NYC&G (New York Cottages & Gardens) - September 2015

Site Staff

Designer Marie-Christine McNally Creates a Sleek, Seductive, Utterly Urban Bachelor Pad in NoHo

Barbara L. Dixon, Photographs by Anasatassios Mentis,

For a brief time, people priced out of SoHo and Greenwich Village found happy refuge in the former factory and industrial spaces lining NoHo’s somewhat gritty streets, a loose grid that was never really on the map until suddenly it was, marketed heavily by real estate companies and given over, seemingly overnight, to a burgeoning crowd of young professionals looking for a place to call home.

Designer Amy Lau Reinvents a Historic Townhouse in the Heart of Greenwich Village

Cindi Cook, Photographs by Mark Roskams,

Maybe it’s the thrice-weekly yoga that helps Amy Lau recharge. Or the twice-daily meditation sessions, or just a fierce love for what she does. In addition to being a top-tier decorator, Lau has created installations for Kohler, Bergdorf Goodman, and Showtime, co-created the Design Miami fair, made appearances on HGTV and LX.TV, acted as a media spokesperson for Benjamin Moore, designed textile collections for numerous companies, and been recognized for her achievements with an honorary doctorate from the New York School of Interior Design.

On the Market: The Former Home of F. Scott Fitzgerald

Lisa Chamoff,

Real estate agents on Long Island’s Gold Coast often conjure up F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby when penning advertising copy. But one home on the market in Great Neck—a seven-bedroom Mediterranean listed for $2.999 million with Nurit Weiss and Inbar Mitzman of Coldwell Banker Real Estate—can claim to be the real deal.

Sold: An East Village Penthouse with Two Rooftop Cottages

Rebecca Morse,

If your dream home is a clapboard country cottage bordered by flowering shrubs, you just missed your chance at snagging a taste of the sweet life in the heart of the East Village. Now in contract, the $4.44 million penthouse at 203 East 13th Street features two dollhouse-like clapboard cottages built onto its roof, with 800 square feet of terrace between them and an outdoor wood-burning fireplace

Movers and Shakers in the High-Stakes Game of New York Real Estate

Rebecca Morse,

In Prospect Park, Michelle Williams found herself a fixer-upper: a 114-year-old Colonial Revival mansion in the $2 million range that needs a gut renovation. The Cobble Hill home of the Beastie Boys’ Mike D—a 3,200-square-foot Italianate townhouse at 148 Baltic Street listed for $5.65 million—recently went into contract.

Rising Star: Peti Lau

Kelly Velocci, Photographs by Lesley Fisher,

Peti Lau didn’t dream of becoming an interior designer. Instead, the Virginia native studied performance art and dabbled in fashion design, although neither turned out to be the right fit. “The importance of how a space can influence people became apparent to me when I discovered Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs,” says Lau. “I found it very inspiring.”

A Bronxville Kitchen Gets a Modern Makeover From Dunn & Tighe Interiors

Alejandro Saralegui, Photographs by Eric Piasecki,

In a shingle-style home designed by Delano & Aldrich and built more than a century ago, Leslie Dunn and Ann Tighe devised a kitchen plan that meshes seamlessly with the house’s architecture but is made for 21st-century living. Exposed beams and rough-hewn floors combine with state-of-the-art appliances, creating a kitchen that’s “both industrial and rustic, with a vintage-farmhouse feel,” says Dunn.

Design Writer and Editor Linda O'Keeffe Reimagines a 1920's Sears Roebuck Kit House in High Falls, New York

Linda O'Keeffe, Photographs by John Ellis,

I grew up street-smart in London. I window-shopped on my way to school; my favorite toy was a cash register; traffic noise lulled me to sleep. In other words, I was a confirmed city kid. The countryside? Definitely alien territory. As an adult, I’ve always lived and preferred to vacation in cities, and my work has often kept me on the road. Then a few years ago I realized that my NoHo apartment was almost becoming like another hotel room—a pit stop in my peripatetic life.

In Chelsea's Walker Tower, Designer David Scott Turns An Art-Filled Apartment into a Showcase of Sumptuous Decor

Michael Lassell, Photographs by Peter Murdock,

"When I initially met my client,” decorator David Scott recalls, “he had a loose-leaf file of all his art and furniture. I was deeply impressed and happy to be working for someone who was so organized. The art itself was edgier than I am used to working with, which was another level of excitement for me. It was an opportunity to learn.” Located in Chelsea’s Walker Tower, which was built in 1929 and converted from commercial space to 50 multimillion-dollar lofts in 2013, the apartment not only has considerable art, but also breathtaking views both south and west.

Designer Amy Lau Reinvents a Historic Townhouse in the Heart of Greenwich Village

Cindi Cook, Photographs by Mark Roskams,

Maybe it’s the thrice-weekly yoga that helps Amy Lau recharge. Or the twice-daily meditation sessions, or just a fierce love for what she does. In addition to being a top-tier decorator, Lau has created installations for Kohler, Bergdorf Goodman, and Showtime, co-created the Design Miami fair, made appearances on HGTV and LX.TV, acted as a media spokesperson for Benjamin Moore, designed textile collections for numerous companies, and been recognized for her achievements with an honorary doctorate from the New York School of Interior Design.

Designer Marie-Christine McNally Creates a Sleek, Seductive, Utterly Urban Bachelor Pad in NoHo

Barbara L. Dixon, Photographs by Anasatassios Mentis,

For a brief time, people priced out of SoHo and Greenwich Village found happy refuge in the former factory and industrial spaces lining NoHo’s somewhat gritty streets, a loose grid that was never really on the map until suddenly it was, marketed heavily by real estate companies and given over, seemingly overnight, to a burgeoning crowd of young professionals looking for a place to call home.

Design Writer and Editor Linda O'Keeffe Reimagines a 1920's Sears Roebuck Kit House in High Falls, New York

Linda O'Keeffe, Photographs by John Ellis,

I grew up street-smart in London. I window-shopped on my way to school; my favorite toy was a cash register; traffic noise lulled me to sleep. In other words, I was a confirmed city kid. The countryside? Definitely alien territory. As an adult, I’ve always lived and preferred to vacation in cities, and my work has often kept me on the road. Then a few years ago I realized that my NoHo apartment was almost becoming like another hotel room—a pit stop in my peripatetic life.

In Chelsea's Walker Tower, Designer David Scott Turns an Art-Filled Apartment into a Showcase of Sumptuous Decor

Michael Lassell, Photographs by Peter Murdock,

"When I initially met my client,” decorator David Scott recalls, “he had a loose-leaf file of all his art and furniture. I was deeply impressed and happy to be working for someone who was so organized. The art itself was edgier than I am used to working with, which was another level of excitement for me. It was an opportunity to learn.” Located in Chelsea’s Walker Tower, which was built in 1929 and converted from commercial space to 50 multimillion-dollar lofts in 2013, the apartment not only has considerable art, but also breathtaking views both south and west.