A Scandinavian-Inspired NYC Loft Was Designed for Connection and Community

Marika Frumes has worked hard to design a home for sharing. Inspired by two of her favorite cities, Stockholm and Istanbul, her large loft is filled with bright light that bounces cheerfully off of clean white walls. Warm wooden ceiling beams are complemented by a furniture color palette rich in creamy camel-colored brown leather. An open kitchen is the heart of the space, anchored by a huge table and chairs. Everywhere you look, cozy seating beckons, and perky green plant life invites you to relax. It’s the kind of space anyone could find comfortable, an important decor element for a homeowner whose life revolves around community and connection.

“Our joy in life doesn’t come from things, but it comes from people, and love, and connection,” begins Marika in her video house tour, “and the reason that home is so important to me is because it’s an opportunity for people to be in a place they can relax, gather, and be themselves. That’s ultimately what home is to me.”

Marika currently serves as Director of Team Development, Training & Community at Standard International, LLC, the company behind the stylish The Standard and Bunkhouse hotels. It’s a job that suits this avid traveler (according to her website Jetsetbackpacking she’s visited over 55 countries.) But Marika is also a cofounder of the US branch of HER, a “community of women who value authenticity, empathy, and genuine connection” with a mission to “bring together a diverse group of women to learn from and support one another.” HER aims to encourage collaboration, an element central to her home’s purpose.

“My internal inward mission is to create environments where everyone is welcome, and I feel so grateful to now have a space that can let me live out that manifestation in real life and that I can actually bring people to the table and create environments where they are seen for just themselves.”

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: Fresh, Scandinavian urban farmhouse with a sprinkle of boho chic.
Inspiration: Designs by Lyon Porter (Scandinavian chic with a twist of NYC) 
Favorite Element: The beams and the custom install from Iron Oakes.
Biggest Challenge: It’s a fourth floor walk up. 
What Friends Say: “WOW!” 
Biggest Embarrassment: It’s too new to have one.
Proudest DIY: A tree stump in my bedroom that I stained and now use as the perfect plant stand.
Biggest Indulgence: The Hastens Mattress in the bedroom.
Best Advice: Take it piece by piece and get things that speak to your soul versus just to “fill space.” Designing a home is an art that should take time. Not everything will be readily in front of you and that’s how it should be! 

• ENTRY
• Enter Mirror Large — Ferm Living
• Pocket Armchair — Hem Home
• Desk Area/ Bookshelf — Custom Iron Oakes
• Hexagon Pot Brass —   Ferm Living
• Moroccan Rug — Vintage Morocco 

• LIVING ROOM
• Nirvana Couch — Article
• Mirage Cushion — Ferm Living
• Mirage Blanket — Ferm Living
• Black Chambray Linen Pillows — Parachute Home
• Alle Coffee Table (set of 3) — Hem Home
• Plant Hanger — Ferm Living
• Leather Poufs — Brimfield
• Turkish Dowry Rug — Antique from Istanbul
• Ceramic Vases — Ferm Living
• Brass Candlesticks — Skultuna
• Belgiun Butchers Block Table — Vintage for late 1800’s (bought at brimfield)
• African mudcloth — Brimfield

• DINING ROOM
• Wishbone Stools — France and Son
• 5 Globe Branching Bubble Light — Lindsey Adelman
• Boule Brass Table Vases — Skultuna
• Bar/ Book Cabinet / Seating Area — Custom by Iron Oakes
• Karuit Tray — Skultuna
• Brass Bell — Skultuna
• Green and Grey Damejeanne Vases — Skultuna
• Flashcube Light — Article

• KITCHEN
• Stove / hood / microwave — Viking
• Fridge/ Dishwasher — Fisher Paykel
• Jacobean Antique Brass Faucet — Newport Brass
• Asymmetrical Cutting Boards — Ferm Living
• Dishes — CB2
• Zuni Sandstone Gray Runner — Article

• BEDROOM
• Hastens — Bed/ Mattress/ Sheets
• Woolf Watercolour Mural — Murals Wallpaper
• Balanese Tassle Basket — Anthropologie
• Mid-century dresser — Vintage
• Renwick Nightstand — Anthropologie
• Pendula Gold Lamps — Article
• Closet knobs — Skultuna
• Candles — Byredo
• Persian Rug — Vintage 

• BATHROOM
• Wythe Toile Wallpaper — Flavor Paper
• Soaps/ Creams — Byredo