Jo Laurie Design

According to a recent New York Times article, “1 in every 4 American households is occupied by someone living alone; in Manhattan the number is nearly 1 in 2.” From one who has worked on many apartments in the city, this number comes as no surprise. In Manhattan, our single clients’ apartments run the gamut from studio/one bedrooms to townhouses and penthouses.

For those more spatially challenged, the modern Murphy bed could be a great design solution. Clients who like to entertain in smaller apartments, but aren’t keen on having guests sit on their bed, favor this option. Forget about losing precious art space - the new generation of Murphy beds are not mounted on the wall, but on the ceiling! 

For those lucky clients with extra space in their apartment, single living can accommodate whatever your lifestyle dictates, whether you dream of a meditation room or a cigar room.

A meditation room tends to be more of a tranquil environment than a traditional home gym and is a personal refuge.

Cigar rooms are also a great addition to the quintessential bachelor pad. They often incorporate a bar area or library to create a luxurious and sophisticated space.

Bottom line: living alone has a lot more to be said for it than just getting full access to the remote control. If you want to paint a wall dark blue or buy a lime green couch, you wouldn’t have to run it by a spouse or roommate. Whether you have a small or large space, it’s yours to customize. From a design standpoint you have total control - how many areas of your life can you say that about?  

Explore. Shop. Get Inspired.

Architectural Digest Home Design Show is a feast for your creative eye. Over 350 exhibitors come each year to showcase their latest and greatest products for your home. Discover new and established brands and get inspired by new ideas from the top talents in the industry.

There is much to see and do at the four-day event, including complimentary one-on-one design consultations, cooking demonstrations and tastings by celebrity chefs, and design seminars presented by the New York Times, among others.

We’re especially looking forward to seeing the exciting new products from our favorite vendors, including Artistic Tile, DOM Interiors, Michael McHale Designs and The New Traditionalists. While currently working on an exterior kitchen for a client in the Hamptons, we’re looking forward to seeing Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet.

There’s something for everyone at the show, ranging from corporate production brands to local artisans. Many participants offer customization capabilities as well.

This year’s event takes place March 22-25 at Pier 94, 55^th Street at 12^th Avenue in Manhattan. 

http://www.archdigesthomeshow.com/

Last week we attended an event hosted by Architectural Digest and Hastens Beds to celebrate the latter’s new showroom in Manhattan. It was a great atmosphere; they had live jazz music and cocktails that paid homage to their motherland of Sweden called Northern Lights. We got to try out the beds ourselves (no drinks in bed) and didn’t want to get up. I’m sure the cocktails had nothing to do with it! No matter, we did learn a few things about the beds to share with everyone while we were there.

A king bed ranges from $7,000 to $35,000; for those looking to invest in great sleep, they offer a $90,000 bespoke bed that is handmade over 140-160 hours. 

What makes them so expensive? The bed is comprised of layer on layer of genuine, hypoallergenic horsehair, cotton, wool, flax, and pine. Natural materials create wicking so your body can breathe through the night to ensure a good night’s sleep. Two layers of pocket springs support you; soft, medium, and hard options are available with a 25-year warranty. 

This may be the Bentley of the bed world, but none of us should be in a Kia (sorry Kia owners!)

Viewing an item in a 10,000 square feet showroom with 14-foot ceiling heights is a totally different experience than seeing it in one’s home. Unfortunately, this often results in purchasing furniture and finding it’s not right for the space. This could be due to factors such as the ceiling height, inappropriate scale or it’s stylistically not in keeping.

Remember: the majority of sales representatives work on commission, so they like any piece of furniture you do! This is still a better option than purchasing online…more on that later!

Always try to consult an experienced interior designer when buying furniture. A lot of designers will do consultation by the hour. If this isn’t possible, you can use masking tape to mark on the floor where your furniture will go, including current items. For example, don’t just mark the new sofa location; put in the coffee table with enough room to move between that and the sofa! Measure before you buy!

Shown below are other measurements you should take before your purchase. The widest part of the piece and the overall height are important, too.

As designers, the vast majority of the furniture we produce for clients is completely bespoke, with each piece individually designed and custom. We use trade-only showrooms and local artisans. The interior design industry, like many others, has quality products that take time to make and are not inexpensive.  

This will help avoid problems of it fitting when you move the beautiful piece to its new home.