Name: Robert
Size: 780sqft
Location: East Village
“Are you building a house in there?” asks Blanche, Robert’s elderly neighbor, when she sees him tirelessly shlep construction materials down the hall week after week.
Blanche has known Robert since he was born—the same year that the Mitchell Lama apartments were completed and the same year that Robert’s grandparents moved in to their spacious modern affordable apartment and out of their tenement on the lower east side.
Originally Posted March 2nd, 2005
Entering the building on the corner of 1st Ave and 2nd Street, I am reminded of all the apartment buildings I have ever walked into in Eastern Europe. It’s institutional ‘aesthetic’ is unavoidable, but is quickly redeemed for me, by its improvised human elements.
There are a few people chatting around a card table that seems strangely cozy in the elementary school blue-tiled lobby. I realize quickly that the mailperson’s presence justifies each person’s need to be social. Everyone I run into is well over 65, and I imagine each of their apartments being a wonderfully preserved mid-60’s extravaganza—full of things for which I might love to overpay in a thrift shop on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg.
Walking down the long Mitchell Lama 3rd floor hallway, past what I later learned were the apartments of Blanche and Stella, respectively, I arrived at Robert's den of 21st century minimalism. The important thing to keep in mind here is that prior to Robert moving in, all of the original 1964 features of the apartment were fully intact. That includes the green carpeting and deep beige colored walls, the laminate cabinetry, each of the fully enclosed boxy rooms, and the sea foam/grey bathroom motif.
In that these apartments were built as co-ops for the middle class of New York City by the city—a concept that is almost hard to fathom at this point in the current real-estate development madness—and that they were meant to keep as part of a larger cooperative, current owners are still restricted from selling their apartments on the open market. Therefore, when Robert 'inherited' this apartment, he knew he was going to make it his own for the long-term.
Robert is an amazing person, especially in this day and age of the lure of mass produced, easily accessible albeit generic and homogenous products available. Robert has resisted the seduction of the market by taking it upon himself to manufacture almost all the elements of his renovation. If he can’t make it, he will design it and have it fabricated within a half-mile radius of his home.
Although he has high-end tastes and the demand for quality, he has managed to create an envious home on a limited budget and with environmental sensitivities. Yes, he has an architecture degree under his belt, and yes, he knows how to design, but he also has incredible patience and perseverance. He is willing to do months of research to track down a specific floor tile, ride his bike while balancing long strips of wood trim on the handlebars, and live amongst chaos for as long as it takes to get the job done to his high standards. An avid subsciber to the Slow Food movement, Robert has extrapolated many of the same tenets towards the art of home renovation.
Just to do a quick run-down of what he physically constructed with his own two hands and a couple of tools--the wall unit in the living room, all the white shelving in the bedroom and study, the desk, the kitchen cabinets (with doors from Ikea), the counter top which was then wrapped in stainless steel by a store on Chrystie St., the dining room table, and the design of the medicine chest (which was then fabricated by Canal Plastics on Canal Street).
Robert has lengthy, but rewarding, anecdotes for every aspect of this process. I kept asking and he kept talking and 2 hours later we just about made it through all three rooms of his spacious, 780 square foot apartment. If you must know, there are about 650 feet worth of living space and the remainder accounts for counter space, closet space, shelving space, and the bathroom.
The apartment feels generous and airy and my favorite trick for expanding space is the exaggerated blinds across a regular sized window. It is a great idea, easily implemented with a tremendous impact.
Take note of the cork floor! In the form of 12”x12” tiles, it is everywhere except in the bathroom. In the rooms where he expects more wear and tear, he has sealed them with the most environmentally sound polyurethane he could find, and in the other areas, he used wax. The effect is wonderful. You just want to take your shoes and socks off and run around to experience the inevitable warmth of such a material.
Robert’s biggest piece of advice for eager renovators is to live in a new apartment for a while, and then take action. Learn what things you initially hated that grow on you and actually work well and what things you simply can’t tolerate another second.
He admits that he knows what he likes but does not always possess the skills to achieve it. This is something a DIYer may want to accept at the outset and ignore or may want to work within limits and call in professionals when the desire for independence and a sense of accomplishment is outweighed by the inevitable impact of your mistakes.
Let us all learn from Rob that having high standards and the time and desire to achieve them is more than half the battle. As is evident from these photos, great things can be achieved in characterless apartments. Rob used the simplicity of the space to his advantage. He knocked down walls, pulled out cabinets, expanded the size of the bathroom, built out from the remaining walls to create storage, and embraced the random nature of right angles in the apartment.
The result is a feat like no Mitchell Lama apartment has ever seen. It is an oasis, and yes, it is a house, built from the outside in.
Shops that Robert endorses in addition to those mentioned above:
Robert says he made literally hundreds of trips to Bowery Building Supply where they would happily cut plywood to size, fewer but as crucial a number of trips to Brickman’s Hardware on 1st Avenue, and Metropolitan Lumber for hardwood custom strips.
Most of the kitchen hardware harks from David Sanders on the Bowery. Robert says “It is a great place, if you can catch someone's attention. Their people are all fantastic, but they ignore you studiously until you force them into it.”
The blue and grey Bisazza mosaic tiles in the bathroom and kitchen, respectively, are all from Tiles, Marbles and Things on Bleeker/Crosby. This place gets a ringing endorsement from Rob as “a great store, with a very nice owner named Rob.
Robert,
I don't know if it's ikea-looking, but I love the open shelving in your kitchen, and the unit in the living room. Of couse, all the white dishes help to make the kitchen shelving beautiful. I also love the red light switch on the wall next to the red chair. I'm now going to make a huge generalization. In my experience, only architects can live in a house this spare, and most of the ones I've met do, unless their spouses/partners are artists. They always seem to prefer photography to painting too. Do you think it's a right-brain/left-brain thing? or just that a good photograph is easier to find at a reasonable price than a good painting? Or is there something about paintings that feels wrong in such a space?
martha
sweet jesus, that's beautiful. not just the what of it but the how.
WOW!
I am a modern fan, but I find the decor a little generic. I read the rather breathless prose first, and maybe my expectations were too high. It's great to have a large space, though, and I admire that he did so much himself.
wow is right... I totally dig it.
Thanks for all the pictures. I'm so impressed that he's done so much work himself. I totally agree with waiting a bit before making changes to an apartment. I just bought a place in November and some things that I hated then have turned out to be practical in the course of living there. And some things make me wonder what the people building the place were thinking (there are no outlets in the bathroom). I'm very envious of the kitchen -- it's very inviting.
The man knows.
whine, whine. i covet this apartment.
I love the bathroom. I love the way the tile continues from the wall to the floor. I love that the sink and fixtures are mounted directly on the wall. I'm on the fence about the medicine cabinet, but I like that it is recessed and the way it butts against the wall witht he sink.
I need a medicine cabinet to fit in a particularly large, odd space in my bathroom. I never thought of going to a plastic fabricator to do that. Is this really possible? They could hinge the mirror on too? How much would something like this cost?
I have exhaustively searched Home Depot, hardware stores, online, vintage stores and cannot find a medicine cabinet to fit in my odd space.
(Great apartment! You have so much to be proud of, Robert!)
Congratulations! Thanks for sharing...
I want to come to your house, use the bathroom, read a book, use the bathroom again, have a chat with you while I am reading in the bathroom, during this time I would like you to be dancing, you are free to perform any dance, but you must be wearing sock or protective coverings on your feet, it is important for me not to see your feet. Once I finish the appropriate time spent in the bathroom I will exit into your kitchen where you will stop your dancing immediately and greet me with a refreshing glass of water which I will refuse. I will search your cabinets for anything with poppy seeds which I will then scatter about your apartment floor, the ways in which the poppy seeds land will then be diagramed by my staff of 4 men who will enter your apartment one at a time, one wearing no zippers, another wearing only buttons, one with plastic pants and the last carrying a small chalkboard on with the poppy seed diagram will be drawn on. Once my crew is finished diagraming the poppy seeds, they will exit your apartment. The one wearing no zippers will keep his hands below his waste, the one wearing only buttons will surprise you, for although he will seem mildly retarded he has a way about him which keep you entertained, the man with the plastic pants will play for you a jazz inspired solo using the sound of his plastic pants rubbing against your floors and walls, the plastic pants jazz solo will delight you to know end, and even the retarded man wearing buttons will become enchanted by the plastic pants dance, there is a dance that the slightly retarded man will encourage the plastic pants dance, at this point the plastic pants solo will end and the man with the chalkboard will read your fortune based on the coordinates of the poppy seeds which fell to the floor. Once you feel satisfied that you know what awaits you in this life the 4 men will exit your apartment the way they came in, and i will bequest of you a drink of water, which this time, I will except. I will be wearing a football jersey donning the number 80. Does this sound like a plan?
I like it a lot, especially the kitchen. Mainly because of how you created it but also for the way it looks. I much prefer the European, sleek lacquered look over the trad wood. Also love the oversize opening from the living to the kitchen and the fact that you resisted opening up the kitchen completely.
Obviously like the toilet (Duravit Happy D?) because ours are so similar but favorite piece is that dining room table. Very nice work.
I know what these apartments usually look like and you have done a great job transforming yours.
Thanks for sharing.
Thom, that was really cool. Lovely. Thanks for the diversion.
Looks great. I've got a practical question about the homemade shelves and desk. They look quite thick (in some cases, about an inch or inch and a half. I'm assuming you used MDF (but perhaps it's veneered wood?) Did you use standard 3/4" thick material and make the shelves and desktop as hollow "boxes", or are they solid material? And if so, where did you get the MDF (?) in such thicknesses? I'm curious because I've been making various built-in shelves, and I've not found anyplace it's easy for a person not "in the trade" to get the thick stuff.
Robert, meet my friend Art.
I'm impressed with the work... really like the way you've handled the shades in the bedroom... but it's a little on the stark fabricless side for me. Looks like it echoes like my highschool gym... =)
and Thom... I have no words. I think you used them all.
Impressive vision in a discouraging tower built for humans.
Big fan of the bathroon-the recessed wall space-and one color of tile-comforting. Probably the only place where I might embrace the minimalism-Ok maybe a sleeping space.
I also noticed that you have no vent for your oven-or is the food so good in New York that you don't ever cook at home?
Thoughts from the other coast.
gehry
I love the aesthetic and description but would it be possible to get some more detail on what a "limited budget" really means? And how much skill/experience he really had?
Im sore a number of people have been inspired by this but I for one would love to know what it really cost in terms of dollars, time and expertise!
thanks!
What a fabulous look and commentary on a most interesting looking apartment.
Thank you!
I'm not quite sure why Jamiepup was questioned for his bathroom remodel being cold (even though the predominant materials were wood and stone), yet the crowd seems to be gushing without pause over this space. Yes, some (many) interesting solutions. Hooray, perserverance. But (imho) it looks like a Bauhaus version of the the same kind of housing you seemed bent on breaking free of. Maybe it's not yet finished/furnished fully?
That's interesting, Patrick. I wondered the same thing (about the different approach to Jamiepup's bathroom, which I actually felt had a much warmer feel). I also agree with the high school gym comment by another person, and thought it was kind of interesting that the furniture was custom-made but looked very Ikea. (I like Ikea fine, so that's not a criticism.) It is very impressive work, don't get me wrong, but it feels very cold and bare to me. Maybe it's just not my thang.
gehry -- I've never had one of those vent/hood things for any of my cooktops, and I've lived in the city for 8 years. I don't know why I've never had one, or why people in other places always seem to have one. I've also never had a bathroom vent... or central air...
It would have been interesting to see the "before" pictures. But I really have to admire what he's been able to do. Wish I were that ambitious. It's unclear sometimes which parts are still a work in progress and it definitely seems "unfinished" to my eye. Love the look of the kitchen, but would want to try it out for functionality. The drop cloth/sheet on the sofa is because they dislike the sofa color? Still a lot to admire.
Hello all - and thank you for all your great comments, this has been a lot of fun.
I really appreciate the critique - the place definitely needs some "warming" up and to break away from the strict geometry and minimalism. In part, it's looking rather stark because I literally just finished putting in the floor and we're only now beginning to "decorate." (and to finish all the remaining details, once I get some construction energy back!)
Our challenge will be to do so in a way that blends the old and the new, a look I find very appealing. This won't be easy - I've learned that it is far easier to introduce miminal or modernist design into older spaces with detail and charm than it is to do the reverse in boxy and characterless spaces like this one. I am hoping that this can be accomplished via furniture and other objects (though I'm still resisting the idea of hanging anything on the walls as I'm quite enjoying the energy of pure colors against white - it's much less cold in person than in the photos). So any suggestions on this front will be most welcome!
I was initially very resistant to embracing the "Bauhaus" look , because it seemed too easy. But it turns out that modernist design works really well in this space, which should not be surprising given the period when these buildings were built. For example, the low slung Eames chair helps to visually elevate the 8 foot ceilings, and the primary colors also do very well here.
I agree that the built in shelfing is a bit "Ikea" inspired, but this has as much to do with my limited carpentry skills as it does with my preference for clean lines.
As for the bathroom, it's definitely about one's own taste, but my wife and I both love the "gym" look so we're happy with it.
I did not keep track of every expense, and certainly not of the time I put into this, but I know I did not spend more than $35,000 overall. The main splurge was on fixtures, which are horrendously expensive, but I tried to be reasonable everywhere else - for example, in the bathroom, the plain white tiles are very cheap, which allowed me to spend more on the glass mosaic shower wall. As for my skills - I'm definitely no carpenter, but my brothers have done construction work and often advised me on what to do.
and gehry - yes, the food in New York is great - but we do cook a lot at home, and often wish we had a hood. But it's just not possible to install one here....
thanks again to everyone,
Robert
ps - the venetian blind trick was my wife's idea, and I think it's the best detail yet!
Robert--
Thanks for the clarification on your state of completion (and for your patience with the armchair quarterbacking!). It should indeed be a sweet space to decorate/style/furnish, and an amazing shell for some gutsy art...
Another "great job!" here. I'd like to echo the earlier question about what the built-ins are made of. I am in the process of creating something similar, and those have the perfect scale.
Thanks for being such a good sport, yesi'mbuildingahouseinhere. The lines of everything are great, so I'm sure that once you get some more personal details in, it will be quite stunning. I didn't realize you built the furniture yourself--that's very impressive.
Hi Jeremy
I'm not sure which built-ins you are referring to - but everything is made with plywood - either single 3/4 inch sheets, or two sheets joined to make the thicker units - (some of them are two 3/4" pieces for a total 1.5 inches, and some are 3/4" plus 1/2" for a total 1.25 inches). I faced most of the plywood with 1/2 inch poplar cut into the widths to match the thickness of the pieces - you can have this done at places like Metropolitan Lumber.
I hope this helps, and please feel free to email me if you have any questions! - Robert
Thanks for the info about how you made the shelves. I figured that since they were painted, and there was no wood grain that I could see (or any pattern on the edges) that you must have used MDF rather than plywood. But I suppose that some edge-banding, or 1/2" poplar at the edges, would do the trick. When I was doing some shelves, I wondered about gluing/laminating two sheets together to get the extra thickness, but I didn't think it would end up looking that great. Guess I was wrong - yours do indeed look great. I may have to experiment to see if I can make my shelves look that nice.
Martha - thanks for the comments - and by the way, you might be interested to know that the living room shelves were my re-interpretation of a similar unit I had once seen in a shop in Paris, whereas the long white shelves in the kitchen were directly "lifted" from Arc Linea, an Italian maker of high-end kitchens. The shelves with all the plates on them are actually a rough mock-up of something I still have not figured out yet - the final configuration will probably be different, and I'd like it to be of dark wood (like walnut) - and will probably try to find someone to make them for me.
I agree with your generalization about architects living in spare houses, and it's a condition I want to break away from! I consider the spareness more of a staring point or clean slate. It will take time to find items (whether furniture or wall hangings or carpeting) to "fill" the place and preserve (or enhance) the aesthetic that is now rooted here.
As we have not really searched yet for anything to hang on the walls, I am only guessing here but I THINK I would be just as happy with paintings and drawings as I would with photographs - it's just a matter of finding the right ones. (though you are right, I'd rather have something original and so might well be limited by what is affordable!)
Robert
Soooo impressive and inspiring. Congratulations! Almost every home I've seen in a magazine lately has a copy of The Cabinet of Natural Curiousities in it and so does your place. I even saw a bathroom wallpapered in its pages once. It was cool. I love your bathroom too. These are two extremes that both work well.
A very thoughtful project done with care. Kudos to youdos.
I just finished looking at all the pictures of your apartment, Robert, and while I was looking, this house could have burned down around me and I wouldn't have noticed! I think your work has resulted in a superb--superb!--living space. And even though we're looking more at interior architecture than interior decoration, I, for one, don't find it the least bit cold. From the downlit cabinets to the cork floors to the wall of books, to the rows of filled glass jars on the kitchen shelf, it's filled with touches whose warmth is all the more evident because of the lack of possessions-jumble! (The red and brass outlet does its bit, too!) I'll bet the space doesn't feel cold to live in, does it?
Other nice things: the translucent glass window you put in; the placement of the red chair; and the red medicine cabinet you designed for the bathroom. If you ever decided to produce and sell these cabinets, consider me the first on your list of buyers.
I think what transfixed me as I looked at the pictures is the architectural vision you had while renovating.
Good grief--I'm just completely snowed by the whole thing--
Great job! I love the attention to details--details that are integrated into the design rather than fussy: the red and gold outlet, the mirror facing inward in the medicine cabinet, the use of lighting. Favorite pic is the red eames against the blue wall. With the blue wall, I like how it is cut into the white frame of the surrounding wall.
Doesn't seem too stark to me, a bit unfinished in places, yes, but that is acknowledged.
Can I just say how much I love these house tours? I just love 'em!
Nice apartment! Robert, do you happen to have a brother who was a city planning phd student in Philly? You look a lot like him...anyway...great place!
Great job! I want to be you when I get around to renovate my apartment!
Could you tell me where your oven is from? I've been looking for a gas oven that fits under the counter, but could only find electric ones (all the gas single oven I found had extra broiler compartment that would make the unit too tall.)
Also, what kind of light did you use to light the shelves next to the floor- did you use strips?
thanks!
Rita
Robert, I have the same intercom and hate it too...with a passion! I hope you post a follow up pic of your cover up solution 'cause I sure would like to see what you come up with. In the meantime, enjoy your lovely home and thanks for the tour!
I don't really like it...it's a bit too bland for me. And that's strange because I'm a minimalist. Nothing stands out to me...it looks cluttered.
I remember when this first posted.. it yielded a great conversation with the homeowner, a really great guy.
I have to agree with Walter. There is a definite lack of dynamic. This decor job is a good example of the fact that just because you employ minimal elements in a modern aesthetic doesn't mean you will necessarily achieve that striking, contemporary look we all love so much. Indeed, I would offer up this layout as a prime example of what traditionalists always say that don't like about contemporary design: the clinical chill. Like the difference in difficulty between a novel and a screenplay, minimalism is much harder to get right.
things i like:
the tilework in kitchen and bathroom
shelving everywhere! this really solves the problem of book storage in an attractive way, but somehow doesn't look too utilitarian, like you are living in a storage unit.
the way you've created your own bones in what i would assume is a fairly boxy space.
the airy feel of the space in general
your large open floor plan kitchen/dining/living area.
what i don't:
i am so goddamn sick and tired of seeing the same few designer pieces over and over again. i know people get them because they can, and because they're classics (and that they're classics for a reason). when i have the money, i'll probably invest in a few of those pieces myself. but the impression it gives is, "i have lots of money and no taste of my own, so i called up DWR and just had them ship over their top ten bestsellers." especially when it's the only furniture you have or it forms the dominant 'look' of the space. there's interior design protein, and then there's interior design PowerBars -- good sometimes as an addition to an otherwise healthy diet, but man cannot survive on PowerBars alone, dammit! Get some salad and chicken. Throw in a little sauce every now and again. Carbs do have their place. And indulge in a little dessert. Just please eat something else other than PowerBars.
the opoponax--
Please keep in mind this space was *just* completed when this was first posted... no doubt a layer of "sauce" was added since then (I think it was even a topic within the thread.)
And while I agree with some of what you say about Eames/DWR overload, I think the RED Eames chair was a particulary inspired choice, and not an easy because-I-can-afford-it decision.
And to the credit of many interiors enthusiasts and architects, I know some who were collecting Eames pieces WAY before they were so ubiquitous, and just still happen to have them. Maybe that's the case here.
I really like the bathroom. I don't think anyone has complained about it not having a bathtub. :)
it's not that i don't think anyone can ever buy eames or display it in their homes.
it's just that when i see a completely bare bones apartment that includes more than one of those pieces or whose entire furnishings consist of DWR hot button items, it just really turns me off.
there are other stores. there are other designers. there are other ways to acheive a distinctive modern look.
i guess i just feel like if that's your attitude towards interior design, why not just go Pottery Barn?
Nice apartment, terrible photos.
Reshoot with better lighting...
i love the built-in everything, especially with the recessed lighting. open storage scares me (because i don't want to dust/clean it all the time), and i'm not lurving the blue, but that's just me. but i think it's pretty damn great.
also, i must have missed j/pup's bathroom, but found it in the archive. beautiful. i just want to see some elegant, sleek plants in there. some tall grasses? (although maybe light's an issue.)
I think the kitchen is WONDERFUL, very well thought out, tasteful! My favorite is the open shelving. Agree with pphillihpp -- the addition of a few plants would be an improvement. Thanks for sharing!
Does nothing for me. Sorry. As someone else said, it somehow manages to be minimal but feel cluttered at the same time. Why is the oven so low? I don't like having a lot of open shelving, I think there is too much of it here, and I don't consider jars of food decorative. To me, the blue clashes with the floor color (granted, color and digital photos and computer monitors are tricky). The red outlet doesn't work for me. I don't mind one or two easily recognizable designer pieces, but I think this place would benefit from some mixing. Seems to lack individuality.
Beautiful!! What an amazing job you've done! You must love coming home every night....
(but I do agree that the "surveillance style" photos don't do this place justice.)
I also think some of that open storage was getting doors (this was originally posted when he was not quite finished)
WOuld love to see recent photos.
from tenement to prison, what a step up! ecch
Interesting. I looked at it again, and have a much more enthusiastic reaction. The bedroom still strikes me as cold, but love everything else.
By the way--opoponax, do you ever have any positive comments? Because I have yet to see one positive post from you.
Would love for you to post your house.
Okay, I take it back. I only saw the bottom part of your post. Those are the first positive comments I've ever seen you post, though.
i love this place! superb minimalist work, eames chair and arco lamp are one of my top favs from the mid century. Has the eurpean bath and the surprise BANGS of color in just the right places. GREAT shelving with lights behind them, WOW i want his help in our house now!
Rob, apt looks great.
Dying to know what the make/model of your stove is, and where you got it. i'm looking for a good gas wall oven, having trouble locating one. i saw that Rita asked you as well, not sure if you posted it somewhere else.....
thanks!
I love this place! I have a very similar L-shape apartment in the lower Hudson Valley. I'm a renter though and could not update mine as beautifully as yours. I do luv my place - I have a view to die for and that's what keeps me there. I wanted to know about the shelves in your living area, are they custom made or did you purchase them at a store?? They are beautiful and I'm looking for something similar for my dining area. Like yours exact except facing the opposite (on the right hand side). I have a 2bdrm. with a balcony which is situated in the dining area as well. Hope you can let me know bout the shelves I'd appreciate it.
Love it. Love it. Awesome. And while you're providing Ed with the oven model, can you PLEASE (PLEASE PLEASE) tell me where you got those stunning cooktops, which I have been searching in vain for ever since seeing them in Spain. THanks and great work!
Robert, you are a heart-breaker. Bravo!
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