A Designer’s Romantic & Worldly NYC Apartment

Written by

William Strawser
William Strawser
A photographer and film maker with a passion for telling visual stories. Will grew up on a small farm and built a darkroom in the family barn to hone his art. He's now living his dream in Manhattan, shooting editorial and ad campaigns and loving life.
updated Feb 19, 2019

A Designer’s Romantic & Worldly NYC Apartment

Written by

William Strawser
William Strawser
A photographer and film maker with a passion for telling visual stories. Will grew up on a small farm and built a darkroom in the family barn to hone his art. He's now living his dream in Manhattan, shooting editorial and ad campaigns and loving life.
updated Feb 19, 2019
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Bedrooms
Square feet

800

Sq ft

800

Name: Peti Lau
Location: New York, NY
Size: 800 square feet
Years lived in: 3 years, renting

House tour cover

Can't-Miss House Tours Straight to Your Inbox

Keep up with our latest house tours each weekday with our House Tour of the Day newsletter

Full of unique art collected from around the world, this apartment has a relaxing and inviting atmosphere. From the moment you step inside this stunning apartment with bedroom loft, you are greeted with warm colors and a smiling host. Beginning with an offering of tea, you will feel right at home chatting with the owner, Peti Lau about her amazing travels and the stories behind each piece of collected art.

(Image credit: William Strawser)

Interior Designer Peti Lau coined the name “AristoFreak,” which she uses to define her unique style consisting of four elements: Eclectic, Worldly, Romantic, and Dramatic. Her exclusive style has allowed her to beautifully design her own living space with an elegant large dining table perfect for entertaining, an inviting living room full of texture and color, a cozy and efficient computer and design workspace, and a romantic loft bedroom that is so wonderfully comfy that you would never want to get out of bed in the morning.

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: AristoFreak is my style that I have trademarked, which I define with all four elements: Eclectic, Worldly, Romantic, and Dramatic. It’s an Old World charm mixed in with a splash of the unexpected by using colors, textures, patterns, art, antiques and found objects to tell a story with a foundation of clean lines, always instilling just the right amount of proportion and juxtaposition to create that drama.

Inspiration: Traveling! By traveling, I’m immediately immersed into a setting out of my comfort zone and it inspires me to be around different cultures, the people, the sounds, the smells, and learn about the stories that make up that environment and using those references in my designs and how I interpret them into my own spaces in a romantic and eclectic way.

Biggest Challenge: The tall ceilings.

What Friends Say: The first thing they say is wow how tall the ceilings are. They say it’s a very cozy space and really gives people a sense of who I am the minute they walk in. I love that people always tell me that they feel really relaxed and it’s inviting.

Biggest Embarrassment: The plumbing isn’t great. : (

Proudest DIY: There was a Barcelona Sofa that I found in my old neighborhood in the East Village. I carried this huge sofa three blocks, taking breaks in the middle of the street as it was so heavy, and then managed to carry it up three flights of stairs. When I got home I realized why it was thrown away. The straps were all broken. So I took black vinyl rope and roped the entire sofa in place of the leather straps that broke and repurposed it! The story of how I got this sofa from point A to point B is pretty funny, too.

Biggest Indulgence: All the art that I’ve collected from friends, family and artists that I’ve come across.

Best Advice: Don’t be afraid to mix in all the things you love and find. Create a “moment” within each space where you can display all of your favorite objects, art, and finds that you love. Create a little vignette, and use that to tell your story. It could be on your coffee table or bookshelf.

Dream Sources: To buy everything from 1st Dibs.

(Image credit: William Strawser)

Thanks, Peti!

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Share Your Style:

See More:
⇒ Recent House Tours
House Tours on Pinterest