.9% of the chairs, furniture, wall paper, kitchen appliances and other decorative items, not to mention some of the upscale ingredients in the kitchn used to bake incredible recipes with on AT are also advertised in Elle Decor and Vogue Living......Have you looked lately?

What about some of the upscale advertisers who pay thousands of dollars on a monthly basis to AT so you can come here for free and make petty anonymous comments? ..... I have a feeling that you have AT's demographics mixed-up - you can tell who AT's visitors are by their type of advertisers!

P.S. By the way, I have been appalled by some of your petty anonymous comments and misspellings.

Sarahannep, obviously when I said, "This is the internet, after all! If people can't make petty anonymous comments here, where can we make them?" I was being sarcastic.
My comments were not even directed at your decorating style, so I'm not sure why you are being so defensive. I didn't say anything about your apartment, only that I would appreciate fewer features that are completely out of reach for the majority of AT readers. That was directed at AT, not at you.
And like I said, if I chose to post a tour of my apartment, I would certainly expect some "petty anonymous" comments. That's why I wouldn't post a housetour!

Well, mollybb, if your comments are for AT, you should write the editor's private emails and not spoil my and other's fun!

I think your comment about being able to make petty anonymous comments on the internet is so true - it's because you are faceless and anonymous here, and it allows you to write comments that you would otherwise not have said in person.

If you came on my forum, and wrote what you did, you would have been thrown off. I do not allow those to post rude anonymous comments. It's because it is in bad taste and simply bad manners. Petty anonymous and sarcastic comments are best left to oneself, in my opinion. They are destructive and not positive.

Comments posted here should be about the decorating and the tour, not about your feelings....This is not Apartment Therapy as in "therapy"....

This is the best home I've ever seen on AT(and there have been some winners believe me). It so eclectic yet cohesive. It's also so approachable yet beautiful. I would love to have the visionto put this together, but I couldn't conceive of putting asian and modern art on the same wall - yet you do and it totally works! How do you do that!? I'm saving your slideshow to my computer for inspiration and ideas. Really really perfect. Need a roommate?

Wow, talk about being thin-skinned, sarahnnep! I'm glad I'd never want to post a comment on your forum and encounter your disapproval.

What molly said was quite reaasonable and not nasty, even if you think it should be directed at the editor. This is what comments are *for*, to allow us readers to share opinions, even if you don't accede to them.

And I fully agree with her. Your apartment, while superficially beautiful to look at, is an example of the well-staged space that makes it look as if no one was actually expected to *live* there. Obviously very expensively done, too. Do you have any books or are they well hidden away? And God forbid you allow a cat or dog in.

Thanks ll! I appreciate your comments.

Actually, a lot of the furnishings in my home were picked up at sales! And, the marble tables are surprisingly very reasonable.

So often people think that my furnishings are so out-of-reach and so expensive, but they aren't! I wait for sales to happen and scrounge around and really do a lot of research before I purchase.

I know designers and good design and how to put together an interior that looks expensive, but really isn't. Yes, there are some expensive items scattered about, but all in all, most of the items have been purchased on severe mark-downs, on ebay, craig's list, last call, going out-of-business sales, from artists before they become big, outdoor art events, juried art shows, etc. One just has to have an eye for good stuff and has to know how to put together things so the room looks expensive....I have been doing this type of decorating for eons!

The Italian marble tables are really reasonable. I represent the artist who makes them. They are from the United States! He comes from a long line of Italian artisans.....

The lamps from Gumps' were purchased on sale.

The couch was purchased on a final mark down at ABC Carpet and Home. I found it stuffed in the back of the room and just knew it would fit in the apartment.

The green Italian chair was marked 75% off and is 20 years old. Kids and dogs have jumped all over it!

The chairs in the dining room are from Crate and Barrel. (chandru - leather is great with four kids and two dogs! I have found through the years it holds up the best!)

The bed frames come from Charles P Rogers and the linens came from final mark downs at Restoration Hardware. Decorative bed pillows cost $40 each - all silk with Swarovski crystals at Saks - 80% off after Xmas sale....I found one and they called other stores and found more for me! (Saks has the best sales after Xmas! So does Neiman Marcus. The more expensive stores have wonderful stuff and really give deep discounts on the best merchandise after Xmas!)

A lot of the art work was purchased just when the artists were starting out, so the prices are very inexpensive - such as $100 per print. You have to have an eye for hunting out artists before they become big! I do.....

You just have to know where to look and how to put everything together so it looks expensive! I have the dimensions of the whole apartment and colors in my head - when I see something reasonable and unusual, I buy it.

That's my secret - I just follow my instincts and do not spent a ton of money like many of you think.....I pick things that I find and buy what I like when I see it. Then, I place objects d'art together in a room. I am constantly looking for things - everyday of my life and every where I go.....It never ends.......But, I like to find things that are unusual and not common. That's how I collect!

So, I know I make it look easy and it all looks so expensive, but most of it isn't. You'd be so surprised. One has to know how to put it all together and find things so it looks like a million bucks, as I do!

Sarah,

You have a lovely home! I feel sad at the uncourteous behavior of some of the posters here.

Thanks, kimberlite8! It happens!

Hi Sarah, Your home is beautiful! It's very well done and it looks like a comfortable home. It does have warmth and you have chosen your pieces carefully...and it all looks great together. My first impression was....omg.....the views! What fantastic views you have from your dining and livings rooms, and especially your bedroom. You have surrounding windows, if I'm seeing it correctly. I would love to wake up in the mornings and the first thing I would see that expanse! Ok...I do think you need something for privacy.... :)....aside from that, how lucky you are! I just discovered this site and I love house tours and interiors and I'm always interested in seeing how other people live and how they put their homes together. I like to look at all homes, upscale, tiny spaces, large expensive spaces, modest homes...anything that gives me inspiration. I may not all be my taste, but I can appreciate the effort put into our homes.

Thanks so much, junklover~!

Sarah, I just love your home. The wallcolors are fabulous and the furniture and artwork are gorgeous. I am inspired to create something similar on a more modest budget. Thank you for giving us a peek at your incredible style.

Thanks NewYorkerAtHeart! Let me know where I can help!