The Quest for Home
I believe the quest for home is in all of us. This simple four letter word encompasses worlds far greater than its mere literal footprint. Home is one of our most basic needs in life and ideally surrounds us with beauty daily. It is a container for our musings and puttering, our hopes and dreams, and is capable of showing us the way, if only we will follow.
Beauty in the home is not an extraneous frivolity. Like running water, it is a necessity. It can bring us to tears and fill us with wonder. Art, like nature itself, reminds us we are part of the whole. Art invites us, in our interaction with it, to imagine. To feel. To ask “what if?” To fly free. To escape. To turn inward to our own interior landscape and find endless possibilities. And yes, sometimes to find the answers.
How do you know when you have found the right home? Sometimes something jumps out and gives you a clear signal. That’s how it was for my clients. On a trip to London prior to acquiring their new home, they fell in love with and purchased a painting by their favorite artist, Howard Hodgkin. Coincidentally, the previous owner of the apartment also had some artwork by Hodgkin, which the client spotted during showings. A shared love of this artist helped solidify the feeling that this was indeed the right apartment for them.
Hodgkin’s painting inspired the color palette throughout the apartment.
We embarked on a full renovation. To ground the space, we decided each of the main pieces would be upholstered in solid, saturated and textural fabrics. First up was the banquette: an extra-long custom piece that needed to be as comfortable for two as it was for 10, and accommodate working as well as lingering. We chose a mulberry mohair and designed a channel back for added softness.
Before we even finished the apartment, this room was featured in a lovely article in The New York Times by Tim McKeough.
An inky blue on the main sofa, also in mohair, takes center stage in the living room and balances the art above.
Just beyond the living room in the den/library, a luscious seamed velvet sits on a super comfy sleeper sofa.
Suede inset panel doors which separate the living room and den, offer privacy and sound control when needed, and contribute to the cozy vibe of this intimate, wood-paneled space. A custom mohair rug adds to the sumptuous and sensual environment.
The primary bed is clad in an Italian cloud-like wool, complemented by Italian bedding. I adore anything, well maybe everything, Italian!!
Design elements throughout the home connect interior and exterior worlds. Bespoke hand-dyed and painted linen panels, which act like jewelry at the window, frame iconic views of Central Park’s Reservoir. The vintage Josef Hoffmann table and chairs round out this serene scene.
Greeting you at the entry, a Herringbone wood floor with bronze inlay and ebonized border sets the tone for this sophisticated space. Underneath a dramatic painting by artist Jack Roth, a bespoke bench provides a practical and pretty perch.
A Sol Lewitt piece purchased from Pace Gallery provides just enough visual interest in this charming and soothing guest bedroom.
My design work is driven by connection. I thrive on creating spaces that connect the seen and invisible, the tangible and sensory, the practical and beautiful. Perhaps one of the most wonderful aspects of art is its unique ability to open our hearts and guide us toward these connections. Art can awaken our senses; help us find the right home and yes, it can provide the answers. It connects us to ourselves and others. I encourage you to surround yourself with what is beautiful to you. It will make your heart sing, even if softly and even if no one is listening…including you. It will still sing.