FINDING HOME
Looking for a “Box” to Call Home

Elizabeth, Anthony, and their two daughters are among my favorite clients. It’s not just because they brought me fresh-baked bread each time we met, but because they are kind to their bones, wildly creative, and resilient to every bump in the road.

Elizabeth, an artist, was eager to find a townhouse she could renovate from the top down. As long as it had heat, running water, and clean air, she was ready to move in with her family and transform the home over time. “Roni, I want a box, and I want dirt,” she’d say, referring to a home in need of her creative touch with a yard for Anthony’s vegetable garden. Anthony was hoping for parking, and wanted to be within one mile of their kids’ school. This would be their forever home.

Here are their priorities:

• A townhouse with heat, running water, and clean air

• No legal encumberances (rent stabilization, single room occupancy, etc.)

• On a quiet block in Prospect Heights or Boerum Hill, Brooklyn — Park Slope was “not their vibe,” they’d said.

• Walking distance to their kids' school

Buckle up — their options were pretty wild, and I don’t have pristine listing photos for either of these three off-market homes:

No. 1:
The Bird House

When I tell you none of these houses were typical, I mean it. With paintings of pegasuses around ceiling medallions, sculptures of birds attached above, and the most eye catching ornate detailing throughout each room in this house, you couldn’t turn your gaze away. This home fit all requirements, save for the fact that it was more than a mile from their girls’ school. If you’d like to see more of this particular home, I’ve saved a highlight with photos & videos on my instagram.

No. 2:
Thank You Jesus Limestone

This home was on a beautiful block and had a lovely exterior - though the interior most certainly needed some help. The home had sat abandoned for several years, and was packed to the brim with newspaper, broken books, torn magazines, and other mostly destroyed items. Even with all the chaos inside, Elizabeth left the home feeling inspired. Anthony, not so much.

No. 3:
The Corner Chameleon

This home lacked a key element: a backyard. It offered four parking spots and was across from a community garden - could that satisfy what they were looking for? The home felt enormous inside, and a touch of character remained in a few areas: Tin ceilings on the top floor, an old fireplace mantle on the second floor, but not much beyond that.

*names have been changed

Which Home Do You Think They Chose?

THEIR HOME:
THE CORNER CHAMELEON
While the Thank You Jesus Limestone lives on as a fond memory in their household, Elizabeth & Anthony are settled into the Corner Chameleon! Having the corner exposures and living across from the community garden really pushed this house over the edge. This landmarked townhouse will soon be undergoing an extensive renovation — and they’ll be living through it for the most part. Thankfully, the home is a massive 4,000sqft, so they’ll find ways to maneuver around. Their kids aren’t old enough yet to walk to school alone, but by the time they reach high school, they’ll be a quick 15 minute walk away.

MARKET INDICATOR
Manhattan

The drop in inventory from May to June is expected, but comparing this delta to 2023 is pretty staggaring. Contract signings didn’t shift as much - which leads me to believe sellers are feeling the buyers’ market and holding off on listing, hoping to swing back as buyers grow hungry for more listings.

Brooklyn

Another quite dramatic inventory drop in Brooklyn, finally pushing new listings below contract signings since the turn of the year. While the shift in inventory is greater this year than last, the change in contract signings was more subtle. Brooklyn’s seller’s market is still holding fairly strong.

DESIGN INSPIRATION
Why is Selecting Art SO Difficult?

I often find art awe-inspiring and incredibly intimidating, both in creation and selection. In my free time you’ll find me touring galleries in Chelsea, or trying my hand at acrylic painting at home. If you’ve ever looked at a work of art and thought “Pfft, that’s pretty simple, I could do that with my eyes closed,” I dare you to give it a shot. The skill, confidence, and trial and error that goes into creating art is far more intense than most realize!

Or, as my talented client Elizabeth says, perhaps I’m overthinking it — and that’s why my home doesn’t feature as much art as I’d like, nor have I created even a fraction of the pieces I’ve painted in my mind.

Enter Ilan Cohen, and his Chelsea Loft designed by BoND New York. The design of his home is tasteful, yet subdued — so instead of finding art to complement the architecture and furnishings, his loft serves as a sort of gallery for a packed selection of varied art.

Perhaps by granting ourselves the freedom to try different styles or to display an abundance of art, we’ll grow comfortable with making mistakes, then settle into finding our ideal pieces.

Take a Look at Ilan Cohen’s Chelsea Apartment

It’s the Perfect Place to Host His Friends—and Their Artwork

https://www.culturedmag.com/article/2023/06/16/ilan-cohen-art-collector-new-york