apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Just a tiny bit too sparse for me but still really beautiful. It's been my fantasy for as long as I can remember to live in a brownstone in NYC; just to walk out the door and have the world accessible to me. But I need to have that without the street noise, please!

Great, but where's the STUFF that makes a house a "home"?

Those floors are to die for, so rich, so smooth, so warm.

You know, for some people clutter and crap doesn't make a home, no matter how "personal". For me, personally, a space like this is most like home when it is visually smooth and unobstructed. That said, if you just watch the slideshow on the Times site, you can see plenty of personal items strewn about in other rooms not on this page.

FJ!!, personal effects which help create a charming home don't have to necessarily be "clutter and crap". Art on some walls and statuettes and items infused with deep, personal meaning on a few dedicated shelves don't all of a sudden break a home's "smooth and unobstructed" aesthetic. Why so angry?

I am all for spare but this totally misses the mark.

IMO, the light in this space isn't suitable for this kind of architecture -- the windows are too small even with the addition of the skylight. what could be a really sleek modern space comes off as kind of amateur here. or maybe the photography is just shit.

overall it just doesn't work for me.

Although the house had been gutted before they purchased this place, I wonder if they could have added what I call "modern architectural character." I'd be totally uninspired by this place if there were no fixtures or furniture; however, I do agree that the floors are marvelous.

I normally like spare, but this is just a tad too spare for me, given the size of the house. Still, though, it's very nice.

And, too, want a brownstone in NY.

I like the daughter's room, with the wall collage made from magazine clippings!

Did no one notice the amazing oak(?) window sills/frames throughout the house? They're completely modern and simple, but work to unify this unusually grand space.

it doesn't look as if anyone lives there. even with the people in the photos...

Not inspiring at all. Why live in a brownstone if all you get is cold, sterile modernism? Go move into those tall glass condo towers instead.

Why are you calling me angry when I am not the one telling a happy couple showcasing their lovely house that it is not a home? I was just voicing that not everyone accepts the same definition of what makes a "home" with regards to visuals. And in this case it was kind of misplaced too, seeing that the article had actual pictures of rooms with more artifacts in them. Saying you do not like minimalism is one thing, but saying it is not a home takes quite some gall, Gideon, so I am not clear why I am considered the angry one when I stick up for someone's esthetic.

Second, consider that some people don't 'infuse deep personal meaning' (Is that a marinade you buy somewhere?) into the required amount of objects, or any at all. Does that mean people like that can never make a home?

I have to agree with FJ on this one. My home has a similar aesthetic to the one depicted above. And although I said earlier that it's a bit sparse for my taste, I certainly don't disqualify it as being someone's "home."

Personally, I don't like art hanging on my walls, but as I compromise to my partner, I have agreed to hang some photos. I have very few objects out and about in our living room - mostly a few stacks of cookbooks. I don't think I can say I have anything in my home that is infused with deep personal meaning, unless you count my two chihuahuas.

Does no one else find it weird that the daughter in the main picture is named "Marland" so her name is Marland Marland??

Oh wait - I take it back - she has her dad's last name!!

Maybe it's just me, maybe it's that I am suffering from Domino magazine inspired knick knack and texture overload, but I love the spareness of the home. And I am all the more impressed that they have managed it in the confines of a brownstone.

It looks like every day would feel like a fresh start.

Can someone id the sectional? Looks B&B ish, but not.

I like this space a lot. Its similar to what I had envisioned for my own loft but the cost of the brazilian cherry wood floor was outside of my budget. Instead I went with a white floor, which also requires the removal of shoes to prevent scuffing (thought not scratching) the glossy finish.

I love the decor.

Cheers!

Ah yes, I aspire to contain my rat packing habits and Deborah is an old friend. There is an interesting history to why her place is so spare. I collect messages from the Universe and my whole apartment is filled with strange objects with deep meaning. But the meaning often gets lost in the clutter. Sometimes, I wish I could simplify it like Deborah has done. It seems impossible for me. I would love to have that kind of space to work with. In years past Deborah would put up a HUGE Christmas tree that was almost 2 stories tall. Beautiful? How do you manage to keep it so nice with children? I always found her place to be a refuge of calmness.