Name: Ann
Location: West Village, Manhattan
Size: 2,000 square feet, 3-bedroom house
Years lived in: 10 years
Ann lives amidst Afghan, Uzbek, Turkmen and Indian textiles — to name a few of the things she has carried home over the past 20 years — from around the world. For the past ten years, she's been assembling them in a mid-19th century, 4-story home in the West Village.
Ann has shaped and sculpted her home, more than renovated it to her specifications. With the help of a conceptual artist/sculptor/carpenter, and a metalworker Ann retained much of the original old-world feel of the house by using as many natural and salvaged natural materials as possible (no dry-wall). Ann says, that in its original state, the house was a "working man's house" replete with soft wood floors and utilitarian fittings. The prior owner made major structural changes, so Ann worked within existing parameters. To be respectful, Ann filled her house with furniture that would have been contemporary at the time the building was constructed. But to make sure it wasn't stifling in its uniformity, she added some modernist pieces.
When one enters the home, the sense of adventure is palpable. The artifacts, textiles, and extractions of history from many foreign lands pervade the space.
It helps that Ann has the patience to seek and find. Rather than sit at her computer searching craigslist, her writing and her adventurous spirit take her to great objects in their native habitat. And when that isn't enough, she heads to Montreal where antiques in need of tender loving care abound at bargain rates.
Ann knows that sourcing imaginatively makes all the difference in creating a home that feels alive. And while, on paper, it could read like a preserved museum space, visually and viscerally, and to all the people who have been on the receiving end of her endless hospitality and party hosting, it is a very real, accessible, vibrant and inspiring home.
Apartment Therapy Survey
Style: Highly eclectic.
Inspiration: My inspirations have ranged from classic modernism — more honored in the breach — to my friend Giada’s family castle in Piemonte, lovingly restored by her parents. I have been obsessed with castles ever since I was a small child, and my house is a bit like one of those tiny keeps you see in Europe, just one room per floor. Karl Leitgeb, the Austrian artist who did the carpentry work in the house and served as unofficial project manager, believes in letting the structure show, and he convinced me in many places that my desire for a more finished surface was mistaken. He imbued the house with a sort of punk rock artisanship.
Favorite Element: I think that has to be the 1790s French copper bathtub that I picked up in Montreal. It’s beautiful and retains heat much better than ceramic.
Biggest Challenge: Earning the money to pay for it all.
What Friends Say: At first, I got the reaction that things were too cluttered and busy, so I’ve listened to my friends who have recommended various moderating steps!
Biggest Embarrassment: I’d like to forget the orange paint I tried out in the kitchen at first.
Proudest DIY: Using fragments of 19th century dishes found in my backyard for a sort of mosaic trim in the kitchen.
Biggest Indulgence: Early 19th century tile from Italy, bought at La Galleria del Tempo in Capranica, outside Viterbo, Italy.
Best Advice: Don’t use an architect unless you have to file with your municipality. Most of them have little knowledge of materials and will try to push the latest trends on you. Then you will end up with the same stainless steel kitchen as everyone else. Vulgar and quickly dated! Don’t renovate before you move it. Live in the house awhile before you begin work, that will teach you how things should go, from which room gets sun when to where you naturally want to spend time. Don’t buy new when you can find old. My bronze kitchen sink cost $60 on eBay and another $100 or so for Eric Cuper (see below in Sources) to straighten it. Why pay hundreds of dollars for a mass-produced, over-designed copy of a vintage item when you can usually get the real thing for less and re-tool it with the aid of a good craftsman? Finally, custom work is often cheaper than off-the-rack, especially for items like metal. I got metal doorknobs custom-made for less than the price of high end off-the-rack.
Resources
My best sources have been mainly in Montreal:
Meubles Campagnolo woodworkers (6256 Henri-Julien) for extra-thick mahogany
Gigi’s store at 361 Van Horne West and Nick’s store opposite that for the salvaged bathtub, doors and stove plates
Sputnik (2120 Amherst) Cocktails (2668 rue Notre-Dame Ouest) and Couleurs (3901 rue Saint-Denis) specializing in mid-century modern with the odd eccentric Quebec artisan piece thrown in.
Market at La Chute between Ottawa and Montreal for those who wish to buy in quantity. This is a huge farmer’s market where you can also buy horses and saddles, but it has absurdly cheap country and local Quebec antiques in the early morning. I was buying artisanal pottery there for $1 a vase.
Karl Leitgeb now lives in Vienna, but Eric Cuper, who did almost all the metal work in the house, lives in Pennsylvania and will work in Manhattan.
Images: Jill Slater
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© 2009 Apartment Therapy
Ann, thank you for sharing your incredible home. Having the opportunity to take a peek into uniquely personal spaces that cannot be replicated is so inspirational, and one of the reasons I'm a fan of AT.
view stylehound's profile
Beautiful. Love it to pieces. Love your kitchen mosaic (I do picassiette also). Love the stairway, the old doors, the tub, the tiles, the pendant lights, the greenhouse windows, the garden, the hats, the floors, the rugs and chaise longue in the bedroom, and the saturated colors. Love your advice re:architects, not renovating off the bat, seeking used or custom goods ... love EVERYTHING !!!
view mirandabee's profile
This is a ridiculously beautiful space! It's hard to believe it's in the middle of Manhattan.
(Seriously AT...can't you do something about that awful X-box ad that pops up in the middle of the slide-show???)
view rexrayfan's profile
Ann, what a remarkable living space. I am not one to envy another's home and I've seen some incredible spaces on AT, but I am in love with what you've created.
It's beyond inspiring. If you ever decide to turn the "international rest stop" into a city-version of a B&B, let us know.
That bathroom! O.M. G. Having seen it, I want one (not likely to happen in this NYC UWS rental!)
Aside from the visual and textural beauty, there is an incredible and palpable feel of welcome and relaxation. It feels like one is able to enjoy many parts of the world, while living in one's own special space.
Kudos to you and all those who helped to create this "I. Want. It!" space that speaks not just to me, but to many others.
PS: Love all your "stuff." Brilliant integration of your travels.
view RomaineNYC's profile
wow wow wow one of my favorites. It isn't even "my style" but I am so in love!
view msjessiemeghan's profile
A bit cluttered for my taste but charming all the same.
view hrhprincessfiona's profile
My favorite kind of home and that photo of all the cute barnyard friends is fantastic.
view Kate (NC)'s profile
I love the 3D feel of this space, with nooks not just around a corner, but above or below as well. The bathroom is magnificent and your tile is to die for. Congratulations on such a space in NYC no less!
view wigglebutt's profile
Ann, as RomaineNYC said, if you ever decide to rent rooms to passing travelers... um. Rent one to me. Your place is a dream. My dream, anyway.
view rosenatti's profile
I love the tiles in the bathroom. I dream of using tiles like that in my bathroom - I rent so no deal.
view Allicat's profile
I too love the photo of the donkeys and pony and goats. Is it from Sardinia? North Africa? Where?
Also, what exposure is your greenhouse window? Could you tell us more about it? Is is a covered terrace, or was a wall removed to install it?
Thanks.
view monarda's profile
I love it. And I appreciate the Montreal shopping tips!
view Lisa (Montreal)'s profile
@medusa12120: reusing things (furniture, tiles, sinks, decorative objects etc) is pretty green.
view see's profile
Yeah, I had a very similar house and am working on another one... It's worth it.
view ladymantle's profile
I felt manic just looking at the slide show. But the tub is gorgeous and you can tell she's one passionate woman with a big love of her home.
view thorndale's profile
What a stunning house! I love all the old doors, the tiles, the almost colonial kitchen, that beautiful downstairs-to-the-outside space, everything. She's a lucky lady to have this place to call home.
view mei-ling's profile
I think I just met my double. Never have I seen a home with an aesthetic so close to my own: the ethnic textiles, the contemporary photography (we like some of the same photographers), the books... Only Ann does the look way better, of course.
I'm a New Yorker expat in Montreal. Ann, if you ever want company on one of your shopping expeditions...
view Lisa (Montreal)'s profile
Every room more beautiful than the last. I stared at the copper bathtub in awe for about a minute.
view hurricanelea's profile
@monarda - The photograph of the donkeys, pony and goats is by Canadian fine art photographer Rob MacInnis:
http://www.robmacinnis.com/title.html
His work is amazing; check out his website.
Lisa
view Lisa (Montreal)'s profile
Your home is so amazingly beautiful with so much variety and change of atmosphere that (literally) invoked my jaw to drop. One of AT's best yet. Thanks for sharing!
view EAM's profile
Good God I am in love.
view LoriSF's profile
extraordinarily beautiful!
view cizinka31000's profile
beautiful, I especially love the blue tile in the bath.
view EAH's profile
LOVE: BATHROOM, GREEN CHAISE, AND LIVING ROOM!!
view CKBH's profile
love the vertical feeling of it. 4 stories is a WOW. beautiful.
view nikki moore - photography and vintage treasures's profile
My Favorite Tour. Ever.
view jeanneadele's profile
wow, the amount of money that's gone into this house is obscene.
2000sqft in the West Village? wow!
but beautiful, for sure.
great taste!
view rosaleen's profile
This is such a beautiful home. Perhaps my favorite tour ever. I feel like I could spend.........well forever in this home. Thank you for sharing it with us.
view dmstudio's profile
Thank you, thank you! This is Ann, and I'm overwhelmed with the kind comments of AT'ers about my place. To answer some questions: I DO rent the house, since I spend 2-3 months a year in Afghanistan. It is available Nov. 12 to 27, then again for all of March 2010 and a part of May 2010. You can email me at ann.marlowe@gmail.com for rates.
The exposure of the greenhouse is NE, alas. So it is not so sunny, and a fig tree I had died. However a cactus has grown very big there (though I take it onto the patio in the winter). I didn't actually spend that much money - mainly 'cause I didn't have it. Canada was an amazing source, back in the day when the US dollar was stronger...
view AnnsInternational's profile
Beautiful! Beautiful!
view ShirleyZB's profile
we have kinds of cheap products,for example:Abercrombie Fitch,Abercrombie And Fitch,Christian Louboutin,Buy Christian Louboutin,Christian Louboutin Shoes,Christian Louboutin,Christian Louboutin Boots,jimmy choo,jimmy choo Shoes,Manolo Blahnik,Manolo Blahnik Shoes,Yves Saint Laurent,Yves Saint Laurent Shoes,YSL Shoes,Supra Shoes,Nike Air Yeezy,abercrombie fitch coats,abercrombie fitch Jackets,The North Face,North Face,The North Face Jackets,North Face Jackets,Moncler Jackets,Moncler,Moncler Coats,The North Face,North Face,Replica Watch,Replica Watches,Rolex Watches,Rolex Watch,Replica Watches,Rolex Watches,Replica WatchRolex Watch,Replica Watches,Rolex Watches,Fake Watches,Replica Watches,Swiss Watch,Swiss Watches,jimmy choo shoes,jimmy choo,Abercrombie Fitch Fleece，Abercrombie Fitch Flip Flops,Abercrombie Fitch Jeans,Abercrombie Fitch Polos,Abercrombie Fitch Shirts,Abercrombie Fitch Outerwear,Abercrombie Fitch Pants,Abercrombie Fitch Tees,Abercrombie Fitch Sweaters,Abercrombie Fitch Caps,Abercrombie Fitch Bikini,Abercrombie Fitch Tanks,Abercrombie Fitch shorts,Abercrombie Fitch accessories,Breitling Watches,Cartier Watches,Chanel Watches,Chopard Watches,franck muller Watches,omega Watches,panerai Watches,burberry Watches,dolce gabbana Watches,hublot Watches,Audemars Piguet Watches,Bvlgari Watches,Dior Watches,Hermes Watches,Emporio Armani Watches,Ferrari Watches,Longines Watches,Porsche Design Watches,Patek Philippe Watches,Roger Dubuis Watches,Zenith Watches.
view wujinbing's profile
I love the lamps in the last picture of this post - where did you get them?
view ace's profile
I want to go on vacation to Ann's apartment! It looks how I want to feel.
view hcmccga's profile
In a word: 'delectable'
This is an example of what it really means to design an environment worth living in. Nothing 'manufactured', artificial, affected or posing about this space. It is as honest, raw, warm, and full of emotion as love itself.
view NY1's profile
Knowing what 500 square feet RENTS for in the West Village, I can't imagine what 2,000 square feet sells for! I can only bow down and acknowledge with great sadness that writers make far more money than interior designers (sigh). Kudos to you for an incredible job with your gorgeous space, you've really made it your own and it exudes personality, as one's home should.
Lisa (Montreal) - I had a client with this Rob MacInnis piece in her house among a huge horde of mismatched art, and I wanted it so badly! Thanks for the tip, now I know where to find it!
view estydesign's profile
I love seeing "artifacts" actually being used. It makes a space so much more livable, and honors the item as well by extending it's active life. This space is pretty amazing, although I must say it's way too full of "stuff" for my tastes, but I still admire her philosophy for collecting and living. Love all the tips for finding goodies too.
view darcitananda's profile
Estydesign: Don't worry, most writers can't afford 2,000 square feet in Queens, never mind in the West Village. Ann says she doesn't have a lot of money, so I'm envious of whatever lucky set of circumstances allowed her to afford this apartment!
view Silvamint's profile
Is this apartment decoration for billionaires? This woman lives in a 3-bedroom house in the West Village! I'm not surprised she has been travelling and collecting herself. It costs a lot of money to decorate this bohemian.
It is an interesting aesthetic, but I prefer your tours of achievable styles.
view vrt54432's profile
Love it! Lots of character and charm!
view rhianna's profile
Thank you soooo much for this house tour - i have literally seen nothing so beautiful and well done - putting so much creativity and passion in a living space has resulted in inspiration to me and so many do it yourselfers. Thanks for the ideas! I also agree this is the most memorable house tour i have seen to date on AT. you ROCK!!!
view shahmeister's profile
BTW, that was the first post I have ever felt compelled to make on this site. Kudos!
view shahmeister's profile
Very unusual home = you definitely have to be in love with it to live in it. Too bad you cannot spend more time in it to savor what you have done
view Betty14's profile
The most beautiful house tour - as far as I'm concerned - I've ever seen on AT. The phrase "organic" is so misused in design circles but here, in this house, it is the perfect word. This home is of the earth. You can almost feel the warm human hands that have shaped everything...beautiful, just beautiful
view catcovell's profile
There are a lot of things I love about this home, however, it was that bathroom that made me feel silly inside! First, the toilet in a corner? But it so works! Then, the fun and exotic tile work, I would love to shower surrounded by that every morning. And then I saw the tub... I am not a big tub fan but this tub is not your ordinary tub. I could imagine myself laying back in a steamy hot, bubbly tub humming French tunes. Too much information?
view English Accent's profile
My cat wants to know if you would adopt him.
view kushkush's profile
Thank you for showing your extraordinarily cool and personal home!
Where in Canada did you find the wonderful pendant lamps? Are they vintage or new?
view annief's profile
Real house, real life, beautiful textiles, a self portrait really. And comfortable!
What is "clutter" - I call it a rich life - a house for living in. I will keep your email address, I am hoping to come to NY next year.
view elizjbou's profile
I love this space! So warm and inviting. I found many inspiring ideas. That black and white painting on the wall feels like a classroom throw-back. Love it. And the copper tub makes me wanna soak all day long! Ya gotta love NYC! Thanks Ann!
view stanlicious's profile
adore the chair in pic #33!
adore everything really, very well designed, the tiles, the tub, the kitchen... your workspace is amazing!!
view LittleLovables's profile
WOW! This is amazing. It may be a lot of different things to a lot of different people but boring isn't one of them. I would just love to visit but it would take months to appreciate everything. Great job. Thanks for sharing.
view lalachris's profile