We gush about readers on a regular basis throughout our Cup of Jo staff conferences, and Lauren O. is a reputation that always comes up. A reader from the start, she has left many hilarious and heartwarming feedback (suppose: “Hold free my goose“, a birthday realization, and what occurred when she deleted Pokémon GO from her cellphone). Different readers have requested to be taught extra about her, so immediately we’re thrilled to characteristic her one-bedroom Manhattan condominium, which she shares along with her husband, Joe, and two darling cats…
LIVING AREA
Chairs: classic Niels Otto Møller from Housing Works Thrift. Throw pillows: Pendleton. Stereo: “Joe’s audiophile ‘Frankensystem’ — it’s a Linn turntable on a customized plinth with a Leben amp beside it, and DeVore Constancy audio system.”
On shifting to New York: Joe and I got here from San Francisco to Manhattan in 2003 in order that I might intern at a PR journal. We initially thought we’d simply keep for the summer season, so the transfer felt low strain. However then we sneaky fell in love with town. Earlier than New York, I’d by no means actually discovered a metropolis that spoke to me. So, on the finish of my internship, once I was supplied a full-time job, my reply was ‘After all.’
Crimson lamp on document shelf: Nicholas Furrow. Document cabinets: “Joe and our pal George made them.” Media heart: Design Inside Attain thrifted through Craigslist, related. Crimson lamp on espresso desk: Mushroom.
On private fashion: Our design vibe is much like the Bergdorf Goodman vacation home windows, in the event that they had been made by and for raccoons, since we love shiny issues. I’d additionally describe it as a metropolitan goblin really feel — there’s plenty of information, books, orbs, minerals and rocks.
Artwork mural: thrifted from Housing Works. Document shelf: CB2, related. Pink lamp: classic, through Furlong. Plant shelf: Ethnicraft. Espresso desk: Jordan Crowell. Crimson lamp: Mushroom. Sectional: Saba Italia. Moth throw pillow: Timorous Beasties. Again: Saint-Ouen Flea Market in Paris.
On bursts of shade: Earlier than the pandemic, there was undoubtedly much less shade within the condominium. However as soon as we had been caught right here on a regular basis, we needed to brighten issues up. Joe was truly the one who mentioned, ‘We now have to get a pink sectional.’ So, we went for it.
On a journey custom: I used to volunteer on the Housing Works bookstoreand at some point a mysterious Frenchman got here in asking if we had any copies of George Orwell’s novel 1984. We pulled out all these totally different editions, and he was over the moon, saying that whereas touring, he at all times goes to native bookstores and asks for an version of 1984 from their nation. I assumed that was the very best concept. The guide was revealed in a zillion languages, and it has been launched in new editions. In the event you learn the varied introductions, folks love to border it when it comes to their nation’s present political second; it’s an fascinating lens by means of which to see different locations. I’ve now taken his custom on as my very own.
On fibre artwork: I’m going by means of random phases the place I get the urge to make fibre artwork. I made a Debbie Harry portrait throughout our first summer season in New York, when Joe was as a paralegal and by no means residence. A number of years later, I embroidered a portrait of David Bowie on a purse for a contest held by the now defunct purse model Rachel Nasvik. I ended up profitable!
Lauren and Maya
On beloved cat youngsters: We adopted our cat Matty in Anaheim, California, whereas I used to be down there visiting household. He had been a stray working round in some car parking zone, and we discovered him on Petfinder. Then we adopted Maya a 12 months in the past. She was initially dwelling along with her 5 kittens in a kill shelter in Tennessee, after which by some means all of them ended up on Staten Island? The truth that she ended up there along with her infants at all times makes me snicker as a result of it jogs my memory of Madonna’s music video Papa Don’t Preach.
BEDROOM
Basket: Swahili African Fashionable. Blue bench: West Elm. Tiger throw pillows: Williams Sonoma. Cover: “A white West Elm comforter I acquired on tremendous clearance after which tie-dyed and appliquéd with a bunch of quilting scraps.”
On a long-time love: Joe and I met 26 years in the past, whereas learning overseas on the College of Oxford in England. For certainly one of our first dinners, he made me this unbelievable, sophisticated, vegetarian Thai soup — though he lived in pupil housing with a crappy kitchen shared with a dozen folks, and he had to buy groceries in a small city in 1999 the place good substances had been onerous to return by. That gesture meant a lot to me as a result of up to now, earlier boyfriends made me really feel like shit for being a vegetarian. Prefer it was a trouble to work round. However Joe has at all times taken my wants significantly and my eccentricities in stride — like once I wake him up in the midst of the night time as a result of I’m unhappy about the way in which persons are imply to pigeons — and he at all times actually hears me and makes me really feel taken care of.
Gold dachshunds: classic through Atlantis Residence.
On favourite books: I’m without end recommending Kelly Hyperlink’s Magic for Freshmena sequence of quick fantasy tales. You possibly can really feel your mind rising new wrinkles and buying new neural pathways as you learn. She’s simply so artistic and I’ve such a crush on the way in which she places her tales collectively. I can’t think about anybody not discovering this guide magical.
Paint: Middleton Pink from Farrow & Ball. Mushroom throw pillow: John Derian for Goal. Mushroom print: David Shrigley. Wolf print: “From a competition in Montreal. I noticed them everywhere in the subway and ended up writing to the competition’s staff asking if I might purchase one. They then despatched me a pair free of charge.” Mattress: CB2. Velvet blue throw pillows: West Elm and Timorous Beasties. Brass bookcase: One Kings Lane, related.
On mushroom decor: It began with submitting a pitch to Mushroom Folks Journal about an artist who made shrouds inoculated with mushroom spores that you can be buried in. In concept, the mushroom would eat you. Placing that piece collectively ended up spurring a lifelong mushroom enthusiasm. I’m now a part of the New York Mycological Societya gaggle of citizen scientists and foragers who’re actually into mushrooms and tremendous beneficiant with their information. Now throughout walks, I fetch sticks with thrilling issues rising on them and current them to the extra skilled members like a retriever with a Frisbee.
Brass bookcase: One Kings Lane, related.
On touring with dad and mom: The image of the little lady is my mother. A pair years in the past, Joe and I began a convention of occurring trip along with her and my stepdad Doug. Mother and I really like strolling round all day, so we’ll placed on our cozy sneakers and head out. Then Joe and Doug will go to a sports activities bar and chat about baseball factoids. For our first journey, we went to the U.Ok., and I discovered a pond in the midst of the Hampstead Heath that solely girls can swim in. And though it was November and freezing, my mother and I jumped in. After that, we determined we had been formally pond scum and needed to swim all over the place we traveled. In Iceland, we went to the lagoons, and after we go to my sisters, we at all times decide a resort or trip rental with a pool.
ENTRYWAY
Credenza: classic. White lamp: Verner Panton. Rhino: gifted from her mom.
On particular presents: My mom shocked me with this rhino for Christmas. She was an artwork historical past main who took a bunch of studio artwork courses, like furniture- and rug-making programs. When she and my dad acquired married, they had been as poor as church mice, so they mainly made the whole lot of their condominium. Her factor was that when you ponder one thing lengthy sufficient, you may work out a cool approach to make it. She is an enormous affect on my sisters and me. We’re at all times questioning, ‘What can I make to go in our house?’ and ‘What can I make for different folks to indicate them how a lot I really like them?’
KITCHEN
On working round previous design decisions: Our kitchen could be very a lot not our fashion. Nevertheless it was model new after we moved in and is in actually nice situation, so I can’t think about spending cash on ripping out the counters. As a workaround, I’ve added private touches. I’ve been switching out the cupboard knobs one by one, so none of them match. Some are snails, some mushrooms, one is a resin knob with a bunch of moss inside. I additionally began drawing this mural. Altering the kitchen initially felt like an annoying process, nevertheless it has changed into this house of giving myself permission to do no matter I would like. And that’s been very liberating.
Thanks a lot, Lauren. We love you! By no means cease commenting!
P.S. Extra residence excursions, together with a a reader’s ‘introvert nook’ and a yoga instructor whose Manhattan studio condominium is a love letter to girls.
(Pictures by Christine Han for Cup of Jo.)
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