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How does one eat at that table? Only super super super slim people?

Is Mr. Leaney taking girlfriend applications?

Waiting for it...

I am ok with minimalism, but c'mon, couldn't he at least buy the dog a bed or something?!?!

Plus that "dining room" looks like a conference room- all thats missing is a 3 way phone.

tallguylehigh you made me almost spit out my tea..that was funny.

True about the dog beds.. I am a bit put off my this guy.

I think that little photo tree thing is the diametric opposite of minimalism.

tallguylehigh, conference room is exactly what i was thinking. I realize it is minimalist, but that does not mean the removal of art. In fact, I think minimalist decor can be a showcase of art. It would enhance the space (ie, conference room) immensely.

The dining area was rationally planned by the architect to save the homeowner on insurance premiums. Guests can come over and get absolutely wasted (no significant other to stand in the way!), and the tight proximity of chair-back to wall prevents them from falling out of their chairs and harming themselves.

Owning ridiculous numbers of shoes is also in diametric opposition to minimalism.

But to be fair, the homeowner never claimed to be a minimalist. This was a term thrust upon him as part of a 'returning trend' by the editor. "Throwing crap away is the new hoarding".

Not for me...except for the doggies!

The oven looks kind of awkward above the wine fridge. Great floors.

What kind of wood was used for the floors? Very pretty

I'm guessing he doesn't use the dining room much, considering the article says he normally gets takeout.

Did you notice the greeting cards on top of the kitchen cabs? I suspect his lifestyle is a lot less minimal than his home looks. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it does serve to explain the disconnect between what the article seems to want his home to be, and how he actually lives in it.

I'll bet the dog has a bed hidden away somewhere for the photo shoot.

This apartment has nice elements-- nice wood floors, nice layout and architectural elements, nice furniture, nice shower stall-- but it's not pulled together. Instead of looking "minimalist," it just looks unfinished. And I am really, really, really angry at that kitchen. It's just . . . wrong.

I think it is nice as a bachelor pad.

The space has some nice elements but I agree it looks staged in a way that doesn't match the owner... not all dogs will sleep on a bed, my wife and I have spent hundreds on different beds for our two Komondor. But then again their coats weigh about 35 pounds each (dreadlocks) so they kind of wear their beds.

Love it. The kitchen is fantastic.

FiatLex, I suspect that his lifestyle includes another house in the country. Two huge dogs and a minimalist home in Manhattan? He probably goes somewhere weekends. Somewhere relaxed and comfy.

I, too, and turned off by this chilly abode. What bothers me most is the absence of art or ornament (even personal photos) on the walls. It's as if a ghost lives there. There is nothing that says "this particular person lives here". It looks like he never touched it after the designer left.

Bring in some art and signs of life, and you would have one nice place.

And my, oh my, has Harlem changed!

I love the space but I think that slinging a sleek dining table and Italian sofa into the space and calling it a day is a bit lazy on the decorating end - particularly when the sofa is pressed up against the wall (movie theater syndrome) and accompanied by bamboo sticks in a jar (staging cliche).

A big part of minimalism is understanding how you live. That knowledge helps you reduce things in your life that don't serve you. Unless Mr. Leaney is a big entertainer, that table is a waste of space and money. If he eats take out nightly, a better solution would probably be a sleek eat in solution for the kitchen (preferably with a view of the tv) that would allow for quick dinners at home alone and casual entertaining when guests present themselves. Simply having a grand dining table (gathering dust) because other people have a dining table is the antithesis of minimalism.

i was turned off by "We've always believed minimalism is all about really great closet space.."

..wtf?

also, how is it "making a comeback"? seems to me it's never been out of style, its just normally been out of reach for the average-income renter/home owner.

The dog looks miserable:( Minimalism must mean no toys.

What a cold apartment... I don't like it. Can I have the dog???... we have toys and a dog bed

Northern Dad - I watch the Westminster Dog Show every year just to see the Komondor! I love how the dreads sway when they run!

It a fabulous loft like space, a great place for a single person or couple.

Cow skin rugs alwasy look so crisp and sharp on the dark wood floors!

I agree that poor dog needs a bed.
Howeever, Photos are always staged when they are professionally photographed for publication.

I am enjoying the idea of walking up the stairwell and seeing an attractive man showering...does anyone else think the shower stall is perching close to the stairs?

Oh that's what that is, SkippyB! I couldn't make it out at first.

I get the feeling, based largely on that shower, that the women hoping for girlfriend applications are barking up the wrong tree.

I can get into minimalism, but I don't like this. And like some others have mentioned, I don't quite get the couch and dining table pressed up against each other in a corner.

I really like this, very cozy.

The best part of the space is the dog (rottweilers rule!), and the patio.

The table looks a bit too large for the space, and the exposed brick on a backsplash? Good luck keeping that porous and uneven surface clean. It's a bit too masculine and sterile for my taste.

It's the perfect contrast to the overcrowded dirty day-to-day that is NYC. You need a clean minimal space to stay sane. Beautiful.

Blecch. This is horrible. I agree with the conference table comment. This space makes no sense and communicates an unpleasant spirit. The low-lighted collection of knives on the brick wall did not help. If you have nothing on your walls, you might want to rethink having the one thing you do put up, be three sharp knives. I felt like I was watching a movie in which a spurned Glenn Close (angry at not making the girlfriend application) was going to pop up and boil the Rottweilers.

nice use of space....Love your rotties...great dogs.

The thing is, I have no idea where the 1200 square feet of indoor space is. I

f it's really that big, I don't understand why he has a view of his shoes from bed. Does anyone find it comforting to look at their shoes as they go to sleep/wake up? I'm curious.

The floor are really nice.

Too cold and impersonal.

Kinda reminds me of American Psycho.

I agree he needs more art. Perhaps the dog sleeps on the couch? My dog alternates throughout the night between the couch at the front of my place and a dog bed at the foot of my bed.

I love the shower and outdoor space. I would not have put a wine fridge below an oven, nor a refrigerator next to one. Sounds like a recipe for disaster if one were to actually bake/roast anything.

now that is a bachelor pad!

anyone here have one they'd like to give away to a starving filmmaker who moonlights as a real estate agent...?

oh dang... guess not...

Cheers,

dan

buzzedNYC.com
--
New York City Apartments -No Broker Fee... No Sign Up Fee... No BS.

rough crowd-some of you are brutal!

the guy has a killer place!

he did a great job.

love the placement of the bed-it highlights the vaulted niche-
& the shoe rack works

there are someminor nick nacks- but over all...nice pad!

What material is the floor? It is gorgeous.

When the article stated that he shared the space with the new york times, I took it literally. It's a bit austere and does look more like a work space than a living space. (hello, that is indeed a conference table, not dining space!)
I do covet that kitchen though.

That dining table has never been used. Have any of you tried to get grease marks off a glass-topped dining table? It's impossible. And then the finger marks just get everywhere, there's always a fingerprint that you miss - on the underside - how do fingerprints get there of all places? Then there are the scratches ... Only a guy would think of having a glass topped table.

I was excited once I read the title of this article but this is absolutely horrible. As one commenter said, minimalism does not mean removing art.

The dining room is troubling... first of all, it has 10 chairs and the table is see-through. Look how close the chairs are to the wall -- totally uncomfortable.

Not a good example of Modern Minimalism.

Wow!...you apartment therapy readers can be harsh on us poor lil' ol' architects...

Hate it.

cold impersonal impractical pretentious

poor little sad place...

a bit of wall art won't hurt, but I love the dogs expressions