Jen’s Haven In The Heart Of Nolita

published Oct 14, 2015

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About this tour

Explore More House Tours

Home Type

Apartment

Location

Nolita, Manhattan, New York

Style

Minimal

Bedrooms

Square feet

2000

Sq ft

2000

Name: Jen Patryn
Location: Nolita; New York City
Size: 2,000 square feet
Years lived in: 6 years; Rented

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When she’s not working on fashion shoots, creating visual stories, and advising major labels, Jen Patryn, a New York-based fashion editor, is traveling the world and wandering the mountains of Central America. This busy bee is also the founder of Prismvessels—a collection of vessels containing talismans, healing stones, and sacred woods—which promise “to unlock and guide energy.” Jen has welcomed us into her downtown apartment to share her secrets for balancing the new world with the old world in a peaceful way.

The beautiful Berber rug is a travel find Jen brought back from Morocco. (Image credit: Fabienne Ayina)

(Image credit: Fabienne Ayina)

Peaceful surroundings are crucial to Jen, as she has a very demanding job and works in a fast-paced industry; keeping a clear spirit is one of her top priorities. The Marfa-meets-Marrakesh living room encourages and reflects an effortlessly luxurious but peaceful lifestyle; the vibes are actually very much in the spirit of Georgia O’Keefe’s New Mexico home. While on a trip in Morocco, Jen brought two beautiful Berber rugs. They both match the neutral, calmness-inspiring palette of the home. They are not the typical loud travel souvenirs, but instead feel incredibly unique and sumptuous. “The one in the bedroom is actually depicting a story,” Jen shared.

A giant communal wooden table dominates the dining room. Jen wanted to recreate a French countryside mood in this room, and yes, the atmosphere is quite champêtre, but in a very sophisticated kind of way. The not-quite-charcoal darkness of the walls is enveloping, and the portrait of a mysterious woman who looks like an impromptu guest adds a sense of self-contained drama.

The bedroom is an extension of the living room, with sentimental objects and vintage family portraits displayed on the tops of antiques dressers. Jen keeps her focus on a few favorite pieces and does not overload the room designated for rest. However, the huge hidden walk-in closet is like a chocolate fondant dessert at the end of a low-carb meal. Jen transformed a small, windowless room into her closet/powder room/boudoir. She custom-made industrial-looking racks using $2/yard plumber pipes, and the resulting display is charming, accommodating, solid, and will last a lifetime.

To keep her ideas flowing and to center her focus in a sometimes overly visually stimulating world, Jen applies the power of meditation, simplicity, and minimalism to her home. She keeps patterns and visual distractions to a strict minimum, and believes that starting and ending the day within a peaceful home with a neutral palette can reboot a busy mind and keep the creativity flowing.

Check out Jen’s personal style in her style profile → Fashionable People: Jen’s Real-Life Style

(Image credit: Fabienne Ayina)

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: Mid-Century with European influences. Clean walls so I can think.

Inspiration: Traveling the world. My rugs are from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. I have big pieces of Palo Santo wood from Ecuador and Peru. Pressed framed flowers from Parisian flea markets. I like to bring pieces and smells home with me to remind me of how amazing our planet is and how different and beautiful our cultures are.

Favorite Element: Light and air. I try to maximize the light in my apartment by using neutral colors in my rugs and furniture.

Biggest Challenge: My kitchen can be dark so I try to keep it light and clean.

What Friends Say: That it’s big for New York and that they feel peaceful inside, which makes me happy.

Biggest Embarrassment: Kitty litter. It’s never cute and there is never a good place to put it :/

Proudest DIY: I made the horizontal mobile hanging on my bedroom wall. I used feathers, paint, leather, oyster shells, and a drill.

Biggest Indulgence: My dining table and sofa are both from ABC Carpet & Home.

Best Advice: Less clutter equals more room in your mind and heart. I think “stuff” takes emotional stock and we feel an inherent sense of responsibility to it. To have no material objects and a full bank account can be completely liberating.

Dream Sources:Vogue, The Brick House, A well traveled woman, Our Open Road