Name: Dale and Adam
Location: Union Square
Apartment Size: 1180sqft 2-bdrm coop
Favorite: The upstairs bathroom

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When Dale and Adam bought this apartment, it had lime green wood floors, 24 inch, pink or brown/yellow built-ins everywhere there was a wall, and a rope/denim encased stairway...

They decided to pick their battles, working on the most dire interior design offenses first and planning to tackle less unfortunate situations when they saved enough money and regained the strength to embark upon additional home renovation projects. As opposed to the bulk, color, and texture preferred by the previous owner, Dale, a practicing architect enjoys what he calls "warm minimalism" or "abundant minimalism."

The first task was to reclaim the living room/dining area. It had been reduced to about 70% of its original size by all the built-in shelving, built-in dining table, etc. Dale and Adam prefer dark colored furniture and subtle, clean, simple lines. The only additions were new baseboards to match the new mantle over the marble fireplace, and soffits in which to sink the recessed lighting along opposite walls in this large room. The only place they wanted to see color was on 2 of the 4 walls. They chose a warm coral to "reflect a lot of light, and to add color without making the room feel smaller" and on the opposing wall, a very, very pale green.

Fortunately, Adam is of a similar mind when it comes to style and is amenable to most of Dale's well-formulated design ideas. Even Dale's mother accommodates Dale's style dictates. Dale's mother is an accomplished, but traditional mid-western quilter. Dale mentioned to his mother that if she made a quilt to his specifications and color palette, he would be much more likely to incorporate it into his life. Although her fellow quilters thought her odd, Dale's mother produced a beautiful quilt of somber hues in a very subtle pattern of alternating rectangles. It rests proudly on the bed in the master bedroom.

It is easy to understand why the upstairs bathroom is both Dale and Adam's undisputable favorite element in the apartment. Dale designed it down to the size of the width of grout that lies between each tile. The required intricacy of the installation forced Dale to come home every day during his lunch hour for four straight months to check on its progress. Dale and Adam took all their showers at the gym throughout this period and were understandably losing patience and sanity by the end of the process. Now, they don't regret a single choice. It is no wonder as the apartment has been restored to sleek and modern while the bathroom is unparalleled in its spa-like qualities.