I’m back. I’ve had an illness that really knocked me down for the last five weeks or so, but I’m back on my feet now. I was even well enough to give Julia horse rides on the beach yesterday (and I was the horse). I’m very grateful to my partner David and the family, friends and medical professionals who have taken such good care of me.
While I was out of commission, the work on the loft progressed nicely. I wasn’t as involved in the day-to-day as I would have liked (David shouldered the extra burden without complaint), but fortunately we were able to choose all of the colors, fixtures and finishes and find most of the fabrics and furniture we needed before I got sick. It won’t all appear in a grand HGTV-style reveal on move-in day, but it should come together during the month or so after we get in, which should be in a couple of weeks. (It’s probably bad luck to say that aloud, though, let alone write it down and publish it in a blog.)
I’ll have more progress photos soon, but, in the meantime, I’ll show you three palettes of materials that we’ve pulled together.
The Den
As we found it, the den was the least desirable room in the apartment. It’s relatively small, windowless, has no architectural features like exposed brick or ironwork, and needs a dropped ceiling to cover the tangle of plumbing and ductwork that passes overhead.
Even so, I’m excited about this room. We’ve made some bold choices that I hope will transform it a poky little afterthought to a cozy and fun place to curl up and watch television, read or listen to music.
We’re embracing the 70s den aesthetic. The walls will be covered in the dark brown cork in the upper right corner of the photo, and ceiling will be a screen of walnut slats floating below the plumbing and ductwork, which will be painted black. We’ll cover a new L-shaped sectional sofa in the vibrant blue wool in the center. The striped fabric below will recover the cushions of two mid-century French lounge chairs we’re moving from Southampton, and the lively classic Josef Frank print will be made into throw pillows for the sofa. I was a torn about the rug. I wanted it to be olive (bright blue and olive is one of my favorite color combinations), but I worried that this much saturated color might be too much for a small space and instead settled for the soft gray you see above. Did I come to my senses or just chicken out?
The den palette with an olive rug.
The Library/Gallery
This is a dramatic wide hall that runs down the center of the loft and gives access to the den, powder room and all of the bedrooms. Rather than fill it with furniture, we’ve opted to leave it open and use it as a place to display books and art –and enjoy the luxury of some unencumbered space in crowded Manhattan.
We kept the palette here simple to let the art take center stage, but I hope it’s still interesting. The left wall will be completely clad in panels of the smoky blackened hot-rolled steel in the center of the photo with floor-to-ceiling adjustable walnut bookshelves floating in front. The right and back walls will be white and will host some large paintings and photographs that we’ll move from our San Francisco and Southampton places. The blue rug will run the length of the space (and pick up the color in a vibrant blue and green oil painting that will hang at the end of the hall), and the red-orange boucle fabric is for a vintage Jens Risom bench that will provide some occasional seating and give the space a nice shot of contrasting color.
Living Room
The living room is open to the dining room, entry and kitchen, has large windows and exposed brick walls, and will host a very large abstract oil painting. There’s a lot going on in that space, so we wanted to keep the palette for the furnishings calm and unified.
The blue-gray fabric in the center is on a very large sofa that we’ve had in storage for the last couple of years. The blue mohair will cover a pair of new (to us) mid-century club chairs which will join a pair of vintage black leather lounge chairs that we already own. The silver travertine is for a large round coffee table, and the simple ivory linen drapes and amber wool rug will, I hope, provide a warm, soothing background. The luxurious saffron Fortuny fabric is for for sofa pillows. Lamps and accessories will add texture and interest, but think the Fortuny print will be the only pattern in the room.
We’re entering the home stretch now, so wish us luck.
It’s good to be back.
