Name: Cate & Dave
Location: Gramercy Park area
Size: 550 square feet, 1 bedroom rental
Years lived in: under a year
Newlyweds Cate and Dave have only recently moved into their Gramercy Park area apartment. With an overall look of an updated traditional style, the couple's collection of artwork takes center stage and helps the apartment look cozy and lived-in...
Click below for slideshow and interview...
Inspiration: Ultimately my inspiration comes from my mother. She has had her own interior design business in Washington D.C. for years, and is responsible for any kind of interest I have in aesthetics and the importance of one’s living space. I have learned so many things from her, especially in terms of grouping pictures together, creating different “scenes” or arrangements, and the importance of understanding scale. She is always grabbing stacks of books or clear, acrylic cubes to upon which she places different objects to give height, something that I have tried to adopt in my space. It’s all about the details.
Your Favorite Element: I love the scene that is in front of the gold mirror. I cherish the drawn portrait, which was done by my high school art teacher Lee Newman and given to me upon graduation. The three vases are from Martha Stewart’s KMart line; I find myself changing the flowers often but usually sticking to white. I think that subtle colors of the books that are stacked as well.
Biggest Challenge: The easy but also most honest answer here is the lack of space. Keeping order and finding ways to store all of our stuff is a big challenge. (The closet in our bedroom is usually off limits for any guest to look at!).
Biggest Indulgence: While I would love to say that our biggest indulgence has been something more dignified like a vintage table or an upholstered chair, the reality is what invest most our money in is our ever-growing collection of books, DVD’s, CD’s and records. It’s bad! We just can’t help ourselves. For me, getting a new book means not only having something new to read, but also having something new to display in my bookshelf, the arrangement of which has been known to consume me…
Best Advice: Don’t be afraid to frame! My husband jokes that the one thing he really did not know about until we got married was my obsession with framing. But I do believe that in terms of hanging pictures, more is more. And pieces that have been bought for a certain price are in no way the only things that deserve big, white, mattes with a gold leaf frames around them. I have been known to frame ripped pages out of art books, old postcards, and even sketches done on dinner napkins. Never underestimate the power of the frame.
Dream Sources: Books, of course. Newest finds include: “Rooms to Inspire” by Annie Kelly, “Moderne: Fashioning the French Interior” by Sarah Schleuning and Jeremy Aynsley, and “David Hicks: Living With Design” the out of print book which I stole from my mom. I am a magazine junkie. Favorites include: Domino, Elle Décor, Metropolitan Home, Real Living, Dwell and Inside Out. I read lots of design blogs (Apt. Therapy obviously) but also Design Sponge, Decor8, MocoLoco , Absolutely Beautiful Things, Oh Joy!, and The Peak of Chic are a few of my favorites.
Proudest DIY: The metal shelf I invented in our bedroom. I found a piece of sheet metal in the trash outside and then drilled it into the wall. I stuck drawings from past figure drawing classes, postcards, photographs from our wedding and record covers on top of it.
Copyright © 2008 Apartment Therapy
That looks like a such a comfy home. As always it's good to see books :-) and I like how you hung your art. Thanks for sharing!!!
view JuliaL's profile
It is beautiful and indeed looks cozy and elegant. I really like how the brick wall recedes with the art work on it as I think they can be awkward to deal with.
view Gallivant's profile
I particularly enjoy the gallery of art above the sofa on the brick section of wall.
The guy in a previous post with the log cabin / stone wall in the middle could use this as inspiration for using what he already has.
view bepsf's profile
I love the look of it! Not too matchy, well-lit and airy, and just on the verge of too cluttered (I have a high tolerance, though). It's filled with interesting things I'd like to walk up to and study. In other words, this is the kind of house I'd like to spend a long time in, just hanging out--a true nest! And as always, it's good to see another home around the 500 sq ft range!
view OneWallKitchen's profile
Like the lighting, very roomy and comfy, thx for sharing.
view Jacktd01's profile
Great little place and a nice looking couple to go with it.
view 335ktt's profile
Really, really nice. I love the artwork, the scale and the restful colors.
view Valerie's profile
wow. i love love love this apartment, though i seem to be too addicted to color to pull something like it off in my own space. Am wondering, how can i find out more info about these lamps? Kate and Dave, are you reading this? Can you post any information on where you found the beautiful turquoise lamp with the white shade and also the one on the gold leg.
view buyersremorse's profile
Hmmm as far as I know, and I am no expert in this, pictures always create an illusion of a wider bigger space than it actually is. And with that in mind, these pictures already look rather cramped - I cannot imagine what it would be like to really be in that space. I know it is a really tiny space, but maybe editing would help? That picture with the wall of stuff in particular gives me a thorbbing headache. Maybe that's just me though.
view siongchinchan's profile
Lovely, cozy, thoughtful--and you two are adorable.
I feel motivated to frame . . .
view jen_g's profile
The place has a lot of character; great job!
view martita's profile
"Can you post any information on where you found the beautiful turquoise lamp with the white shade "
That's Crate & Barrel
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=1220&f=4454
view bepsf's profile
Could you tell me what kind of hooks/supports you use for hanging on brick? I just earlier today bought some hardwall hangers from a hardware store that the clerk recommended I hammer into the grout, but I am afraid they won't be able to hold frames.
view canyouwink's profile
I love seeing a home that looks like people live and love there...Great Job!
view hdtex's profile
Great decorating! Can you tell me where you got the monogrammed pillow on the bed?
Thank you!
view nycgirlygirl's profile
The brick wall -- is that a non-working fireplace behind your sofa? If so, that's a smart solution for a dead space -- to mask it with a sofa and art work. Lots of apartments in Boston have fireplaces that are filled so there's just a bad mantle and a white hole that looks like the filling of a tooth. If there was a fireplace, did you have the mantle removed?
And your art is all so lovely. I also like how you've played with proportion. You've created the illusion of height through your lamps, tables, and art.
It feels very much like a home that was designed over time.
Great job, Cate and Dave. :)
Holly
view decor8Holly's profile
Lovely apartment, it looks so comfortable and cozy. I really like the wooden and metal tray table in the living room, are you able to reveal where you bought it from?
view Jodie's profile
I love it!
Those don't look really like Ikea Billy bookcases, but are they?
view janey's profile
Your table-scape with the books and small flower vases is so brilliant that I'm saving the picture for inspiration!
view Jane's profile
canyouwink, i just put up some Ikea Lack shelves into brick & concrete & concrete screws did the job reliably. Hammering into the grout is a lot less reliable.
view jenny!'s profile
What a beautiful apartment, and you've made it look so cozy and inviting. I've also recently discovered a love of matting and framing, just wish I had a quarter of your talent at hanging my art.
view MIKEC's profile
Slip cover just Do Not Work, they make the whole place look a mess.
view phauxtoe's profile
This apartment appears both eye-catching and comfortable, a delicate balance that many find difficult to achieve. Often smaller spaces require that skirted furniture be forsaken for leggy pieces that visually maximize space and light. But somehow, the skirted, slip cover "Shabby Chic" seating works here. That is quite an accomplishment.
view Herringbone's profile
Please come fix my home. I'll provide the red acrylic.
view sorcha's profile
Great job but I have to know where that coffee table in the livingroom comes from. I've been searching everywhere for something about that shape and size. Is it from PB?
view snoopy's profile
I love your wall of bookshelves! Where did you get them?
view Huntington Beach's profile
Thanks to everyone for all of the great comments and feedback! I definitely sent in our photos on a whim, so to have such affirmation is especially encouraging.
In answer to some of the questions asked:
- The turquoise lamp is from Crate and Barrel and the brass lamp is from Restoration Hardware. (Both gifts, as was most things in our apartment!).
- The monogram pillow on our bed comes from a company in Washington called Jane Willner Linens, and can be order through the Kellogg Collection (we also have a matching bed cover and shower curtain)
- The shelves are from IKEA - "Billy" with the extensions.
- The glass candlesticks are all CB2
- We used "bend-less" nails for the artwork in the brick that is not a fireplace.
Holly- if you are the same Holly from "Decor8" I just want to let you know that I LOVE reading your blog- I can't get enough.
Let me know if there are anymore questions!
Thanks,
Cate
view cw@LoftLifeMag's profile
Your home is beautiful. I love your display of books and art.
I really like the thin silver frame (or is it white?) above your couch. Is that a ready-made frame or did you get it custom-made? If the latter, where did you get it framed?
Thanks for sharing!
view leahgreen's profile
I love it! Very cozy.
My fiancé and I just bought a place in Mountain View with teeny tiny room for dining and living. I want to create the look that you have with the couch, two chairs and the art work hanging over the couch. The smallest chairs I can find are the PB Basic love seat and chair.
Can you tell me where you got the two chairs shown with the couch. I LOVE the style and want to check them out. thank you! Enjoy your cozy place!
view Mangia's profile
couldn't see the slideshow.
The posted pic (of the living room) shows a bunch of art on an intermediate background.
Wall hanging?
Why?
Get rid of it.
The place will vastly improve.
The room appears fine for that 'look' otherwise.
view paulmuscat's profile