Archive for August, 2008
What A Catch
This is where I lived when Sherry and I first started dating. Clearly, it was my wonderful design sense that won her over (that or the fact that she knew there was PLENTY of room for improvement).
Yep, I was the proud renter of a futon in the corner of a living room. Thus is the life of a poor, just-out-of-college guy trying to make it in New York City. I shared this one-bedroom apartment in Long Island City, Queens with two other guys (one got the bedroom, the other shared the living room with me).
In my defense, I only lived there for two months while I waited for my friends’ lease to end so we could all move to the Upper West Side together (where I would have my own room, thank you very much). It was mere coincidence that I wooed Sherry during my brief stay here… I think… I hope…
Oh, and I should note that this was the amazing view from our living room. It made sleeping with my clothes above my head slightly more bearable.
Post-Haste
Here’s another cute collection-related idea akin to our vacation jars and our framed key art, and it costs around 50 cents tops. Of course it came from the mind of my creative (and cute) hubby. See, on one of our first vacations together he suggested as we were writing a few postcards to our friends and family that we save one and write it to ourselves. He thought it would be a nice way to highlight a few of our favorite details of the trip (that we’d likely forget after a while).
And we liked the idea so much, that over the past few years we’ve continued the tradition. It’s super fun to look back on our travels together and relive everything from our favorite meal to our sightseeing hijinks. And my contribution to “project postcard” was to suggest that we display them in an old vase (leftover from our wedding- it was actually where everyone dropped their sentiment cards) so we don’t have to file them away in the closet in some old box. Regularly seeing them in our space reminds us to look at them from time to time and keeps us excited for our next big trip.
So next time you’re on vacay, all you need is a quarter for the postcard and another one for the stamp. Bon voyage!
House Crashing: A Sculptural Studio
When we heard about Ansel and Peter’s modern masterpiece of an office called Marvin Lang, we just had to drop in on their newly opened design studio and snap a few pics. Here’s the dynamic duo striking a pose in front of their striking space- which is actually an old garage from the late 19th century that they rehabbed while salvaging as many of the rustic and industrial original details as possible.
Just beyond those giant custom double doors is the client lounge, which is chock full of vintage pieces and danish modern furniture paired with stunning original details (from the rough plaster and brick walls to the original concrete floor).
But the industrial vibe doesn’t end there. Since the entire space didn’t have any dividing walls or smaller rooms, they designed two closets and a spacious bathroom complete with stunning metal walls (which not only look great, but serve as enormous magnet boards).
They left the rest of the space open and airy, and the light just streams in and bounces around the exposed ceiling beams and gleams off the original concrete floors (which they sealed with a clear sealant to keep ‘em clean without taking away from the original and unfussy atmosphere).
Ansel and Peter also injected some reclaimed shelves (crafted from wood that they salvaged from the building itself) for some sleek storage that’s as functional as it is eco-friendly.
And they also installed large panels of homasote to create a giant pinboard on part of the wall for displaying prints and posters- another creative way to add form and function.
They spared no expense in their luxurious kitchen corner, where they continued the metal walls for an easy-wipe backsplash and installed a super-thick carrera marble counter with an undermount sink and a pretty amazing wall mounted faucet.
Oh and you may have noticed that cheeky sign above the counter. Ansel’s graphic design work makes him no stranger to sign design, so he was sure to inject a bit of humor to each space in the form of some pretty amusing signage (our favorite is one near the bathroom that depicts people’s partying in the lav).
And of course we can’t leave without showing you one of the coolest original details that was happily salvaged in the space. Every so often on the floor you’ll come across some rustic old chains in the concrete, which are actually the chains that used to keep cars secure back in the days when the studio was a functioning garage.
True to the building’s original purpose, Ansel and Peter also explained that the front doors to the studio had to be custom built to fit the original opening, which of course was a garage door for the cars that used to inhabit the building. Gotta love a place with some interesting history (and some stunning style to spare).
Thanks for letting us crash your fresh and fabulous studio guys! And for all of you locals with some fabulous digs of your own, feel free to drop us a line so we can come trapseing through your home or office with our handy dandy camera in tow. We may be house crashers, but we’re house crashers with manners. Who knows where we’ll pop up next…
