Name: Jenny and Clove
Location: Astor Place environs
Size: 500 sqft
Favorite: That the private garden doubles the size of their apartment.
After 4 months of contract work to redo the floors and renovate the kitchen, Jenny painted the walls, and then scoured Craigslist with near military-like precision. The result is a testament to an artistic sensibility and a Bay Area influence. Jenny and Clove have created a sleek, modern studio space that integrates natural elements to remind you that the world is not made of lacquer and concrete alone. Even though it is only 500 square feet, it feels spacious. (The garden is another 400 sqft!)
Inside Out Video. Take a walk through Jenny and Clove's seemingly spacious abode.
Upon crossing the threshold, one gets the impression of a huge apartment. I spent 10 minutes there before realizing that there was no bedroom. This is because they have managed, through the magic of a modern Murphy bed , to prioritize their space for living and entertaining rather than sleeping. It is a studio that can effortlessly accommodate a 10-person dinner party, a 15-person salon, or a 200-person raging party!
Do you have an idea for a house tour? Let me know! jill@apartmenttherapy.com
Jenny, a visual artist, and Clove, a dancer and choreographer are incredibly creative, but they are also painstakingly organized and methodical. They knew what they wanted for the apartment and made sure that the contractor met every request. When the super said they couldn’t turn off the gas in the building in order to relocate gas lines during the kitchen renovation, Jenny and Clove offered to relight all 180 of the building’s pilot lights themselves. When the contractor said that the kitchen was being framed in the next 8 hours, Jenny learned about and drove to, a timber salvaging warehouse in Brooklyn (M Fine Lumber), then selected and brought home six 7’ beams in her jeep—in one day. The framing went in and works beautifully. Jenny even went as far as curating the individual textures of the beam. A noticeable notch in one beam is prominently displayed over the sink and can be appreciated from both inside and outside of the kitchen.
Their experience in renovation stems from a Victorian dollhouse of a house, formerly lived in by Jack London, in Oakland California. The improvements they made to that house offered them the financial freedom to move to NY after 6 years in California, and to buy a 750 sqft apartment in the East Village. Jenny and Clove decided that was more space than they needed, so they decided to downgrade and live more within their means. When they found this apartment in the basement of a huge coop, on the same floor as the laundry and electrical rooms, with walls covered in 45 years worth of nicotine smoke they decided to wait until the renovation was complete before telling any of their friends. Although they were calm and confident, they knew that others might think them insane. Clearly no one is worrying now.
Jennie and Craig -- love your sofa. Where did you get it?
750 sq. ft. is too much space? I live comfortably in 465 sq. ft. but would LOVE to have 750.
The place looks GREAT!
Oh, BTW, you have my dream refrigerator. Stainless steel and freezer on the BOTTOM!
Beautiful. Now, you gotta follow up with whatever you end up doing to that outdoor area!
I think commenters have to read my annotations more closely in the slideshow. The sofa is craigslist Ligne Roset. The fridge is Liebherr. Conserve also makes such a fridge.
Very nice. I love the curtain - where is that fabric from? I also love the couch and the chairs.
But my favorite is the doggy - so precious. At first, I thought he was a big brown dog wrapped up in a white fluffy blanket, but then on the closer shot I saw he was a big white dog with a brown head. LOL.
I envy the garden.
If they are the same people who lived in Jack London's house in Oakland Jenny and Clove had a write up about their house and their renovation in the San Francisco Chronicle about 3 years ago. If they are the same people, and if I am remember, correctly the decor of their place was very different - nice to see the follow up to their old house (if in a very random way!)
I went through all the pictures wondering where you fit your bed. I give up. Where is the Murphy bed?
Maybe it's time for me to brave all the sketch-iness of Craig's List and find me some great stuff too! As an Oakland native, I love the hints of Bay Area style as well. Beautiful.
Mission accomplished. Their goals were successfully reached, in my opinion. I love it. It's damn-near perfect. I'd even keep the graphic fabric panel in favor of installing more hardware in front of the murphy bed. It really softens the space and adds nice visual texture. Must do a follow up in the Spring when the garden is planted!
Bostonian, slide 33 annotation: "A view of the bedroom--behind that curtain is a nascent murphy bed. Eventually, a customized structure will be installed that will measure 18" deep and will accommodate a respectable queen mattress and when open will rest on a structurally sound platform"
Kudos for being realistic about what space you really wanted to have, rather than going for more-is-better. That's quite a rehab!
very refreshing, both the beautiful apt. and the fabulous underwater ballet. Thanks for showing us.
Just beautiful. I love that wall of windows. The metal framing of the door and panels of glass looks so 60's and euro to me. It looks like a cool apartment in the Netherlands.
I agree, a follow-up is needed!
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Love the whole thing. What are the paint colors? Do I see a pale blue? What is the white?
Congratulations! This is so inspiring.
May I recommend climbing Hydrangea for the back wall of the garden. It doesn't require alot of sunlight and fills in relatively quickly so that you have a lovely green wall in a few years. Not that you would want to distract anyone from the UFO/Buddhistlike structure.
Great place! The outdoor area with the wall of windows really makes the place. Did you paint the floors black or are they ebony stained? Would love to paint my new pine floors black, but just can't get up the nerve.
I love it! I especially love the juxstaposition of the rustic timbers against the sleekness of the rest of the apartment. Beautiful and truly inspiring. I'm off to Ikea to choose myself a kitchen!
wow!!!!! clove and jenny your place looks very beautiful. and i love how jaimie blends into your rug. your closets are insanely organized (maybe you should go into business? !!!).i loved all the details... the blue glass in your cupboards, the fabric over your bed, the beautiful table, the elvis postcard. you two are a dynamic duo!!
So stunning and inspiring. I absolutely love the dining table and stools which keep the look so open and uncluttered. Any idea on who makes the mid-c vintage chairs? Are the closets a pre-fab system that you customized to your space or were the built and installed by your contractor? Thanks for sharing.
Great looking place and nice craigslist finds! Can't wait to see what happens with the garden.
I thought Liebherr was not available in the states (same with the itty bitty Miele dishwashers). I would love to know where it was purchased and if it was made for US metered electricity.
regards,
trillium
A nifty space -- open & relaxed. I too love the fabric hiding the bed -- where did you get it?
i really love your space! what a wonderful idea with the salvaged wood...really adds texture and beauty to a modern space. i love that idea, when i have a place that i own someday i would love to do something like that. thanks for the tip and enjoy your beautiful garden this spring.
Hi gang,
We are so thrilled that you all like the space. It is an honor to share it with you & we are humbled by all your lovely comments.
It makes all the grueling work worthwhile. Clove wants to have you all over for a party.
I found the fabric at Reprodepot- www.reprodepot.com
It is my newest internet find & I'm happy to share it.
They specialize in reproduction of vintage & retro themed
textiles. Fabric is hard because the vintage stuff is a bit too retro usually & the contemporary stuff not stylish enough.
The floors are a combination of Min-Wax colors, ebony & Jacobean. We found that the regular stains were kind of flat & looked pretty ugly on our old floors. Mixing them worked well.
The trick is too leave the stain on to dry rather than rubbing it off which is traditional. It takes an extra day or too to dry.
Ainate,
Wow, you must be a Bay Area poster. We were both so surprised & impressed that you would have remembered us from the story about the "Jack London Home." Believe it or not, that house is back on the market now. Sad to say, the folks we sold to killed all four wild flower gardens & pulled out the white picket fence in favor of a 10 ft black metal monstrocity. No one has apparently lived in the house since we sold it 2 years ago. This must be why they say you can never go back.
I love the repro fabric website, especially the 60s and 70s stuff - I want to order ten of those pieces of fabric, but I don't know what I would actually do with any of them.
I also cracked up when I saw this one:
http://www.reprodepot.com/howtokeyohu.html
A few more answers to questions--
The paint is all Benjamin Moore (2123). The only white is the apartment is on the ceiling & in the kitchen-- Super White. The main living room walls are Ice Mist (a blue white), & there is also Sea Foam, Ocean Air & Gossamer. For the most part, the color gets darker blue as you go from the windows to the entry door.
All the appliances were purchased from Drimmer's A&B Appliances in Brooklyn --(718) 338-3500 or (718) 252-8866
They can also be purchased at Krups. All work on US meters.
We got a Verona gas wall oven & cooktop both 24", Miele slimline dishwasher 18" & the Liebherr refrigerator 24". The refrigerator is German & just came available in the US last year. We splurged on it because it is the only one on the market its size that is self-defrosting. We go on tour a lot so can't be counted on to be home. Plus it has an icemaker for parties. :)
By buying them all at the same time, we were able to negotiate a much better deal. It helps to comparison shop & gather quotes, then ask stores to match or better a price. We shaved off more than a thousand dollars this way.
The closet systems are all California Closets. Clove use to be a closet designer there & so was able to get them at a discount. She has since been using her design skills to build closets for friends, using contractors / carpenters to install them.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure who made the armchairs. Any guesses from mid-century furniture experts out there? They were listed on Craigslist under "mid-century, Eames, McCobb, Baughman." But since they were $50 & unmarked, I doubt any distinctive value other than that we love them.
Jenny and Clove,
My memory is random like that - I am a huge history geek so I thought it was cool that you lived in Jack London's house, plus the Chronicle barely runs cool home stories (I am so bored with all the gardening features) and I remember think that you had a gorgeous house. I really love the new incarnation as well! Congrats.
Reprodepot is SUCH a find! Thank you.
I was given a sewing machine as a holiday gift and after viewing that website, am VERY jazzed to start using it!
Help!
I have a vintage sink exactly like the one in your bathroom that I am having reglazed. I need a new faucet and legs. Where did you find yours?
Beautiful job.6
wow, that apartment almost makes me want to leave LA and move to NYC. ALMOST.
It is just beautiful!!! Thanks for showing us. I am inspired to get rid of even more clutter...
Wow! One of my favorite inside outs.
I really can't add to what's already been said except to agree that the salvaged timber offsetting the rest of the modern look is an inspired idea and has been executed beautifully.
Plus, again we see an amazing looking Ikea based kitchen.
yeah I live in Germany and can't gt over how much better the appliances are here.... My oven actually has directional heat, as in I can decide where I want the heat to hit the food (so much fun) and My fridge, which is the size of a dorm fridge and blends into the base cabinets, is better laid out and then most of the huge ones I had back in NYC..... those Germans really do it right.
Hey ladies! The house is looking AWESOME! Very nice work...I'm inspired to scour Craigslist for stuff now!
WOW. this apartment is wonderful.
The textures, lines, airy organization and zen-ness make this a perfect package home.
And if you happen to hear of anymore studios available for sell in this building- please let me know!
Lulu,
The sink is original to the apartment. We haven't touched the bathroom as of yet. I asked the super & he said the building doesn't keep any sinks or their parts, which is a drag. We could put a sign up in the building for you, in case any one is renovating their bathroom & wants to get rid of their present sink. Email one of us through our websites if you are interested.
Hi Clove, Hi Jenny,
Please come and make my house look this gorgeous.
Love, Moi
My,my,my,my,MY! You have a truly dreamy apartment.Jenny you are the best.
I checked this out this am before I rushed out the door and was truly inspired by your place, your website, and the two of you!
I'm a very rare poster here, but you've moved me to say that your place is wowie-zowie impressive. It's gorgeous, efficient, and I'm so jealous.
Would you be willing to disclose your approximate budget for the kitchen? It's fabulous.
The place is great and, as an Oaklander, I enjoyed the references to Oakland. I had to look up the SF Chronicle article...and here it is:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/08/09/BA47754.DTL
So sorry to hear about the house's current situation.
Where did you find the key caddy?
Keira,
We got the key caddy from a floor sample sale at Design Within Reach. We can't afford their stuff otherwise. Several times during the year, the different DWR's in the City will sell their floor samples. Just keep an eye on Craigslist, & they will list the discounted items. It is way cheaper & you don't have to pay for the shipping. Just type in "dwr" or "design within reach". I believe there are several sample sales going on now.
Very pretty apartment and if not too cliche a waterfall on the back wall would be fab. It just screams for it!
I've read that Ebony + Jacobean hint here before, maybe from you, but now that I see your place I know that's what I want!
Is it a 50/50 mix?
Thanks so much
Yan,
Nope it wasn't from me. Our mix was 50/50, but I've also heard 1/3 ebony, 2/3 Jacobean. Depends on your floors I guess.
A good friend just bought a co-op that needs a new kitchen and is having a difficult time envisioning its potential. Your photos and ideas have given her peace of mind of what can be. Would you be willing to share your contractors name? He does beautiful work. Thank you. Jessie
Jessie,
We ended up acting as our own foreman-- all the design ideas came from us & we had Ikea do the install of their cabinetry. The guys from our building helped us with hooking up the appliances. I wouldn't recommend the company that we worked with on the demo & framing because we had too many problems with them.
Just a small plug for the launch of my new design business, after years of renovating our own spaces & helping friends & family, we are finally taking the plunge & opening "Uncommon Abode" here in NYC. I'm working on getting the website up & rolling.
It is design consulting for ordinary folks who have a lot of style,
but don't have a lot of money to make it happen. Any project can look high style if you throw lots of money at it, the trick is how to have an space look high style, without the high price tag.
I'll be doing everything from helping to re-style apartments with the things folks already own to renovation apartments from the ground up. Feel free to have your friend contact me, if he/she would like help on creating a vision for the new kitchen. If nothing else, I'm happy to share some tricks that helped us save on the purchase of appliances, cabinets & the kitchen counter.
Best of luck,
Jenny
Fabulous, beautiful, clean. Eye candy! Come to SF with that fairy dust you're using and do my place!
Jenny,
Thanks for the great advice & I will pass the news along about your new entity for sure. Tons of luck to you with your business endeavor--you definitely have a niche. One question-how can we get in touch with you?
Hi there... what finish was used on the floor after the Jacobean/Ebony mix? The floors look unbelievable by the way...
Oh... and what type of wood are the floors? Maple, Oak, etc...?
Thanks again...
Cheers to Jenny and Clove!
Well done, unlike other post-ers, you guys went through some grueling working taking out walls, redoing gas lines, and reorganising kitchen space.
Looks great to my untrained eye...
You have my vote!
-erica
I posted before, but notice now how much I like the earthy dark wood frames in the kitchen and the table.
Also, the old feeling of the garden door:
It makes your clean lines cozy and comfortable.
But where do you keep your mess? Where do you keep the dishes? ha ha, organised buddist bitches! love ya!
-erica
Oh My GOD!! You two. It is beautiful. Consider me your first client. Invite me over so I can see it in person! Congratulations.
Hi Jessie,
Thanks so much-- you can email me at jenny@tricksaddle.com. My new business is called Uncommon Abode- www.uncommonabode.com- but I don't have the website up just yet. I'm working on that at the present moment & when I have it up & running you'll be able to email jenny@uncommonabode.com.
I'll be out of town for April & May working on location, but I will be able to connect via email.
Look forward to talking to you in person!
Best,
Jenny
Falco,
It was polyurethaned after we put on the Jacobean/Ebony. It takes 3 coats of the poly to protect the floors from scratching, etc.
Our floors are oak, I believe.
I am in town from Romania. I would like to make party in your abode with Clove and Jenny. I am nice. Maybe I can help building tiki bar in back yard? I like. I like your airplane dance play. it nice. Bye.
My name Welu Hat.
Bye.
I am new to the site and your place is so inspirational. Where did you get the front door organizer and who did you closets?
I recently had this same problem when renovating my loft in Tribeca, when a real estate agent friend of mine gave me the number of a contractor he knew. It was difficult for me to believe that a "20 something" had the experience to handle the job, but now I'm a believer. He's excellent and has excellent references. He gave me a fair price and did perfect work. I've given his name to all of my friend. I recommend anyone in need calls him. His name is John Wilson and his number is 610-509-2794. Tell him Tovah sent you. Good luck!
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Hi there - don't know if anyone is still following this thread, but I am curious about the 18" dishwasher. Am considering the same (18" Miele), but can put a 24" at the expense of 6 inches of cupboard space. We cook a moderate amount (just 2 of us) and have dinner parties now and again.
Are you happy with the 18" would you recomend it? Or would you go with the larger one?
view lalaklass's profile
"The trick is too leave the stain on to dry rather than rubbing it off which is traditional. It takes an extra day or too to dry."
I just wanted to say that I followed this advice and it was a disaster. Miniwax polyurethane will NOT adhere to the wood if the excess stain has not been wiped off. If you follow this advice and leave the excess stain, at some point, the polyurethane will chip, peel or flake off. Your floors will have to be redone. From scratch. This is what I am facing now for having gone this route.
view rrg211's profile
how gorgeous! i love it!!! you inspire me to fix it up around here. i'm glad your website is up and running now. you do great work!!!
i redid my floors dark red some years ago and i did several coats of stain with wiping and drying in between before the poly. i'm definately going to try the ebony & jacobean mix in my new place. i love the look. i've read that satin and matte floors show less dust than glossy.
lalaklass, i have an 18" ge profile dishwasher -- that 6 inches allowed me to get sliding waste containers in a cupboard, which i totally needed, but my dishwasher fills up really fast, one pot or 9x13 pan takes up most of the whole bottom level.
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