Apartment Therapy, Revisited

Working a fairly nontraditional career, I spend more time at home than the average working woman - though my hours probably far exceed average. I like to maintain my home as a place that continually inspires me - keeping some of my favorite treasures within view, whether I'm home working on my next piece for Marie Claire or shooting a video for HelloStyle or hosting a dinner party with some of my close friends. I've been in my current apartment for nearly three years - making Williamsburg, Brooklyn my home after 5 years of residency in the West Village, with short stints in the Financial District and East Village before that. I feel the most settled here, in my life thus far. I've carved out a space and  a slice of my neighborhood that feels good and comfortable - but not so comfortable that I feel stagnant. Life is constantly changing, my neighborhood is in flux, and so my home, too, reflects that constant change and evolution.

A combination of stress and inspiration last week (not-so-coincidentally just a couple dozen or so hours after receiving the Domino book), I decided to move around my furniture and create a new layout for my home -- first mapping it out by hand and sending my plans to my family; even 3,000+ miles away, they're always the first I consult before making any important decisions, (and in this case, which direction my couch faces was a very important decision). I'm trying to define the spaces in my living area more; dining, relaxation, work, and so on and so forth. Because I work from home a couple days out of the week, it can be really hard to keep the boundaries between "work" and "play" clearly defined, but setting up spaces that are devoted to different activities seems to be helping. So, the next stop? Getting a proper desk set up!

In addition to housing my "library" (it's a far cry from the floor-to-ceiling library with a sliding ladder that I envisioned as a child, but I'll get there someday), my bookcase is a bit of a treasure trove - filled with everything from my Miu Miu glitter heels to favorite sunglasses to Krisatomic prints to a teacup (from Miss B) filled with jewels to DL & Co skull candles which I absolutely never plan on lighting.

Subtle storage solutions are my bag; if for no other reason - because I'm always losing the little USB cords I rely on to sync my various cameras, phones, etc.  

Prints by Leigh Viner above my dining table. 

I love entertaining in my home, and I've learned that having a couple nice spirits on hand is a helpful way to greet people after a long day!
My glass dining table, from CB2, is one of my favorite buys in my home. The legs and support of the table are made with repurposed, aged steel - a great industrial nod to the bones of my apartment. The lacy placemats are from A&G Merch. As for the ghost chairs, I've been obsessed with the iconic Starck design for, literally, years. The book that started it all... Resting on the corner of my coffee table, just above the September issue of Marie Claire. My pink rug from fab.com, a super-score I got this summer, sits below!
Moth print by one of my BFF's, Devin McGrath. If you're looking for great affordable art, definitely click through.

Anchoring the ends of my couch - an assortment of pillows from Jonathan Adler (a Union Jack on one side and big heart on the other; an homage to my British heritage) and Z. Gallerie, and on the other end, a side table from West Elm - with framed photobooth strips and a burning Mrs. Meyer geranium candle. It's one of my favorite scents, and a little bit of aromatherapy does a lot to warm up a lofty space.
Beside my television, more books and little mementos! The jeweled skull is one of my all time favorite finds from Z. Gallerie. The Hello Kitty figurine was a collaboration with Tara McPherson from KidRobot.

Home office essentials: my trusty MacBook Pro & iPhone. The iPhone cover was a new score from Society6. Land line? Schmand line!
I grew up in Los Angeles, and from time to time, I get a little bit homesick and long for the beaches and mountains and sunshine. These prints, picked up from Going Underground on Etsy, are a good reminder of home.
No post on my home would be complete without a guest appearance from Lil Bit (aka Lily, Lilykins, chicken), considering she is the most permanent fixture of this place! The couch, from A&G Merch, is unofficially hers -- lest I, or anyone else visiting my home, think otherwise.