Latest Stories

Doryn’s Gorgeous Kid Oases
Name: two children (4 and 1)Location: West Village, New York City Doryn grew up in a house in which the kid options were few and far between. While she did not wish to turn her home over to her kids, Doryn successfully created wonderful kid friendly places that integrate well into the overall design. In addition to each of her two children’s bedrooms, there is a great playroom on the ground floor.
Dec 19, 2019
Jeremy’s Endless Energy and Resourcefulness
Name: Jeremy (and his roommate Ralph)Location: Spanish Harlem — Manhattan, New YorkSize: 875 square feet — 2 bedroom rentalYears lived in: 5 months Jeremy’s home should look familiar to readers — House Call: Jeremy & Ralph’s Bachelor Pad. Visiting Jeremy and his roommate’s home in person confirmed that they are destined for a life of fine living.
Dec 19, 2019
Laura’s Inviting Live / Work Studio
Name: LauraLocation: Brooklyn Heights, BrooklynSize: 600 square feet studioYears lived in: 7 In addition to maturing tastes, Laura had a practical impetus for taking steps to upgrade. She was about to start working from home and she wanted to feel good about spending a lot of time within the same four walls. The addition of a refined and beautiful small home office in the corner of her studio was the beginning of great things.
Dec 19, 2019
House Tour: Meredith’s Pottery Palette
Name: MeredithLocation: Cobble Hill, BrooklynSize: 600 sqft. 1 bdrm co-opYears lived in: 8.5 >> appreciated if and when she chose to sell the apt.> Meredith, of BlondeInBrooklyn House Call fame claims that almost everything in her house arrived by mail to her doorstep! Even though she lives in New York, she finds that shopping on the internet yields the best deals. Her colors and collections work together seamlessly and make for an immediately soothing yet scintillating home.
Dec 19, 2019
Jane’s Two Boys Explore the World
Name: Nick (12) and Lucas (8)Location: Upper West Side, ManhattanRoom Size: Bedroom is 240 sqft and Playroom is 144 sqft.Jane has a beautiful home, that, while child friendly, makes very few aesthetic sacrifices. Her boys’ bedroom and playroom are no exception. The rooms are sophisticated spaces that, at the same time, burst with excitement and the potential for adventure for Jane’s two playful but wise-beyond-their-years young boys.
Sep 6, 2019
Jason & John’s Hyper Saturated Home, Part 2
Name: Jason & JohnLocation: Lefferts Gardens, BrooklynSize: 2,800 square feet, Tudor-style single family homeYears lived in: 4 years John and Jason have lived together for 17 years, during which they’ve bought, renovated and sold three apartments. This is their fourth home together as well as the site of their interior design business.
Jul 31, 2019
Inside Out: Jack’s Really Small Home
Inside Out: A showcase for those who transform their residences into homes via innovative interventionName: JackLocation: Times SquareSize: 160 sqft. rentalFavorite Element: R2D2 jar Jack is an artist/musician who won the jackpot 5 years ago when he was called off the waitlist for the Times Square Hotel. It is an SRO (single-resident occupancy) run by a great non-profit housing developer called Common Ground.
Jun 25, 2019
Kittie’s Tiny Tudor City Triumph
Name: Kittie and Lotus Blossom (her Shih-Tzu)Location: Tudor City, Midtown East, ManhattanSize: 170 square foot studio coopYears lived in: 5 years Original 1928 Pullman kitchen and Murphy bed Kittie and her husband pulled out the original Murphy bed and the original Pullman kitchen in order to create a small office nook and a modern kitchen counter, bar and sink area, respectively.
Apr 18, 2019
Lorin Luxuriates in a Studio
Name: LorinLocation: Greenwich Village, ManhattanSize: 400 square feet — StudioYears lived in: 9 years “Just because you have to live in a small space, doesn’t mean you have to forgo convenience, organization, OR luxury.” After nine years in a studio in the West Village, this is Lorin’s modus operandi. Not only did her square footage change dramatically when she moved from a townhouse in DC, but her style did as well.
Apr 18, 2019
Maxime Masters a Rental
Name: MaximeLocation: Gramercy, ManhattanSize: 650 square feet — 1 bedroomYears lived in: 9 months When Maxime (of house call fame) takes something out of a drawer to use, he puts it back immediately upon finishing the task. After a few minutes in Maxime’s incredibly sun-drenched apartment, I noticed this pattern and knew that as perfect as the apartment looked for my arrival, it was likely the normal state of affairs. Maxime moved in to this apartment 9 months ago with his partner.
Apr 18, 2019
House Tour: Martha & Jeff’s Period Piece
Name: Jeff and Martha Location: St. George, Staten Island, New York CitySize: 3,000 square feet — 8.5 bedroomsYears lived in: 3.5 years >> We all know people who enjoy renovating their home and who take particular pride in respecting the original detailing or who wish to pay homage to the history of their dwelling place. Martha and Jeff, one can say without a doubt, have taken this approach to a whole new level…>> Martha and Jeff did not buy this century old house lightly.
Apr 17, 2019
House Tour: Michele Masters an Old School Loft
Name: Michele and BradLocation: SoHoSize: 1600 square feet 1-bedroom rental loftYears lived in: 10 years >> Walking into Michele and Brad’s home elicits a gasp. It’s not everyday one sees such evidence of creativity, time, talent, and skill. After a career in fashion design, Michele migrated to accessories and tried her hand as a sole proprietor. Since 2001, she’s been creating pillows and textiles as well as curating cool stuff for her eponymous store on Crosby Street.
Apr 17, 2019

Latest Stories

House Tour: Nina’s Elegant Modern Pre-War
Name: NinaLocation: West VillageSize: 450 square feet subletYears lived in: 1.5 years >> Nina’s last apartment was very frilly and pink. This apartment is much more on the opposite end of the stereotypically gendered design spectrum. And Nina loves it that way and feels at home. In addition to being an interior designer, Nina writes a design blog and is about to launch a small design store in NoLita!
Apr 16, 2019
House Tour: Alberto and Jeff Inhabit an Icon (Phase I)
Name: Alberto and JeffLocation: Fort Greene/BAM, BrooklynSize: 1360 sqft. 2-bdrm condoYears lived in: 1.5 months >> Alberto and Jeff had a year and a half between closing and moving in to their new condo, to plan. According to Alberto, a house tour veteran, Jeff made multiple copies of a detailed floorplan of the new apartment and used the interim 18 months to sketch ideas as well as to plot out the sequence of events that would occur the moment they were handed the key.
Apr 16, 2019
House Tour: Ektoras and Simon’s Small Wonder
Name:Simon and EktorasLocation: East VillageSize: 515 sqft rented railroad flatYears lived in: 25 years >> Ektoras, a video artist and bartender, and Simon, an actor and photographer, share a small railroad flat in a 155 year-old tenement building with a bathtub in the kitchen.
Apr 16, 2019
House Tour: Kathy’s Miniature World of Glamour
Name: KathyLocation: Brooklyn Heights, BrooklynSize: 750 sq.ft. 3 rooms, no kitchenYears lived in: 3 years >> As I climbed the weathered but beautiful winding wood staircase up the five floors to Kathy’s apartment, I imagined an ascent to a 19th century Parisian atelier filled with dust and clutter, but also a room full of gems. When I arrived I was not disappointed…>> Kathy does not have a front door or a kitchen, and if you put down your glass of water, it is hard to find it again.
Apr 15, 2019
House Tour: Laura’s Pared Down Perfection
Name: LauraLocation: Boerum Hill, BrooklynSize: 450 sqft, one bdrm rentalYears lived in: 7.5 years “I’ll show you the closet, it’s really nice!” When Laura said this, I knew this house tour was going to be different than nearly any other from the past 3 years.That’s because Laura is a professional organizer and she puts her money where her mouth is….
Apr 14, 2019
Lisa’s Artistic Time Capsule
Designer: Lisa ZadorLocation: West Village, ManhattanSize: 400 square foot, two-bedroomYears Lived In:: 20 Lisa has grown into the person she is today — over the past 20 years — in the same apartment. While it started out as a cramped share amongst college friends, replete with milk crates and plywood desks, it started to mature when Lisa took over the lease.
Apr 14, 2019
House Tour: Giulia’s ‘Fantasy Girl’ Formula
Name: GiuliaLocation: Park Slope, BrooklynSize: 900 sqft, one-bdrm co-opYears lived in: 1.5 years Designed to be every ‘girl’s fantasy’ Giulia’s new home is a much more accurate reflection of her taste and preference than her last living situation.Giulia does public relations for Harper’s Magazine and is writing a memoir with recipes due out next year. She is a wonderful host and takes etiquette seriously. I arrived and was greeted with hot apple muffins!
Feb 20, 2019
NY House Tour: Olga’s DIY Like You’ve Never Seen DIY
A showcase for those who transform their residences into homes via innovative interventionName: OlgaLocation: Windsor Terrace, BrooklynSize: 743 sqft. Co-op >>Enter Slideshow! When I walked in, Olga offered me a glass of water from her energy-efficient fridge sitting in the middle of her living room. Her kitchen, at this point, exists as a mere suggestion.Black marker drawings on the floor and walls indicate future appliance and cabinet locations. We were surrounded by lots and lots of boxes.
Feb 20, 2019
House Tour: Bill and Maria’s Cat Playground
Name: Bill and MariaLocation: Carroll Gardens, BrooklynSize: 850 sqft.Lived in: 3 years >> (Image credit: Apartment Therapy) Bill and Maria, founders of Uhuru Design shared their home with the design crowd at last week’s meetup. Not only do Maria and Bill love their two cats, but they happen to be talented designers who have their own company and who make great stuff out of simple materials.
Feb 20, 2019
Jason & John’s Hyper Saturated Home: Part 1
Name: Jason & John of Madcap Cottage Location: Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn Size: 2,800 square feet, Tudor-style single family home Years lived in: 4 years “Green is our neutral,” explains Jason, as my jaw drops. Everything in Jason and John’s house that can have color does. And every color is saturated. I can’t stop smiling and sometimes I have to laugh out loud for the sheer joy of it. John and Jason have a long history and familiarity with design.
Jun 4, 2015
Jocelyn’s Multi-Purpose Nursery for Kids & Adults Alike
Name: Jocelyn, mom of Griff (3) and Lila (8mos) Location: Tribeca, New York City Room Size: 150 square feet The great thing about Jocelyn’s nursery is that it is as completely engaging for kids as it is for adults. Jocelyn has managed to create a kid oasis without overloading the room with too many kid-centric items. When Jocelyn and her husband moved into this loft apartment, they had no kids and the space had a completely different feel.
Aug 18, 2014
Jocelyn’s Modern Manhattan Loft
Name: Jocelyn Location: Tribeca, Manhattan, New York Size: 2,000 square feet indoors Years lived in: 5.5 years; owned Jocelyn and her husband purchased a loft from a long time resident artist with great creative flair, but who made design choices that were very different than their own. Let the scraping begin.
Jul 22, 2014

Latest Stories

The Quirky Office Skews Cool
Name: Ben Kaufman, Founder of Quirky Location: West Chelsea, New York, New York Size: 45,000 square feet Years worked in: 2 years; Rented Quirky’s offices occupy the top floor of a great old industrial building in west Chelsea — a former self-storage site that once housed the famed 1980’s nightclub The Tunnel.
May 9, 2014
Jesa’s Bay Ridge Cool
Name: Jesa Location: Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 7 years; Owned Jesa and her husband moved to Bay Ridge, a family-oriented neighborhood in southern Brooklyn not necessarily known for high style. So, it was with great surprise, that around the side of a purposely derelict facade (so as to not draw unwanted attention), I found a modern, and very cool, renovated home.
Apr 14, 2014
HGTV Star Danielle Colding Layers Generations of Influence
Name: Danielle Colding Location: Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: Almost 2 years; Rented “Everything in here is from so many generations,” explains Danielle as I ooh and aah at an apartment packed with style and sentiment. At every turn there is a beautiful something and a story attached to it. Danielle is not afraid to let me know that for her, “more is more” when it comes to creating a home you want to come home to.
Mar 16, 2014
A Colorful, Loving Renovation in Manhattan
Name: Anne and Richard Location: Upper West Side, Manhattan, New York Size: 2,500 square feet, 2 bedroom Years lived in: 2 years; Owned “I think that you go astray when you aim for perfection,” declares Anne when discussing her approach to home decor. Anne and Richard’s relatively new home is filled with a mix of the old and the new, the damaged and the pristine. For Anne, these charming inconsistencies make her home a much more comfortable place in which to live.
Jul 18, 2013
Doryn’s Glamorous Return to the City
Name: DorynLocation: West Village, New YorkSize: 4000 square feet, 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath townhouseYears Lived In: 7 months After a few years of adhering to the widely held belief that having kids means moving to the suburbs, Doryn and her husband decided they could no longer live with that choice, and moved back to Manhattan. Fortunate enough to be able to afford a comparable square footage to that of their suburban home, Doryn and her husband found a townhouse they could love.
Nov 2, 2011
Sabrina Soto’s Penthouse Pops with Color
Name: Sabrina SotoLocation: Upper West Side, New YorkSize: 1200 square feet, 2 bedroom, 2 bath rentalYears Lived In: 7 months Sabrina, an HGTV designer and personality, just moved to NYC from Washington DC for her new show. She downsized from a sizeable house to a brand new 2-bedroom luxury rental, basically starting over from scratch.
Oct 19, 2011
Jane’s Comfortably Luxurious Family Home
Name: JaneLocation: Upper West Side, New YorkSize: 3 bedroom, 3 bathYears Lived In: 8 years Jane and her husband have very different approaches to design. While they both have a vested interest, Jane leans heavily towards form and her husband is a big fan of function. Together, however, they have achieved greatness. Jane is a designer by profession, so she took the lead seven years ago to create one home out of two apartments — one above the other.
Oct 5, 2011
A Pop-Up Apartment at The Yard
Name: The YardLocation: Long Island City, New YorkSize: 650-square-feet — 1-bedroom condo Modern Spaces has taken brokerage and marketing of new condos at the Yard to a new level. The model apartments benefit a long list of local artists and a female furniture design duo who transform salvaged wood scraps into signature pieces! Nightwood, the deconstructed furniture and textiles company, is very into modern rusticity.
Sep 7, 2011
Michael & Shannon’s Mix of Tradition and Travel
Name: Michael and ShannonLocation: Upper West Side, New YorkSize: 400 square feet one bedroom rentalYears Lived In: 5 years “We’ve always had a thing for the relaxed library [look],” explains Michael, a travel photographer, as he gives me the grand tour of his and Shannon’s home. You may recognize this well-curated (small!) apartment as one of the ‘teeny-tiny’ category finalists in this year’s Small Cool Contest.
Aug 10, 2011
Vicente Wolf Takes It Over the Top at Union Square
Standing at the Union Square farmers’ market, the cast iron arches of the former headquarters of Tiffany and Company always made me swoon. This week, I had the pleasure of viewing them from the inside out. The 19th century manufacturing, office and showroom space has been transformed into a monument to large-scale living. The 16-foot ceilings are enough to stop one dead in their tracks.Vicente Wolf thoroughly assumed his role as designer for the 36-unit building.
Jun 15, 2011
Katherine’s Meticulous Work in Progress
Name: Katherine & AlbertLocation: Prospect Heights — Brooklyn, New YorkSize: 4-story limestone building. Phase 1: one-floor, 938 square feet. Phase 2: 2-floor, 3-bedroom, 1,876 square feet (tenants live on the other two of the floors)Years Lived In: 3 Katherine, a stylist, is very particular about, and sensitive to, her immediate environment.
Mar 9, 2011
Uptown Glamour at Manhattan House by Celerie Kemble
Name: Celerie KembleLocation: Upper East Side — New York, New YorkSize: 1,861-square-feet — 2-bedroom condo The recent renovation of the Manhattan House buffs an already treasured architectural gem. Giving Celerie Kemble the opportunity to design and create an extravagant two-bedroom residence brings to life the ultimate urban living experience.
Mar 2, 2011