A Stylist’s One of a Kind Manhattan Apartment

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Living room (Image credit: Michael Rodenbush)

Name: Alicia Lombardini
Location: Bowery —Manhattan, New York
The basics: 10 years, owned — 1,500 square feet

Alicia, a stylist, has created a home that is so mind bogglingly cool it’s unreal. It still remains approachable and welcoming in all of its funky glory, however, inviting you to grab a cocktail and plop down on that incredible couch.

Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: The loft has played a special part in my life. I was living in Paris and started to travel back and forth to New York for work, my friend from Paris had moved here and I would come stay with her. Five years later I moved in and slowly made it my own, with renovating, decorating and repurposing. I slowly moved my office into the space as well and now use it as a work/live, something that comes in handy when you are your own boss. I am a wardrobe stylist working in editorial, advertising, and red carpet. I prep my jobs from here and often hold my client fittings here. Light plays an integral role, so I am lucky to be on the 5th floor facing East/West.

Negev, my Canaan pup who I brought back from Israel, loves the space and curls up to the old school heater in the winter. This place is really magical and feels welcoming to everyone who spends time here. The Bowery is in constant motion and being steps from Chinatown, NoLita and the Lower East Side always gives me plenty to do outside these walls, but I always love coming home and don’t even mind the five flights of stairs!

What is your favorite room and why? It used to be the front bedroom. With the ceiling painted gold and a view of the Empire State Building, I would light candles and open the windows for a summer breeze. This would be my favorite place to contemplate the day. Sadly the building next to me decided to add a few floors and took away my view of of the city at night. In turn the living room has become my favorite place. I have this amazing pouf by Urban Zen, which I discovered from the offices at Flower Films, Drew Barrymore’s film company. You lay down on it and it just cradles you. No need to ever get up again. Its a great place to read a book or catch up on emails. I also moved my clawfoot tub into the living room when I renovated the bathroom and turned it into a planter. This brought a great addition of greenery. It complements the circular couch that is upholstered in a pink floral fabric from Liberty.

I also love my closet, I rebuilt it to allow for my vintage finds, personal wardrobe and storage for the archives of many of the projects I have worked on.

If you could magically change something about your home, what would it be? Take down that building that blocks my view of the Empire State Building! Other than that, I would update the heating and cooling. They are definitely old school and would take quite an overhaul to update it.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? Perhaps the dress mannequin that stands in a corner by the bookcase. I don’t really use her but I love having her around.

Which fictional character would be most at home in your place? Holly Golightly. She wouldn’t mind the five floor walkup and could have all the extravagant, eclectic parties here she wanted.

Alicia’s words of wisdom: Find pieces that you love and make you happy when you enter a room. You can mix with high/low so you are not breaking the bank and get pieces slowly. Don’t rush into getting everything at once. Its nice to have a little story behind everything. And fill it with fresh flowers!

Thanks, Alicia!

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