Name: Eric
Location: West Village/Meatpacking District
Size: 750 sqft
Favorite: Location, quiet, that it is not a boxy apt, and that the bathroom is independently accessible
"Do what you like, and I'll tell you if I like it." Eric gave his designer carte blanche on renovating the apartment and was happy with about 90% of the results. "I hired him for a reason," says Eric. In other words, Eric is busy and as long as the decision making on the aesthetics and the logistics are in professional and capable hands, Eric feels fine. He did get involved a couple of times, however...
One instance was to hand pick the bathroom tiles--he did a great job, and the second was to nix the idea of a 'niche' in one of the living room walls. "F--- it, I don't need a niche!" says Eric when recalling the conversation with his designer. The designer wanted the wall to be flush with the closet wall and to create a 2-foot recessed niche in the middle "for some kind of sculpture."
This idea did not appeal to Eric as he is very square foot conscious and losing 3 precious sqft becomes significant in the NY real estate market. Besides, he doesn't own any signature sculptures. The compromise was to keep the entire space set back, to mount a flat screen TV there and to paint the wall a very dark hue to give it the dignity it deserved.
This tour comes right on the cusp of the completion of the renovation. Eric thinks it will be another couple of weeks and he will be living in a real home as opposed to a construction site. Throughout the process, he has had to persist in making sure that the contractor was progressing and on target.
After months of looking for the perfect space in Manhattan, Eric realized he wasn't going to find it. He certainly had no interest in spending ungodly sums of money on something that was "just ok." Instead he opted to buy a coop that was well within his budget, that wasn't banal new construction, and that he could customize through a full renovation.
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Comments (10)
It's difficult to judge a space when it's under construction or in the midst of redecorating...
...but I agree with the comments about the fridge - This is one place that needed a side-by-side or one of those new French-Door refrigerators.
Love the bathroom and the wardrobe closet tho - can't wait to see more!
"I believe long ago people worried about heat from a stove affecting a fridge. No longer an issue." - NOT true.
No matter how well insulated your refrigerator, the oven (if you use it) will produce heat which WILL require your refrigerator condenser to work that much harder (AND use that much more electricity - real GREEN and energy conscious)
PLUS, any designer should, if at all possible, provide space on both sides of the stove to better facilitate cooking.
And since the refrigerator doors can't open in the opposite direction because of the wall condition, the design layout should have been revamped to allow the door opening to be adjacent to a counter. Again, any designer should, if at all possible, provide space on that side of the refrigerator to allow for a "put down" space.
As it is, this kitchen will work great for those who don't actually cook.
If I was buying this just remodeled coop, first thing I'd do is completely gut and rework the kitchen to make it actually usable.
Now this is a serious bachelor pad. It says "I work in investment banking and come home to sleep and change clothes." I suspect this is the finished product right here. I want to find him a date and hire him a maid. (We can move into colors and shapes next week.)
Also I'm getting "F--- it, I don't need a niche" silkscreened on a T-shirt.
How is the microwave mounted on the kitchen wall?
Call me baffled. Why repost this from 2 1/2 years ago?
"How is the microwave mounted on the kitchen wall?"
Haven't you ever seen microwave/range hoods? They're pretty common...
"Originally Posted on February 15th, 2006" back when February was the month NY bankers could count on that bonus check coming through - "Carte Blanche" indeed. How's this working out these days?
So where's the finished pictures!?
I can't imagine why this is posted at all and again I gather from the comments. I looked at the comments to see if I was not the only crazy person out there - who cares about this apartment? Most of the pictures are terrible and distorted. This is why I am getting tired of this blog.
This really doesn't look designer-influenced. The point of having a designer is to come up with all sorts of user-friendly concepts and interesting ideas to make a place everything it could be. The kitchen is unattractive and awkward. The door handle is OBSCENE...it looks like an antique door and needs an appropriate handle...that silver office door handle is jarringly out of place. The speakers shoved in the wall next to the tv is an inappropriate and distracting solution...putting all electrical components in the closet is awkward...you have to go in the closet to put in a DVD?? I would want my money back from that 'designer'. Either he/she is incompetent or just didn't care.