Name: Tara, Ari, daughter Theory and Jasmine the dog
Location: Financial District, NYC
Size: 1,500 square feet
Years lived in: 3
Walking into the ground floor of Downtown by Philippe Starck is quite an experience. The chandelier in the lobby is HUGE and more of an installation than just a mere light fixture. Philippe Starck is known for playing with scale and the lobby and other common areas in the building reflect this. Tara, Ari and Jasmine moved in 3 years ago. Their very welcome new addition, Theory, was born 6 months ago. The evolution of the apartment from a home for a working couple with a dog to a growing family has been a study in DIY rearranging and custom projects.
Tara and Ari were lucky to inherit a beautiful collection of Monteverde Young furniture from Ari's grandparents and the collection helped to anchor the rest of the pieces and style they have chosen. Originally, the elevated loft area was an office for both Tara, a doula, and Ari, an anthropologist working in brand marketing. When Tara found out she was pregnant, the obvious choice for the nursery was the upstairs but where would an office go? The innovative solution was to utilize the length of the living room wall and have a custom cabinet built that not only would provide extra storage but house a workstation as well. The bookshelves installed above it complete the functioning but unobtrusive office area.
One piece of furniture in particular has a great story of its own — the changing table in the nursery was a set of tool chests custom made by a shop in Oakland. Ari originally bought them for his own woodworking at an auction when he was living in the Bay Area and they came with tools inside. Later the chests provided perfect desk supports for his office. During the rearranging of office and nursery, Tara discovered that the tops of the chests were a perfect fit for a changing pad and voila — they had their changing table! A perfect example of using what you have already to adapt to changing needs. Pun intended!
Many of the personal touches to the home are items picked up during travels. Ari traveled quite a bit doing research as an anthropologist and started collecting bugs which he would capture and ship home via FedEx to be pinned and mounted later. The textile above their bed was also brought back from a trip and the cabinet under the aquarium and the chair at the end of it were made from wood bought in Bali.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Our style: Modern Natural History
Inspiration: Darwin
Favorite Element: Water — The Amano Design Aquarium from Japan. The light casts a water image on the ceiling that dances around the room
Biggest Challenge: open space — where to put an office
What Friends Say: "Very homey for a loft" and "Who is into the bugs?"
Biggest Embarrassment: When the fish tank is green. NYC water has lots of phosphate in it so the right filter is needed and the water has to be changed often.
Proudest DIY: Large framed fern leaf in entryway
Biggest Indulgence: Custom built cabinet throughout living room and dining room space.
Best advice: Start with having a clear reflection of your aesthetic. Kind of like the mood board you would create if you were going to work with a designer. Ours combines mid-century modernism, Bauhaus, contemporary Japanese design, and a touch of 19th Century naturalism. Comfy with a little bit of a museum theme. Once you have your aesthetic, you have to be opportunistic in picking up elements that integrate well. We then extended this look into things like the built in cabinet.
Dream source: Henry Built
Resources of Note (furnishings, hardware, appliances & materials):
Paint & Colors:
Non VOC paint called Mythic available at Pintchick Hardware in Brooklyn
Orange paint is called Sweet Sunrise
Not sure on the grey paint- maybe Grecian Grey?
Paint on closet in nursery and on side of stairs leading up to nursery is black Mythic paint that Ari mixed iron powder in to make it magnetic.
Entry:
Console on side with mirror found on eBay
Chest with large fern leaf on it is Monteverde Young
Kitchen:
Lamps from Flos
Rug from FLOR
Living Room:
Side table Monteverde Young
Rug from FLOR
Dining Room:
Table, chairs and mirror over table are all Monteverde Young
Pendant lamp is Moser by Louis Poulsen
Bedroom:
Nightstands and bed are Monteverde Young
Lamps on nightstands from Ligne Roset
Bed linens from DwellStudio
Crib set from DwellStudio
Crib is Little Kids Manhattan Crib by Litto
Closet from IKEA
Textile over the bed by Elna Kaasik from Estonia
Bathroom:
Shelf brackets from Rakks
Shelves from West Elm
Office:
Long custom built cabinet by Andy Monteleone
Bookshelves from Rakks
Nursery:
Painting by Robert Antler, Tara's stepfather
Dog bed from Bella Dogga
Dark chest is Monteverde Young
(Thanks, Tara, Ari, Theory and Jasmine!)
(Images: Sparrow King, #23 taken by Ari Nave)
• HOUSE TOUR ARCHIVE Check out past house tours here
• Interested in sharing your home with Apartment Therapy? Contact the editors through our House Tour Submission Form.
If anyone is interested in leasing this apartment from the owners please email info@powerofbirth (dot) com
view tarabrooke's profile
I wish I lived in NY, I'd rent it out. I love the sunlight, the spaciousness of the rooms and the shelving you put in to optimize the space. I've never put 'loft', 'family' and 'cozy' in the same sentence before until I entered your place. You've really built and designed it in a way that would make it easy for anyone to come in and make it their own and still accomplish that cozy, warm feeling. The location is to die for and I'm addicted to the view on the rooftop with the stylish community rec room. Congratulations, it has to be hard to leave such a wonderful place. Gosh I wish I lived in NYC right now!
view FriendinSF's profile
that indoor pool and rooftop garden is heavenly, on philippe starck can pull that off and the apartment is wonderful as well
view zachary's profile
What a beautiful home! I really like the long cabinet and the bookshelves above, very nice. I was wondering where Ari is from, my older boy has Ari for a middle name, in Icelandic it means 'eagle'.
view Harpa's profile
Wow! I bought a shelving unit this weekend because I couldnt' decide between a dining room wall length console or wall-to-wall bookshelves. You've done both!
view colibri's profile
I think this is a lovely place for an urban child to grow and develop! The crib bedding with animals on it is fabulous---would love to know where that came from. I love the tall windows and lots of room for books, books, books.
view youngbloop's profile
Harpa - in Hebrew, it means Lion.
view phenanthrene's profile
I am so in love with that built-in media/book wall.
view bepsf's profile
I normally don't do this, and maybe it's the photography, but this place feels cold to me :-/. And I also feel like the interiors say nothing about this building's history, which is unfortunate. Not my bag.
view michpc's profile
Wow. Brand development, eh? I'm a social scientist working in academia. Clearly I missed my calling. My salary would get me a closet.
This is gorgeous. I love the wall of books.
view kelleyk's profile
Which Ikea closet system is that in the bedroom? It doesn't look like Ikea to me. (That's a compliment.)
view bmb's profile
Great looking place- not cold at all but rather casually polished and a nice mix of high-low, boho, and anthro-urban chic... I toured this guys home in Oakland when it was up for sale a few years ago- he told us about all the MVY furniture inherited from family- It was a mini 40's ranch- updated in a good way. I think this is the best kind of post; a natural setting shown cluttered in places and as lived in everyday... Love the walnut built in- sleek and gallery-like. Hate the Danish Modern console thing- way out of place with the dark finished MVY pieces and natural american walnut built in- way too murky with the clear colors around the house.
view swagdujour's profile
Lovely. Lots of lovely things, not to mention the fantastic views. Thanks for sharing & good luck with the lease!
view EAM's profile
I have to agree with michpc on this one. Most everything in the house is beautiful, but browsing through the pics I kept waiting for a room that felt like a home. Didn't get it.
view rosaleen's profile
I agree with michpc and rosaleen.
Am sure there there are many who would jump at the chance to live there, but it left me cold.
thanks for sharing, tho.
view sassydo's profile
Rosaleen, I think this home tour is, to some extent, a pretext for posting an advertorial on AT. So, maybe the photos aren't of the home as it's been lived in, but of the home as it's staged for potential tenants. I agree that it looks rather cold and drab, although there are some nice furniture pieces.
view visualingual's profile
I agree with Visualingual.
view leadingedge's profile
AT should take a page from Colbert and offer:
AT Platinum
view Henrietta the Terrible's profile
It's a beautiful building located in a vibrant area. I personally really like the building and wished that I could afford it.
I appreciate how the owners started developing the entire interior based on the furniture they inherited. Having said that, I feel that the entire home is a little random, perhaps lack of a theme. Perhaps it was due to the order of the pictures? I can't feel the order of the rooms and I feel disoriented. All the rooms look the same...it's not coherent to me.
view imcaffeine's profile
I guess what bugs me the most is the mismatched wood colors. It's just me though.
view imcaffeine's profile
I don't think this is an advertising! I live in Downtown Manhattan also, near Wall Street, and the aesthetic around is pretty much the same.
New developments are built on a budget (nice common areas but plain interiors) and usually lack any high-end
details in kitchen or bathrooms.
I think this apartment is very nice and it works for them, also the furniture looks great.
view The Chukker's profile
I love the financial district, I would move down there in a second if I had the money. I love all those new modern buildings down there, with great views and amenities. I second (or third) the appreciation for the wall to wall bookshelves/credenza. Love it! Also, are those sliding doors an Ikea hack, or original to the apartment? They look like PAX doors...
http://www.tangiedecor.blogspot.com
view LTangie's profile
I love the bugs collection. Add a nice touch to a modernist interior.
BM
view StrangerFiction's profile
The space is beautiful. There are many beautiful things in the space, but the decorating seems a little confused. I suggest hanging some of your artwork that's resting on tables and edit a bit - it's a little cluttered for modern.
view designrsf's profile
love all the bookshelves. it's so hard to find something that works for a big collection. And the view of the building across the street is breathtaking!
view smpin's profile
Your bathroom is wonderfull, and I love the storage on the back of the laundry closet door!
view rosamware's profile
This is how I want my place to look when I grow up. Love everything about it. And your baby is absolutely adorable. Congratulations on the house and the baby.
view manders's profile
Your home looks cozy, yet appears light and airy. I truly love the fern leaf framed in glass. Care to share the DIY instructions???
view tammiwammi's profile
Ok. THis snark is not directed at the Tara et al but more at contemporary home building... these folks clearly have lots of $ but for the first 20 photos all i could think was that it looks like some generic predictable Ikea/WestElm/DWR catalog shoot. If it weren't for Monteverde Y pieces, it would be so cold and generic. (Even the bugs are kinds in these days.)
OTOH, the fern leaf is great.
And this is the second home we've seen recently that's up for grabs? Does this reflect something in the market?
view kushkush's profile
Love this apartment. Ditch the bugs. Creepy.
view wild-er's profile
You call your daughter Theory? Wow!
view tulpoeid's profile
(Why does the "less than" followed by "3" disappear? Let's try with the "sad smiley" now.) :(
view tulpoeid's profile
Love the building and the views!
view rhianna's profile
It's nice and clean, but I agree with a few other posters in that it feels a little cold to me. Yes, a bit staged.
Also, something's fishy here. The very first comment is an ain't-she-a-beaut-wanna-rent-her pitch from one of the homeowners. This has happened on AT before, and I hope it's an editorial oversight, not a policy.
If I want to look at real estate ads, I'll go to a real estate site.
view klt108's profile
Just wait until that kid hits about 18 months old....that apartment won't be so pretty then! Haha!
view lm925's profile
Oh So THAT'S how the other half lives. Thanks for letting me have a peek! (and I'm with kit108 up there...whats with the rental pitch? not that I could ever afford it)
view msmezzo's profile
Love it, love it, love it.
view LuvModern's profile
Wow. My husband and I live in this building, too. We loved the clean, modern, minimalist lines of the apartment- which is why we wanted to live here. I'm surprised to see so many people complaining about even having to see an apartment like this. Honestly, why read this blog? I thought it was to see the different ways people choose to live, and become inspired by it. Not to complain that you are too broke, and this bothers you to see it not decorated to your liking. It's becoming a trend in comments that I really hope does not continue.
view MJade's profile
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view fitch's profile
Too generic for my liking.
view The Teal Sea's profile
Nice home!
I agree with MJade. And what's with critique (from kushkush) regarding how people spend their money? If I'm broke I should go for Ikea and "vintage", but if I'm loaded (and who says when I qualify?) I'm supposed to choose designer stuff only? Maybe someone wants to put their money on something else, like travels with the family or whatever...
view luftskibet's profile