Monday, September 24, 2007

Sister Act




Recently I posted on a young designer's Manhattan apartment which I felt to be the perfect home for a stylish young woman. Well, the apartment has appeared again, this time in the current issue of Domino. The young woman is designer Nicole Hanley, and she lives in the same building (but different apartment) as her younger sister Merrill. Both women live in 800 square-foot apartments designed by Keith Irvine.

It is quite interesting to see the unique approaches the sisters took in designing their apartments (although there are more similarities than there are differences- after all, these are sisters). Nicole prefers a look of "frayed elegance" with a bit of edginess thrown in. She prefers more unusual color combinations like turquoise and brown. Merrill's apartment is more traditional and WASP-y with the Scalamandre "Shanghai" wallpaper in the entryway and a glossy red living room. Youthful touches in both apartments include lucite cube tables and chairs, Barcelona chairs, and modern artwork, but this is where the edginess ends. To me, both of these apartments possess the traditional look with which they were raised but are tailored to the lifestyle of young modern sisters.

And as the legendary Irving Berlin wrote in the song "Sisters":
Two diff'rent faces, but in tight places, we think and we act as one



Merrill's entryway with the "Shanghai" wallpaper.


Merrill's bedroom with a beige striped wallpaper, blue chintz curtains, timeless Leontine linens, and my favorite "Le Touches" print on the chair.


Nicole's bedroom looks a bit different from the article on which I previously posted. Like her sister, Nicole has Leontine Linens on her bed, but her nod to modernism is the lucite desk chair next to the bed.


Nicole's living room that is arranged off-center. The sofa fabric includes turquoise, orange, and yellow- all colors which Nicole favors.


In my opinion, Keith Irvine is a genius with the color red. Those glossy red walls look fantastic against the classic brown and white zebra print. Merrill's living room is also symmetrically arranged and is "tighter" than the living room of her sister.

Image at top: Nicole in her entryway paper with Brunschwig & Fils' "Gallaudet Diamond"

(All images courtesy of Domino magazine, Oct. 07, photographed by Paul Costello)

35 comments:

  1. Great post. We have missed you!

    This is fun to see the differences and similarities that run through the blood. I like that they both include Lucite pieces and the Mies Van der Rohe Chair.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Brilliant! You can definitely see the similarities b/n the two! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. It was a great issue this month! These apartments are such fun to see.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jennifer, so glad you are back! You were ahead of the curve on this one. I'm still waiting for my own copy of Domino to arrive in the mail--now I really can't wait. So fun to see Irvine design for such youthful clients!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous10:50 AM

    Given the credit information and brands represented, obviously two wealthy young women.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Fairfax- It was a good issue!

    Courtney- Hope I didn't spoil the surprise! There are lots of other fun things in the issue too!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I thought this was a clever article, featuring two sisters, same building, same designer.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Things That Inspire- I loved the whole sisters aspect of the article. My sister and I have very similar styles, but she's a bit more contemporary and I'm more traditional :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous11:46 AM

    As much as I admired the choice to use red leather on the Barcelona chairs--and then put the red chairs in a red room--I'm not sure how much time I'd spend in there. I've heard fast food joints like to use a lot of red because the color keeps people moving out (it prevents people from hanging out for long stretches of time, supposedly). Not sure if that's true, but it's an interesting color/behavior theory.

    -pt

    ReplyDelete
  10. PT- Well now that's an interesting theory. I can definitely see not having a red bedroom. To me, a red living room or library seems cozy, but that's just me :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous11:55 AM

    Another behavior theory and color note: check out this recent article in Time about color theory and genetics ... http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1654371,00.html

    ReplyDelete
  12. It makes me want to live in NYC. Great pics and post!

    ReplyDelete
  13. These are both fantastic spaces. I'm drawn right away to apartment 14B, but would be happy to have either one. Great post Jennifer!

    ~Kate

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous2:36 PM

    Hi Jennifer :)
    As always...fun to see Peak of Chic pop up in my "you've got mail"!

    I love the mirror against the Chinoiserie wallpaper in Merrill's foyer. Does anyone know whose it is?

    Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi Kathy! I'll check the magazine credits when I get home tonight. That said, I know I've seen it before. Does anyone else know??

    ReplyDelete
  16. This was one of my favorite stories in the new Domino. I love Nicole's entry but I LOVE Merrill's living room. It's so chic! I wish my parent's would buy me an apt like these girls ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. H. Chic- Aren't both rooms great??? I can't say that I like one over the other b/c they're both fantastic apartments!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Great post Jennifer and I am so glad you are back. I just love both apartments and the red room is fab!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thanks Ronda :)
    Glad you enjoyed the photos.

    ReplyDelete
  20. LOVE your blog! Great style, good eye.

    Keep up the good work!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thanks Design for Mankind! I appreciate your comment!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thanks for the great post! What fab apartments! My Domino just arrived... can't wait to tear in.

    www.stylesavestheworld.com

    be glam. live green.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hi- I am so in love with your blog- and want you to know I read it all the time- and cruise by for pics! I am presently completely redoing my 121 year old home in Lincoln Park and have been so inspired by your notes- comments and resources- I have a binder full.

    I will be doing posts on it all soon and plan to have it finished by Dec! Thanks for all of the knowledge, sources and most of all- YOUR great taste.

    AD

    ReplyDelete
  24. Fabulous! Can't wait to get my copy!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Linda and Style Saves..., the issue is worth the wait!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Hemstitch- Thank you so much for the kind words. Can't wait to see photos of your house!!!

    ReplyDelete
  27. This does make me re-think Irvine. Sometimes he's a bit traditional for me, but these homes say different. I think that mirror is, in fact, B&F.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous6:53 PM

    I can't say I could choose a favorite apartment; I'm drawn to elements of both sisters' spaces...I think this is one of my favorite issues!

    ReplyDelete
  29. naturally I love the judicious use of barcelona chairs in both red and ivory. I am ever amazed at their versatility. Seeing them with the chintz fabric in one scene and with zebra in the next apartment scene really brings that home.

    And I agree, Keith is a master in his use of red. It's tough to harness such a bold color!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Franki- You're so right. The Barcelona chair is truly a classic modern piece that works with so many other things. And I think Keith is great!

    ReplyDelete
  31. I am a little late in posting my comment on this post Jennifer and for that I apologise as this is one of my favourite posts you have done so far!! I love the youthful slant on design presented by these 2 girls - thank you for showing this as my Domino is still yet to arrive!!
    XXX
    Anna

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hi Anna! It's a good issue so I don't think you'll be disappointed.

    ReplyDelete