A long-time New Yorker, Kara Loewentheil has called the same apartment home for more than a decade. Not surprisingly, as she has gone through her own life and career transitions, her apartment’s style has evolved too. When she moved in, she was a 20-something on a budget, working as a social justice lawyer, and her apartment was furnished with an eclectic mix of hand-me-downs. 

Now a decade later, Kara is an internationally recognized feminist mindset coach (her practice is “rooted in cognitive psychology-based techniques and feminist theory”) and hosts the wildly popular UnF*ck Your Brain podcast. Her apartment is a warm, feminine space decorated with a mix of modern pieces, family antiques, and photos and prints by women artists.

During a recent redesign Kara worked with Alevtina Vinokur of Alev Studios, a New York interior designer who specializes in combining contemporary tastes with traditional design. Together they focused on a functional but elegant design for the space that is as pretty on camera as it is comfortable in real life. 

You can follow Kara on Instagram for bite-size teachings on feminist thought work and snaps of her polydactyl cat Darwin making himself at home on every piece of furniture in the apartment.

My Style: Warm feminine luxe.

Inspiration: I grew up with a lot of antiques in my childhood home, which definitely influences my design style, though I consider myself more feminine and modern.

Favorite Element: The New Yorker print in my living room. It’s a print of a woman with an eyeball for a head who is taking notes while listening to a brain lying on an analyst’s couch. As a feminist mindset coach, the image is perfection, and the color scheme matches my living room!

Biggest Challenge: I work from home, so building in space for me to work was the biggest challenge. We decided that having my desk in my living room made the most sense space-wise, and because of this, it needs to fit in with the rest of the room. I keep it organized and decorate with pretty boxes, files, and flowers so that when I’m hanging out in the living room and not working, looking at the desk doesn’t stress me out or make me think about my to-do list. I also record my podcast in my apartment so we needed the space to work acoustically as well—which meant lots of fabric and rugs.

What Friends Say: “Wow, this is so you!” Before I redecorated in 2018, my apartment was a mix of things that I had gotten the decade before, either while I was in law school or hand-me-downs. I had changed so much in my own brain and life through my coaching work that it felt great to update my environment to match the change in me. I think that’s what my friends react to the most—that it feels so much like ME now. I’m so much more comfortable with myself through the coaching work I’ve done, and that shows in my home too.  

Biggest Embarrassment: I work from home, so it’s not uncommon for my clients to see my cat giving himself a very personal cleaning right behind me on video! But since I teach people how to choose what they want to think and feel, I know they can handle it.

Proudest DIY: I’m not a big DIY-er. This is partly due to time, as I have big ambitions and goals. I’m on a global mission to teach women how to liberate themselves from the inside out! Plus, I live in NYC with the most amazing cultural resources, and I travel a lot, so I’m always looking to outsource whatever I can so I can focus on what matters most to me.  

Biggest Indulgence: Fresh flowers every week. Fresh flowers are ridiculous, as they are the epitome of fleeting beauty. I think women are socialized to believe they have to earn pleasure or that they don’t deserve to do things just because they enjoy them. I am not about that life, and it’s something that I work on with my clients a lot. You can get a few fresh flowers at a bodega for $5 in New York. It’s not about spending a lot of money—it’s about claiming your right to enjoy the world without having to earn or deserve pleasure.

Best Advice: If you can afford it, hire a designer. I worked with Alevtina Vinokur of Alev Studios, and it was great. Yes, it was an additional cost, but it saved me money in two ways. First, I got use of her designer discount, and second, and more importantly, it saved me SO MUCH TIME. In working with my clients, I see how much time we waste in indecision and uncertainty. I teach a lot about how constraining our choices is empowering and freeing. A designer is constraint in action—they know what will work, they give you a few options, you pick one, and done and done. Alevtina was able to translate my style into reality, and my home wouldn’t look nearly as beautiful or cohesive if I had tried to do it myself. Plus, I am not good at visualizing, so she was invaluable for that. She made decorating fun.

Dream Sources: A lot of my pieces came from Anthropologie and West Elm, along with a few family heirlooms. I like Anthropologie a lot, but it can verge on a bit twee. I think West Elm is a bit more androgynous design-wise. Its mainstream aesthetic keeps my Anthro stuff from being too much. We also sourced some of the bigger statement accessories, like the living room lamp and the big wall mirror, from Horchow. 

• Everett Loveseat in Ink Blue Performance Velvet 
• Anthropologie Ansell Swivel Chair ⁠— No longer available online 
• CB2 Smart Round Brass Coffee Table
• Coffee table tray and vases ⁠— Anthropologie, no longer available online
• West elm lamp
• Humanscale Float Desk
• Herman Miller Aeron desk chair
• Aerin Dover Gold Floor Lamp
• Cabin Faux Hide Rug (in neutral)
• Antique/family armchair and end tables
• Art ⁠— Personal collection (photos by Jenny Bagert and Herman Leonard, among others)
• Shades ⁠— Custom rice paper shades from Shade Store (from 10 years ago)

• West Elm Silhouette Pedestal Dining Table
• Finley Low Back Upholstered Dining Chairs (in astor velvet grapefruit and distressed celet heather)
• Shelves ⁠— Elfa custom built from the container store 
• Pottery Barn Bedford Filing Cabinets
• Jamie Young Centerpoint Brass Scalloped Mirror
• Ceramic lamp from Anthropologie ⁠— No longer available online
• Louise Nevelson lithographs 
• Kitchen cabinets and built in storage ⁠— IKEA

• Anthropologie Deco bed
• Anthropologie Lacquered Regency Nightstand
• West Elm Terrace Nightstand
• West Elm Faceted Floor Mirror Emerald Cut (but we mounted in on the wall)
• Anthropologie Felicity Curtain (as closet door)
• Anthropologie Tufted Ari Rug in Mauve
• Shades ⁠— Custom roman shades from Shade Store
• Art ⁠— Iris Brosch nude photographs, Louvrier et Vanessa black and white photo, Motke Blum small white painting.

Thanks, Kara!

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