Gene & Heidi’s Colorful Art-filled Home

updated Dec 19, 2019
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(Image credit: Aaron Able)

Name: Gene, Heidi and Baby Wyeth
Location: Downtown — Brooklyn, New York
Size: 1,285 square feet
Years Lived In: 2½ years

Gene recently shared his home through a House Call Gene’s Graphics & Color: Geometric Art Collection — and I couldn’t wait to share more! A perfect kick-off to our Art, Craft & Collection month, this Brooklyn family’s loft is oozing with exciting art and Gene shared one of the most extensive resource lists (including all the art!) we’ve ever published!

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

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(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Apartment Therapy Survey:

Inspiration: We love great interior, design, and art from the 60’s and 70’s but it’s always a balancing act to make our home “inspired by” without being too kitschy. Our house photography style was inspired by old Domino magazine photography.

Favorite Element: Our apartment is long and narrow with windows only near the living room and kitchen. This combined with the frosted glass sliding doors in the bedroom and nursery, and lack of sufficient lighting made the apartment feel dark and small.

From our bedroom and nursery, we removed the frosted sliding doors and cut out the corner wall that blocked the view of the window from the bedroom. We then installed clear glass walls in the bedroom and nursery. This one change completely transformed our apartment, it brightened up the whole apartment, making it feel more airy and open. Floor to ceiling curtains were also installed for privacy.

Biggest Challenge: I collect Hard Edge, Op and Concrete art from the 60-70’s. I have over 120 pieces in my collection, and some range as large as 5-9 ft tall. The challenge was displaying them in our small apartment without making our home feel cluttered and closed in while still presenting them in a cohesive manner.

My solution is to restrict my collecting to only tall, portrait or square shaped pieces that can be stacked. I display groupings of art in tall floor to ceiling columns. This maintains a structured presentation, and at the same time, allows more art to be displayed since each column requires less horizontal space. It also helps make the apartment feel bigger, since it puts emphasis on the height of the ceilings.

What Friends Say: “Um, that’s art…?” or “When can you come help decorate my place”

Biggest Embarrassment: My refrigerator. When we did a mini update to our kitchen, my wife refused to let me get a new one since all the appliances were brand new. I keep hoping one day it breaks so I can get a better looking one.

Proudest DIY: Turning our 10 x 9 storage closet into an office for me and my wife. The built in cabinets and floating desk are all IKEA!

Biggest Indulgence: Polder Sofa

Best Advice: We had a limited budget when we were looking for a new apartment. We wanted to buy in downtown Brooklyn area, but most of the buildings were out of our price range. We found an apartment at the Belltell Lofts, a historic art deco building. It didn’t have some of the finishing touches of the other luxury condos but made up for it with its great price. With the savings, we were able to add upgrades and renovations to our apartment and still managed to spend 200-300k less than if we would have purchased one of the other buildings in the area.

If you’re in the market for a new place, you might think about getting one with less bells and whistles and do some renovations yourself. With the savings, you can buy your dream couch 🙂

Dream Sources: No reserve auctions where I am the only bidder.

Resources of Note:

PAINT & COLORS

    • Behr: flat enamel Mirage White throughout the apartment
    • Behr: flat enamel Dynasty Celedon in the office

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

ENTRY & HALLWAY

    • chandelier lights, mirrors: IKEA
    • Hook Boxes, Light Bench by Pablo Design: DWR Outlet
    • Sol Lewitt, Arcs From Sides or Corners, Grids & Circles Series 3 pieces hallway 1 Nusery.
    • Richard Paul Lohse, Vertikale serielle Struktur, Set of 4
    • Richard Schur, Drowned World, acrylic on canvas, 90.5″ x 70.8″, (large blue piece across from nusery)
    • Josef Albers, 4 works from the Hard Edge Soft Edge Portfolio (above nursury glass door)
    • Georg Karl Pfahler, 4 works from the KPp16 Portfolio, (25.6″ x 25.6″ each)
    • Charles Bezie, Primaire, Acrylic on Canvas (57.25″ x 38.5″)
    • Gene Davis, Untitled #150, Acrylic on Canvas, (96″ x 2.75″)
    • Joseph Binder, 7A, Acrylic on Canvas, 45″ x 49.75″ (large yellow abstract)
    • Gunther Forg, Untitled in 8 parts, oil on paper in plexiglass box frame (6 in hall 2 above nesting tables)
    • Sol Lewitt, Untitled, Gouache on paper, 11in x 10.38in (stacked on far column bottom)
    • Sol Lewitt, Untitled, Gouache on paper, 22 x 6in (stacked on far column top)
    • Georg Karl Pfahler, Unititled, Gouache and chalk on paper, 23 x 19.2 in (stacked on far column top in one photo)

(Image credit: Aaron Able)

LIVING ROOM

    • White BESTA Burs wall cabinets (3pieces) by IKEA
    • Polder Sofa by Hella Jongerius: Vitra
    • Josef Albers Nesting Tables by Vitra (2 Sets shown): eBay and Allmodern.com
    • La Fonda del Sol Rug by Alexander Girard: FLOR
    • Womb Chair by Eero Saarinen for Knoll (Pumpernickle): DWR Outlet
    • Walnut Stools by Eames for Herman Miller: eBay
    • Bolle Vases by Tapio Wirrkala for Venini: auction
    • Brass Candelabra by Gunnar Ander: auction (on cabinets)
    • Brass lamp, vintage: auction (on cabinets)
    • Krenit Bowls by Herbert Krenschel: eBay and auction
    • Love Pillows by Alexander Girard: Urban Outfitters
    • Sol Lewitt, Vertical Not Straight Lines Not Touching on Color (5 of 6 shown), Color aquatint with hard ground line, 47.25″ x 33″, Full Sheet (above white cabinets)
    • Georg Karl Pfahler, Esp. K. NR. 17/82/83, Acrylic on canvas, 48 x 48 in (above couch)

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

DINING ROOM

    • Frame Table by Albero Meda for Alias: auction
    • Panton S chairs by Vitra: auction
    • Tolomeo Off-Center Pendant Light by Artemide: Allmodern.com
    • Georg Karl Pfahler, Esp. NR. 43 & 69, Pastel and Gouache on Paper (2 stacked gold frame)
    • Richard Anuszkiewicz, Panel 39 & 40 from Reflection II Series, Silkscreen and hand paint on gessoed masonite, 63½” x 45″ each

(Image credit: Gene Na)

KITCHEN

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

BEDROOM

    • American Modern Bed: DWR
    • Tray Table designed by George Nelson for Vitra: Smow.com
    • 2 tables from the Josef Albers Nesting Tables by Vitra: Allmodern.com
    • Gerald Thurston for Lightolier Black and Brass lamp: Auction
    • Pillows and Bedding by Alexander Girard: Urban Outfiters
    • Larry Zox, Batticaola from Diamond Drill series, Acrylic on canvas, 48″ x 40″(above bed)
    • Sol Lewitt, Arc Circles & Grids, Arcs, 72.5 in x 40 in (above red chair)
    • Norman Ives, Constellation, Original Collage-gouache, ink, pencil and printed paper on paper
    • Josef Albers, from the Hard Edge Soft Edge Portfolio, (Black Square)
    • Camille Graeser, Räumliche Dislokation, Wood Relief

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

MASTER BATHROOM

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

NURSERY

GUEST BATH

    • Happy D Sink and legged console, Stark3 Toilet by Durvit: Homeclick.com
    • Faucet by Hansgrohe: irawoods.com

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

OFFICE

Thanks, Gene, Heidi & Wyeth!

Images: Gene Na

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