(More from Insta Reporter Wendy!)
Champagne was flowing at last Thursday night's launch party of THE UNION SQUARE LOFTS at 10 East 14th Street between 5th Avenue and University Place.
The 2,526 square foot model apartment is styled by Nicke Steele, the celebrity fashion stylist and featured furniture from Maurice Villency and photography from Patrick McMullan who also cohosted the event with Eric Villency.
The 4th floor loft features two bedrooms, a master bedroom designed by Donna Karan and a guest bedroom designed by Calvin Klein. The magnificent master bathroom was designed by Tommy Hilfiger. An unusual painting of Bill Murray -- the focal point for the small, colorful inner study (no windows) was painted by a student at Parsons. All this can be yours for just under 4 million dollars, of course, unfurnished.
- Wendy
Copyright © 2008 Apartment Therapy
yawn
I enjoy seeing how the "fortunate" live, design NOT on a dime -- wonderful photos and thanks for sharing them!
Hmmmm. While I LOVE some details, these interiors are (imho) pretty unremarkable. Nice finishes on the built-in stuff, but I think the interiors are a little disjointed. And they seem neither "zen simple" enough to project yourself into, or theatrical enough for a huge model-apartment wow factor.
Who is the audience for this type of interior (at THIS price range!!)?
I think we've seen more stylish and/or more risky interiors on the "pages" of AT, actually...
(but thanks, Wendy, for the peak inside!)
whoops, think I meant "peek"
I actually live across the street from the Union Square Lofts (and you can even see the white brick facade of my building through the windows in the top photo). When I look out my South-facing windows, I can see clear into the Union Square Lofts. Their building is beautiful, but it amuses me that I paid FAR less than $1 million and yet I get to look at their pretty building. On the other hand, some people will pay millions of dollars to live in the Union Square lofts and all they get to see is my dismally boring white brick building.
It looks dark, and it looks seventies, it is remarkable that these designers have made these rooms. I guess they were all stretching beyond the usual decor. its amazing to think that on the opposite of clean lines is seventies decor. the shaggy bench? it looks like a design student's invention.
Did anyone notice that in picture #'s 9 & 10 the kitchen counter sticks out past the wall, but not enough to look intentional?
And I thought I was the only one with a giant painting of Bill Murray in a loincloth hanging on my livingroom wall... now I guess it's becoming a fad!
Ah, but I have the one WITHOUT a loincloth!
Oh yeah, i just remembered where i'd seen the kitchen in pic #10. It's the kitchen from the Brady Bunch show. Donna Karen's bedroom reminds me of the basement bedroom from my childhood home in the 70's. My mom just had the wood paneling removed 2 years ago. The office with the pink wall, and floors, and desk, in my opinion just doesn't work, even with the picture.
Hilfiger's bathroom
Too dark for my tastes, although I love the wall-of-windows in the living room.
I'm really over the bowl-sink thing. It looks good but can't be all that practical to use. But then, maybe if you've got just under four million dollars, you can afford to be impractical!
Sour grapes, anyone?
yeah, i'm really over the vessel sinks, too. not necessarily out of practicality concerns, but because, um, seriously, they are just not all that.
i just feel like they're, i don't know, the wood panelling of 2000's design or something. so overused to the point where it starts to look tacky.
and seriously if i see one more stupid yuppy gut their beautiful vintage bathroom fixtures to put one of these babies in, i will vomit. or scream. or something. in 15 years somebody else is going to be gutting your stupid dated vessel sink.
I actually attended the event and toured the place - gotta tell you that the photos don't do it justice - the colors did not reproduce well and the pics look dark, but in person the place was not so. In fact the really high ceilings make it feel quite open. As for the design, it wasn't all that ridiculous "clean lines" no one lives here bullshit that so many people who lack an identity crave - but it felt like a real person lived there, which I appreciated.
Final thought: it's easy to sit back and criticize but difficult to actually do something...yawn yourselfs, what's more boring than a bunch of bitter people sniping.
While it's not exactly what I personally would have done, I have to tell you I like the apartment. In fact, I much prefer it to that sort of out-of-the-box Nate Berkus for Oprah thing that we've SEEN it in 1000 magazines and has about as much orginality as white socks apartment.
I think it's harder to take chances than to contrive an environment that pleases the masses. I work as an interior designer and so many of my projects are based off my client's taste and their desires for their home. And believe me, the whole 70s thing is still hot, especially in LA with actor types.
And Christian, you must have one cool Mom with a flair for decorating if your childhood basement bedroom looked like the Donna Karan room.
And I love the Bill Murray painting! While it's not for everyone, it's daring and fun. Half the fun of decorating is taking chances.