I'm a designer too, 20 years, and saw beauty and risk taking in all of these rooms. Bravo to the designers and building owners for doing something unexpected and interesting (to varying degrees) with these spaces, which I think is the point. Standard apartment interiors bore me to tears.
I would think most people would prefer a unit tastefully done, comfortable, and one they could relate to instead.
6
Some of these rooms are like living in a headache.
10
In hi-rise building living, I think windows are more important than anything: windowed kitchen and windowed bathroom are far more attractive than ugly, edgy and outrageous interior decoration.
Please build more homes, even in hi-rise condo/apartment buildings, with windows and higher ceilings! They are more beautiful, attractive, and practical than any expensive design!
Please build more homes, even in hi-rise condo/apartment buildings, with windows and higher ceilings! They are more beautiful, attractive, and practical than any expensive design!
9
Other than 520 W. 28th the other rooms are just contrived, trying too hard. Sorry.
2
Why do I think that a five year-old let lose with a paint deck and an unlimited account in a fabric store could turn out an "edgy" apartment.
3
If the one percent are so completely bored with their tasteful, luxurious surroundings that they are now searching out simulated peeling wallpaper and eye-twitching zig-zag bedrooms, we must, out of mere charitable concern for their mental heath, fight the Trump tax cuts with everything in our power!
13
The room from Matter is tasteful.
not to my taste - nor, apparently, to any of the other posters, but since the result is to be memorable, I'd say the decorators definitely succeeded. of course, since all we're seeing is the memory-jolt and not the actual apartment/condo, we aren't able to see the aspects that would be important to the apartment-hunter. but if the kitchen is great, and you've seen 12 kitchens that day, I guarantee you'll remember "the great kitchen in the zig-zag bedroom one." and that's the point of the entire exercise. you can always change the wallpaper or the paint or the rug.
1
these rooms don't even manage to aspire to poor taste!
8
The only element I like is the architectural design of the concave oval window.
What's up with the white and purple batik floor covering in one apt.? Awful.
What's up with the white and purple batik floor covering in one apt.? Awful.
6
Each and everyone...hideous!
7
Those zig zags on the wall and bed curtains only make the sleeping alcove look smaller. Good marketing? I don't think so.
10
The zig zags only make me dizzy
1
The designer using zigzag here is for the newly generation of the 1%. From what I read recently, he is their go-to designer.
Ugly, disturbing, boring - choose your word to describe these "designer's" handiwork. That thing with the zigzags is nightmarish. Those who find these places fun or impressive - well, best of luck to them.
7
This is "wild"?? I think the word "expensive" is more accurate. I sure miss the NYT Home section as it used to be, before it was "disappeared"…
10
Desperate, overstretched developers is the subtext here.
7
The real story in model rooms is how certain changes over the last two decades have fundamentally altered a typical 1-bedroom apartment. The kitchens and bathrooms are now enormous thanks to the ADA, which has squeezed down the living room as a result. But the advent of flat-screen TVs saved at least a foot of width, partly compensating. Meanwhile, in the bedroom, the desire for walk-in closets and shift of computers from the desk to the lap has meant no more desks and almost no more dressers. Pantries and upper cabinets in the kitchen have disappeared to try and open up spaces, but in a city where a lot of food comes via app this has been rationalized.
Of course, downstairs the changes have been even more radical as amenity spaces, once completely foreign to New York, are now numerous, and the lobbies have turned into massive Amazon receiving centers.
Of course, downstairs the changes have been even more radical as amenity spaces, once completely foreign to New York, are now numerous, and the lobbies have turned into massive Amazon receiving centers.
14
As a design professional for the past 40 years, I felt all these rooms to be boring and uncreative--bringing nothing new to interior design. The author of the article needs some educating.
27
I'm glad someone else said it -- someone with professional creds -- I found these to be very discordant, uncomfortable looking and garish.
2
Even after making all the requisite allowances for New York, I didn't see a snge one of them that I'd even like as a hotel room much as an apartment.
31
These designs remind me of a certain public figure who will say anything to get attention. It doesn't matter that his skin is orange. There are never any consequences, right?
27
If they really want to entice potential buyers they should bring in a designer who can recreate the look of "hoarder, 1985" since THIS is the way so many people actually live.
23
Hilarious! Thanks for the chuckle.
4