Today I am featuring a strikingly unconventional apartment in the East Village, New York. Originally it belonged to the current owner’s Italian migrants grandparents who bought it in 1945 and lived there for over six decades. Eight years ago, their grandson, Michael Reynolds and his partner, Eric, moved in and made their own. As the building held early childhood memories for Michael, they decided to keep the layout in tact and focused their attention on redecorating. What they have achieved is quite remarkable: the place is both respectful of the past while also embracing the tastes of the current occupants.
I love the kitchen with the tiled floor Michael remembers from his childhood. This is now accompanied by an industrial kitchen sink, original art works and vintage items.
The walls of the dark and mysterious bedroom are jammed packed with photographs.
The apartment is strongly masculine in its aesthetics mixing art, modern design and ethnographic objects with touches of quirky humour throughout. The results are reminiscent of an 19th century natural history museum, but somehow it all works.
I love this place as as it is so unusual in the current landscape of interior design which is on the whole very tasteful and ultimately bland. I also adore that you have a sense of who the occupants are. Having said that, I am not sure I would want to live there. Would you?
Photos: François Dischinger
via the New York Magazine
