1 month!?!
Not my style BUT I can appreciate this as I grew up with a Caribbean mother whose taste is very similar to yours but whose style never quite evolved to this level. Congrats on a lovely home. I'd feel very at home here. LOVE LOVE LOVE the closet!

Please please please..... Can you tell me where you got your black shoes? They're beautiful!

That closet is pretty enviable! Love the couch too

love all of the colorful clothing in the closet!

This is not remotely my style, but I admire Sai for knowing exactly what she wants and not being afraid to be a little over-the-top.

omg!!!!!! Sai, first of i want to say that first photo.... FIERCE! your apartment is amazing, i am so jealous! And that bathroom, I just about passed out on my desk! I finally know where to take my place design wise and that is to emulate yours. Just WOW!

lets not forget that amazing closet....sigh

Oh my GUH. You moved in a *month* ago? This place is GORGEOUS. Love the sofas, the closet, and I love that you still got this super-glam look from places like Home Goods, Craigslist, and Pier 1. Fabulous all around!

Not my style, but lovely nonetheless.
Love the sofa in the closet room.

but I am bugged bugged bugged that the curtains in the dining room are hung at different heights. Why why why?

I find it very telling that a whole generation (mine) of women have grown up to worship the closet as a room where a girl goes to be in the company of her precious bags and shoes. I find it spiritually emptying. Yes, clothes are fun. But they are meant to be worn, during life. That thing that happens when we are not sitting in a zebra print ottoman admiring the latest Jimmy Choo acquisition. Makes me think of Scrooge spending all his time with his gold coins. Not to mention what it says about our society as a whole that closets are so big entire rooms are devoted to them.

@Pi-well said. Love that peach dress with the gold belt. Nice home, not my taste, but so lovely and fierce, and very neat. "Go on with your bad self!" (said with attitude doing a Z-snap)

One month???? How does that happen?

not a fan of the carpet and some of the stuff on the floor (like the wine rack) but these are quibbles for one month.

I've lived in on my own for 4 years and it does not look that complete. I'm not into fashion but even I want that closet

Bursting with charm and personality. It's all about being glam, chic and girly. Enjoy it and thanks for sharing. Oh, and btw it's okay to "worship your closet." To quote Carrie Bradshaw "I like my money right where I can see it... in my closet."
And I say whoever said money doesn't buy happiness doesn't know where to shop!

Spare us - oh sanctimonious posters - of your judgement, and commentary about how vapid society is. This home is glorious, her style is on point. It's rich, luxurious, and completely indulgent and as it's her home, it should be! Loving it!

Love the dining room chairs,the settee in the closet and the mirrored furniture.And Sai is of course,fierceness personified.Before people pick her decor to death,remember,she just moved in! I see her vision,but it does have a little way to go yet.And I agree about those curtains!

Sai, your home is gorgeous. I'm in love with your dining room chairs!

Wow! If only I had an extra bedroom it'd be set up just like yours including the mirrors placed on top which I'd never have thought of on my own.

I'm returning to your house tour now to catch details I missed the first time and thereafter to your blog. Or, maybe I'll visit your blog first and then return to your fabulous home tour.

Thanks for sharing and for the inspiration.

I love that closet but I do not have enough clothing to fill one side of it.

Wow, your closet runs a close second to the Mariah episode of Cribs. I agree your style is Old Hollywood Glamour, I was watching a movie from the '30s the other day and the apartment had the same dense and layered look as yours. Not my style but I come to AT to appreciate how other people express their style in their homes.

Fabulous - this was a treat! take a bow, Sai :)

I love how this is both glamorous *and* comfortable--a great place to kick off those kick ass shoes.

So, that 'closet' is actually a bedroom converted into a dressing room, no?

@SFW1983 - well said! Cannot agree more.

Fabulous and awesome decor! I love your blog and am thrilled AT selected you for this spread!

'That thing that happens when we are not sitting in a zebra print ottoman admiring the latest Jimmy Choo acquisition.' - Hahahahaha!

love it! love it!

While it's not my style, the colors used are nice. I agree with most of the comments that the curtains in the dining room should be the same length.

girl, flaunt those McQueens! He was an incredible talent and everything he made is art. And, I do not know about you but I find incredible spiritual value in appreciation of art!!

And for what style you are going for, you nailed it!

While my personal style falls more on the minimalistic side, I can appreciate Sai's glam and how well put together her home is after just a month of living there. Impressed!

On a side note: I'm really shocked by the judgment calls people seem to be making in response to someone opening up their home for a house tour. Let us not forget, this is an interior design blog. So I'm not sure why "spiritual value" and other comments come into play. Especially when none of the of the other tours I see display spiritual value, nor would I expect them to. I can't speak to what's in her closet, but based her resources cited, her furniture seems to come from price-conscious places -- just well put together.

On Sai's website bio, she is originally from Sierra Leone, so I'm sure she's well-versed on the plights of the world. Instead of judging her for showing her home (appropriately enough on an design blog), how about we comment on her style choices (regardless if we like it or not).

to all you judgmental people up on your high horses, you know what they say:

when you point your finger at someone, you have 4 fingers pointing back at YOU.

i love how feminine, glamorous, girly, chic and FUN this home is. sai, you have a great sense of style and i am so impressed by how quickly you've pulled your home together in such a short amount of time. thanks so much for letting us in!

I don't see how it says a lot about our society. There are some people who just need a simple closet for their things, and there are some people who want to make an entire room for their clothing. She lives her life, it's very evident on her page. She is single, no kids, and enjoying the fruits of her labor. I would hardly compare her to a scrooge, or scrooge.

I think theshimmy hit the nail on the head. Many see feashion as art. I would be hard pressed to believe that many AT readers would view a house tour and criticize the resident for spending too much money on art. I suspect fashion bloggers (like Sai) might argue that they get the added benefit of being able to wear/enjoy their investments on a regular basis.

I had no idea so many people know Sai enough to question why she does these things. She lives her life because that's what she wants to do. What's the difference in someone spending a ton of money for other things? Is it because she has a big closet? Because she loves to spend her money on clothes instead of say vacations or eating out?

Oh gracious posters! Is there some way we can make a nice comment on a post without the disclaimer of "not my style"?

Back to loving your space: blue velvet seating is enviable. I like how you've got it paired with gold accents. And your closet! I love how the dark colour of the fixtures makes the colours of your clothing pop. I'd be delighted to get dressed every morning, even if I were only changing a pair of socks!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm sure there have been plenty of rentals featured on this site whose owners also happened to have closets full of designer clothing, but whose house tours haven't been met with such vitrol. I can't help but think there are geographical, class, and yes even racial prejudices at play here. And before you get your panties in a bunch no one is calling anyone a racist, but some of you might want to ask yourselves how you'd respond to a white woman in New York living in a rental with a closet full of expensive clothing. Just because she lives somewhere where she could afford to buy a house doesn't mean she's obligated to.

Awesome home, thanks for sharing!

I'm sure all of the the self-righteous (if something you have costs one more dollar than what the holier-than-thou's have, it could have ended poverty/taught everyone to read/saved the whales/cleaned the rivers/eliminated food insecurity) critics live in studio apartments with three others, wear potato sacks and decorate with a single Edison bulb along with a few twigs and rocks found on sustainable farms. Of course, they're delusional & lack a basic understanding of economic policy if they think individual behavior will contribute to the structural changes that need to happen in the US. Liza Featherstone & Doug Henwood explain much better:

"Of course capital would like nothing better than a population that defines politics as the decision to shop or not to shop; business interest spent most of the last century trying to convince us to find meaning in such gestures. When we do that, capital wins, since unless you’ve got the capacity to grow your own food and ride a horse and buggy to work, you’ve obviously got to start shopping again at some point.

Yes, a lot of American consumption represents waste on a grandiose scale. Routine American buying is ecologically unsustainable, and is a constant affront to the several billion people worldwide you are barely getting by. But you’re not going to change that through symbolic gestures, or even altering individual behavior; it’s going to take far deeper structural transformation than keeping the wallet shut on a single day could ever inspire.

Another problem is a muddled understanding of how the economy works. If – taking a preposterous hypothetical – this boycott actually did strike a blow against the economy, who would suffer?" The workers, of course, not the man.
http://www.brooklynrail.org/2005/11/express/change-a-lujah

Sai, your closet is fabulous! Is it based on Ikea Billy bookcases, by any chance?

@fannyekdahl : Exactly.

I do agree with some post who feel this is over the top-especially the closet but you live the life you feel you deserve and she shows it in her home..she loves special pieces to decorate her home and she honors herself.
My issue is that (to me anyway) it lacks warmth.

I heart the closet, I wish I had that much space. As a shoe fanatic, I also heart her collection. I would love the space to display my shoes, but alas, I have none, unless I steal an entire bedroom as well! The couch is also fantastic!

Kudos for going all out on your style.

@fannyekdahl Thank you for picking up on those things. I haven't seen anyone waxing poetic and saying rich white people are "spiritually empty" when they're living in million dollar abodes in New York with $5,000 sofas or mammoth television sets. I've been on these threads for years and never anyone claim they're "spiritually empty" (and what the hell does that mean and why does any first world citizen think they have the right to talk about others in this way?).

That said: Sai's place isn't to my taste but I ALWAYS love a home that reflects exactly who the resident really is-a tricky thing to accomplish in design. I'll bet a lot of people she knows walk into that space and say it looks like her, which is something most people are trying to accomplish when they're decorating their space. Well done, Sai!

PSA: This is not a spiritual website. It is about home design and styling and therefore includes the acquisition of things. Its not your money so don't worry about how she spends it.

I love this home.

As other have stated...not really my style, but I have to admit, you have really created a fabulous home! Your closet is unbelievable! Wish I had that kind of space for shoes! Sadly I have to deal with one of those over the door hangers with my shoes hanging on the back of the door! So envious!

@heathah, what a wonderful way to look at it. I agree that great fashion truly is art (there are museum exhibits all over the world devoted to fashion!), and I hope that someday I'll be in a position to acquire a gorgeous collection like Sai has done.

Surely you exaggerate! Their studio apartments also contain 12,000 books, because books don't count as clutter and it's a sin to ever get rid of a single one. :)

Thank you for the very apt Featherstone/Henwood quote, BTW.

Definitely glamorous! Living room area reminded me of museum though, I'd feel very self-conscious sitting on the couch.

Like others had said, your closet is GORGEOUS!!!! I can't believe you had it all set up in one month. I'm so getting that shower curtain!

Amazing work you've done!

@fannyekdahl: Well said!

I. WANT. THAT. CLOSET!

I too am appalled at the criticism of this tour. Like others, I have followed this blog for several years and can't recall having read so many comments regarding how one spends THEIR own money. THEIR own hard earned money. From working as a nurse, nonetheless. I want to think that race plays no issue, as I would hope that we are all much more evolved than this. Having said that, I have lived in my home for a little over three years and haven't been able to pull off the look of having my house fully decorated. So her being able to pull this off in a month deserves applause.

I also would like to add that not everyone wants a piece of the "American Dream" of purchasing a home. From having to maintain lawns, costs for appliance repair, taxes, and maintenance...not everyone is rushing to put these responsibilities on their plates, and I can't blame them. For many, renting is a much better option for the reasons mentioned above as well as several other reasons. Some people love change and being able to rent affords them that.

Lastly, we all splurge on things we enjoy, whether it's the $5 cup of coffee every day, a brand new car, or electronic device, art, fashion, $3,000 sofas or in my case gourmet goodies like truffles and wagyu beef. I think it's in poor taste to make assumptions on the homeowner after knowing nothing about her other than what was disclosed on the thread.

Finally to the tour itself, I'm not crazy about the design, only because it's not my style. I'm not a huge fan of Kelly W, so this is no surprise. The closet and tufted sofas however, are to live for!!

Thanks to all the homeowners who open themselves up to criticism. I can imagine that this could prove difficult as most people, myself included, hold our homes very close to our hearts.

Just mosied over to her blog....and for the record her style is Amazing!!!! Sai if you are reading this, I would love to see more pictures of your significant other's home. Please and thank you!

O...M...G.....CLOSET!!!!!! OMG! OMG! OMG!

Gorgeous! I LOVE it! If you were a little more gothic we could be sisters! lol! Don't listen to the haters. They don't understand that materialistic things are all temporary and sometimes it's better to have expensive shoes in an affordable home than no shoes in an expensive one. Do what makes you happy. Live were you the things around you comfort and please you. Life it fleeting and terrifying. Sometimes shoes are all that hold back the tide of woe. Sory to be melodramatic but it's true. There is nothing wrong with appreciating your blessings. And she's a nurse! Only teaching and fighting fires are more altruistic than nursing. So get over yourselves haters! Beautiful home Sai!

And lipstick. Lipstick always holds back the tide of torment and woe. *sigh*

@fannyekdahl, thank you for your post. I feel the same way and didn't know how to articulate my feelings. I remember another fashion blogger whose home was featured and I don't remember reading comments questioning her purchases. Quite frankly, I believe that some of the responses to this house tour are rooted in implicit biases of who is "allowed" to purchase certain items.

Sai's style is not my style, but I wholeheartedly love what she did for her place. I find it particularly commendable that she was able to purchase furnishings from discount stores and put things together so seamlessly. That was the first thing that stood out to me.

I think it's also very telling of a generation that you would make such a blanket statement. We have no idea what goes on in other people's homes, let alone hearts.

Projecting "emptiness" and a vision of "Scrooge" onto someone based on a house tour is one of the most myopic comments I've read on this site (and there have been a lot!)

I find this kind of attitude more offensive than a room dedicated to clothing and handbags, any day.

Save your jealousy, racism, politics, and religion for another site please. It's not wanted here. This girl has guts and a great fashion sense and has no time for haters *#%$.

Being so frustrated by the all consuming, assuming, negative, insensitive, misinformed posts here, I feel I will now have to focus on the tours and try hard to not read any comments. I am done. It's turning into a mess.

We are forgetting about what this site is all about people! Design, helping save the world one room at a time-duh! Let's not put each other down, it's a waste of everyones time.

My last house had one of those half bedrooms..I was tempted to turn it into a closet too, but since I was renting, I didn't.
I don't really like putting out of season clothing in the garage, even if they are in totes. It seems like the proper way to care for something you have invested in--plus you forget its there.
Instead of silks and high heels..my wall would be sweats, boots, and jackets! One wall for work clothing...

She's taken a very generic looking apartment and made it elegant and glamorous. I loved seeing the colorful clothing and shoes displayed in the amazing closet. This was a fun tour.

yes, you ARE fabulous!!! LOVE it!!

So little is made of the fact that Sai is a nurse! It's delightful to see a working woman with a 1,000 sq.fit. apartment in Herdon, VA, express her inner diva so completely. If she did this on an average salary, she's a very savvy shopper. And while I may not want to own a pair, Alexander McQueen shoes ARE works of art. So while it's not MY dream, I certainly applaud Sai's commitment to make her dreams come true. I raise an imaginary glass of champagne to her, Jean-Claude, and the other friends and family who helped her with her project.

Eh. Yeah, the weird comments are a little bit disturbing..But, some people are just like that,
(Shrug). I dunno, to me, telling people that their closets are not spiritual is kinda weird, the exact opposite of spiritual, its rude and nasty, and yes, shallow.

I like people who are creative, and live life to the fullest. I like to see people celebrate who they are, and by extension, their homes, their lives.. that was a fun glimpse of a very interesting person.

Cheers to Sai and everyone who has shared their ideas--it has been a very fun year, and I look forward to more of the same!

I think you did a brilliant job of taking what would otherwise be a bland and ordinary apartment and turning it into something grand. I like the dining room in particular, and that closet is gorgeous.

I'm not a very fashionable person. I don't have a lot of clothes and wear the same simple things over and over. But man am I envious of your McQueens. I love art, and I absolutely consider his work art. Sadly I'll have to make due with looking longingly through the photo book I have of his work!

You'll burn your ankle when doing a pee!

I love the fact that everyone keeps saying 'it isn't my style'. That is why this is such a great tour! This place is ALL Sai. Keep rockin' it Sai, you obviously know how :)

Wow I think this place is beautiful and disagree that it "lacks warmth" because it really shows off Sai's style and her personality. Usually when I feel that a place lacks warmth it is because it's too hard to tell anything about the person who lives there.

I'm also the type who thinks of fashion as wearable art and Sai is probably the same since she is a fashion blogger. A closet like hers is basically an art gallery and as with most art, not everyone will enjoy it or even appreciate it.

THE CLOSET IS EVERYTHING. I FIND IT FUNNY THAT WHEN BLACKS POST ON THIS SITE THE COMMENTS ARE RUDE AND DISRESPECTFUL. HATERS STOP. NO REALLY STOP. IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT THAT'S FINE BUT THE EXTRA BULL YOU TALKING IS NOT. COULD THE PROBLEM BE IT IS A BLACK WOMEN WITH HIGH -END DESIGNER THINGS YOU HAVE PROBLEM WITH MORE SO THAN THE APARTMENT..

Jealousy is a disease..get well soon, so funny because a Black African woman has the taste that most of you would want and hope for is being chastised for spending her own money the way she wants..

I love the closet!

Reading that Sai is a nurse, I think I understand her desire to feed her inner diva. Most nurses are in scrubs and comfy footwear and on their feet. ALL. DAY. LONG. So why not, kick off your white dansko clogs and uniform to retire to your inner sanctum after a long day of physical, mental, and emotional work? Having spent a good deal of time with aging parents and hospital stays and even for my own stay after giving birth, nurses deal with it all and my family has been appreciative of the support and care they provide. Please continue to feed your inner diva, Sai!

I love this apt. Glamorous and a bit over-the-top as befits its wonderfully stylish owner. Love the use of animal prints, which I always lust for but am too cowardly to use. And the closet is...heaven. What amazes me is that Sai pulled this together in a month. BTW, I never think of glamor as "warm"; I think of it as the peak of style. While I'm a comfy shoe gal now, I still keep my Bruno Magli's and Ferragamo's as part of the Shrine of Moi. Congratulations, Sai. And by the way could you style my living room?

I agree @fromageball. Fashion IS art, and some people need to come down off their high horses. I choose to be more understated in my fashion and decorating choice (not necessarily cheap), and while the space not my taste (as far as decorating and high-glam fashion), I can appreciate this woman creating a space that reflects HER. That is something that is hard to do, especially in a rental. Kudos to you, girl!

Thank you, thank you, thank you. She is a nurse, which in the best of situations, is a very stressful profession. Let the woman indulge herself in peace.

Without looking at the house tour, just seeing the "closet" made my day. Call me shallow and spiritually empty, but being comfortable in my home, after a hard day's work, is important. If I had the space to turn a room into a closet, I absolutely would. What's the difference from turning a spare bedroom into an office or craftroom? We all have our vices; for some its an expensive bottle of wine, for others its vacationing, Sai's appears to be shopping. She seems to do it well. I absolutely love her style, taste and decor.

@SFW1983 I'm shallow and spiritually empty and my closet still doesn't look like that. What am I doing wrong, oh wise one?

I love everything about your place, Sai! I've gone through all the photos twice.. I also moved a month ago, and my place looks like a bomb exploded. Well done, lady!!

Not glamorous at all in a good way - just pure over-the-top tackiness, including her need to pose like she's in Vogue or something in multiple pictures...I'm going back to look at one of the previous tours, "Jason and Jon's Highly Personal Design Lab" to restore my eyes...

Kindergarten 101...If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all. Constructive criticism is totally different than being rude.

Can't we all just get along?!?

This apartment totally doesn't strike me as tacky or over-the-top, and those are concepts that absolutely do exist for me. (And I do think it's worth pointing out that pointed austerity speaks its own sense of status, too.) This apartment is joyful and unabashed and personal and luxurious—there's something so comforting about luxury rendered as saturated color and sparkle and lush textures. I love the blue velvet tufted situation, and the lucite dining set, and the gold bathroom, and—oh yes—that glorious closet. I don't care for the carpet, but that's renting, even though Sai and all her style deserve yards and yards of rich plush pile.

not my taste at all but DAMN, girl, are you not FABULOUS?!? really enjoyed your pretty home and could learn a thing or two from you about embracing my womanhood!! i bet you have a purse valet for each one...wish i was like that!

PS: one of my favorite tours. so different! And so full of the spirit of the woman behind the curtains! this looks like a HOUSE, not an apartment!

Spectacular! I adore it. I love your chandeliers, your chain mail shirt, and all your red ladies. Everything in your home makes me smile, which is wonderful. I can't believe it's only been a month.

I love house tours on A.T. One of the reasons I visit daily since like forever. I love all the different styles of homes/designs and the people who live in and decorate them. I get ideas here and there and have a few favorite tours! That said, I've never ever read so many negative and critical comments on one particular tour. I've seen quite a few tours with large closets or rooms converted into closets, with the homeowners/renters photographed in them. Some displaying their rather expensive designer clothing & tons of compliments and swoons. Closet envy? There have been in the past negative responses to house tours and I've never quite understood how folks can be so cruel and critical when these folks are simply sharing their spaces w/us?! I can't imagine every single house tour being identical to, what a complete bore... I like seeing the homeowners knowing more about them. Sai, thanks for sharing your home here. I enjoyed your home and reading your blog! Like someone pointed out, fashion is Art and you have quite a closet full of! I can only wish ;)

Wow these comments are something else! Anyway, great place and style.

Look, the forget these people: GO ON SISTA! BALLING ON A BUDGET! LOVE IT!

:)

First of all, who are your friends and family members, and are they willing to come to NYC? You've only been there a month, and already everything is sooo PERFECT! WTF? T

I am so in love with this closet I don't even have words. I am sooo green with envy about that shoe collection, and the closet in general that I"m actually nauseous!

Thank you for sharing your space, and I guess this now means I'm moving down south, as you and I now need to be best friends. :)

Thanks for all the kind comments and reviews! My HOME (renting to BUY) reflects my personality. After a long day of being a FULL time nurse and a fashion blogger, its a place I can relax and call HOME! As far as being spiritually emptying...I am sure my pastor could explain a thing or two about it to you. People make choices in what they invest in...and NO I am not sorry about what my investments are. Personally I feel if you take time to sit around and comment on posts like this, means YOU are NOT only spiritually empty you are probably empty in so many other aspects in your life. So pardon me my love, I have to go now to sit on my Zebra chaise and reflect on how much my next pair of Christian Louboutin will affect my life! xoxo Sai

Love your closet! Love your Glam style. Thanks for sharing.

Not my style but her closet is amazing! Closet of my dreams... sighs

Wow, everything is gorgeous. I feel like it is really different from most things I have seen on this site, and the design and items in it seems to have a lot of personal meaning and attraction for the owner. What's REALLY amazing, is despite how luxurious and personal it is, it seems warm and comfortable enough that I would feel totally comfortable visiting in jeans. This home is an accomplishment, congratulations.

LOL Sai you tell them!!!! That was a great response. Even when something is not my style, I still enjoy a view into someones home that is so different from mine.
Your style is very different than what we usually see on APT. Something different is always nice to experience.

I love your closet and dining set!

i love the red lady in the living room and im jealous of her closet. kudos for all this work done in just one month! the bedroom looked a bit chintzy with the furniture set thing. the bathrooms also fell flat for me.

Sai, Yes, you are fabulous!!!! A really impressive home. I love all the glam touches and how you just know how to mix it up and create an individual, FIERCE(!!!) place. Love the closet, the shoes, and all the thought you have put into your living space. And that peach dress is gorg!!!!!!

p.s. I too, am a nurse.... I am inspired to create a home that I would LOVE to come home to... Keep on, keeping on. And who ever said you cannot be glamorous and spiritual at the same time?

Love love LOVE! One question...how do you find the time to edit a popular website, maintain a beautiful home AND work as a nurse? What kind of coffee are you drinking? Tell me your secrets!