Dwellings Issue #16: East Village
Customer: Clarisse
Occupation: Psychiatric Nurse
Lived in Apartment: 1.5 years
FG Regular: 4 years
FG Discovery Story: A simple Google search
Favorite FG Purchase: Olivetti-Underwood Lettera 22 Typewriter
In the heart of the East Village, Clarisse’s compact studio apartment is a uniquely cool space. It features a quirky mix of industrial and medical style furnishings combined with vibrant pops of color. Though the place is small and every nook is filled, Clarisse has managed to make her home feel lived-in and curated without being cluttered or overwhelming. She’s been shopping with us for going-on 4 years, and has just about completely furnished her space Furnish Green. As a psychiatric nurse, she has gravitated toward medical equipment, decor and furnishings, giving the space a distinct edge. The full-size anatomical skeleton is both a welcoming and slightly creepy presence in the apartment while assorted retro owl figurines can be spotted keeping a secure watch from all angles.
Clarisse’s favorite FG find is a muted blue typewriter, specifically the Olivetti-Underwood Lettera 22 from the 1950s. She purchased this piece for the express purpose of writing a book, and that’s exactly what she did! “Bedtime Stories,” Clarisse’s book of poetry, was motivated by her collection of vintage photographs. Each photograph featured in the book is accompanied by a vignette of imagined dialogue. Hitting notes of hilarity and heartbreak on each page, the choice of photographs and way with words seems to be a further extension of the keen curatorial eye evident in her home.
We think Clarisse’s self-described love of “old stuff” is beautifully expressed in both her home and her book. Check ’em out!
We hope you enjoyed this installment of our Dwellings series! Stay tuned for future posts, and email us at furnishgreen@gmail.com for a chance to have your space featured!
Dwellings Issue XV: Upper East Side
Customer: Ellen
Occupation: Executive Assistant at Refinery 29
Lived in Apartment: 2 years
FG Regular: 2 years
FG Discovery Story: A simple online search for “independent furniture stores in NYC” [that’ll do it 😉 ]
Favorite FG Purchase: Asian Lacquered Trapezoidal Bookcase
It’s been a while since we featured the apartment of an FG regular, but we’re back at it and more excited than ever! Ellen began shopping at Furnish Green when she moved into her Upper East Side apartment 2 years ago. With no distinct design style in mind, she based her purchasing around functionality. In these tiny NYC apartments, everything has to serve a purpose, and Ellen has managed to curate her space thoughtfully in a way that combines minimalist and utilitarian aesthetic with vintage charm. She has accrued a great mix of pieces; the Atomic and Rustic styles are well-represented with metal and wood as the main materials, and there’s a focus on lines and angles that flows throughout the place. Ellen’s home feels cozy yet orderly and displays an artful attention to detail. Check it out!
We hope you enjoyed this installment of our Dwellings series! Stay tuned for future posts, and email us at furnishgreen@gmail.com for a chance to have your space featured!
Dwellings Issue XIV: Jackson Heights
This installment of our Dwellings series takes us to the historic district of Jackson Heights, Queens.
James, a theatre composer/lyricist and restaurant server, bought his Jackson Heights apartment last autumn (fun fact: he closed on it exactly one year prior to the day of our visit!). He discovered Furnish Green two years ago when he found himself in need of a sofa. A year later his acquisition of this lovely apartment created furniture needs anew. As a self-professed interior design noob, James found himself turning to the interwebs for ideas and inspiration. He was drawn to one style in particular; a co-worker informed him that this style was, in fact, Mid Century Modern. While blissfully mired in the world of online shopping James started to realize that a lot of the products he was drawn to were from the Furnish Green site… And our relationship was ignited.
Although James claims to have been completely unaware of the Mid-Century-Modern style craze and to not have had any prior knowledge of interior design, he has quite artfully curated his Queens abode.
The apartment can be found tucked within a late 1930s building in the historic district. The fairly open apartment scheme is invitingly lit by a blend of natural and electric light. Upon first entering the space, we were immediately struck by the playful yet thoughtful use of color. The eye travels from floor to ceiling, captivated by the rich hues displayed in everything from his assortment of area rugs and artwork to his choice of wall color and decorative accents.
The mix of colors is complemented by the mix of styles represented, and it seems fitting that James describes the design of the space as something resembling “Mid-Century Whimsical.” There’s a notable current of Mid-Century-Modern, but clearly something a bit more personal is going on here. What we have here is a mingling of styles intuitively arranged in a presentation that is so clash-free that the aesthetic borders on subtle. The overall effect on visitors is to feel intrigued by the individual pieces, while feeling welcomed by their arrangement.
The selection of pieces and styles in his home includes everything from Mid Century lighting and Art Deco side tables to Turn-of-the-Century bookcases, Victorian Eastlake dressers and French Nouveau cabinets. And then, of course, there’s the perfectly kitsch baby table lamp (a Furnish Green fave)!
One noteworthy element of the decor’s whimsicality is an engaging motif of animals. Said motif welcomes you at the door (hello little metal puppy!) and charms you all the way through. In James’ home, our furry (and not so furry) friends come in all shapes and sizes and take all forms including small accent decor, a sheepskin area rug, a prancing gazelle table lamp, fantastical fox artwork, and an 18-inch tall paper mache penguin. Like all of the decor, these animal elements are casually blended into the milieu.
This Queens apartment is quirky and playful while still managing to feel clean and modern. We love how James has assembled lovely pieces comprising a myriad of classic styles while unifying these styles via his whimsical and welcoming personal inflection. James continues to keep an eye on the FG site for that gotta-have special item that comes about every now and again, and as you can see from the photos he’s got a knack for scoping them out. That baby table lamp was a true one-of-a-kind!
We love having the chance to head out to a new neighborhood and to discover the homes of our customers!
We hope you enjoyed this installment of our Dwellings series! Stay tuned for future posts, and email us at furnishgreen@gmail.com for a chance to have your space featured!
Dwellings Issue XIII: Interface NYC
Our latest Dwellings installment highlights a fascinating new local business that offers a cool concept within an amazing space. We sat down with proprietor Andrew Karp to get a better sense of the goings on at Interface.
Interface, located at 140 West 30th Street, opened in 2015 and began as a membership-based lounge space, but as they grew the owners realized that there was a demand for events spaces. So it morphed into what Karp describes as “a sort of events club.” In addition to being available as an events space, Interface acts as a flexible extension of its partner restaurant Till & Sprocket. It manages to be professional but casual at the same time. Interface now hosts all types of events; everything from a meditation series to musical events and film screenings.
Karp explains that Interface is constantly evolving and has a very open structure which is complimented by the space it inhabits. The primary feature of the space is a striking and spacious open room defined by exposed brick, a floor-to-ceiling chalkboard wall and large skylights that allow for some lovely and relaxing natural light.
Everything that went into furnishing the space (from light installations to custom-built work tables) was sourced locally within the neighborhood of Midtown West. So being just a block away, Furnish Green was the perfect place to find some funky pieces that would help offset the industrial nature of the space. Their choices brought warmth and coziness to the large, open main room.
Because of the diversity of Interface and the notion that it is defined by the myriad of uses taking place inside, the space needed to be able to accommodate the dynamic nature of the day-to-day operations. This was achieved by acquiring furniture that could be easily moved around and rearranged. They purchased large rustic shipping crates that are multifunctional and portable. These are spread throughout the space and have been deployed as coffee tables and shelving units and have even been used as lecture podiums.
From FG, they acquired 6 upholstered club chairs that once served as seating on a yacht. They’re bright and punchy (and really comfortable) bringing a bit of fun and quirkiness to the space. Andrew’s favorite FG piece happens to be club chair with the beach-themed upholstery. Personally, we love the big Al Pacino portrait that resides in the restroom, but to each his own.
The layout of the room changes daily, keeping it lively, fresh and interesting for their guests. Just like we do at FG, Interface gets the opportunity to see how their patrons react to moving things around, changing up the layout and altering the energy of the space. Interface is worth checking out; a unique concept housed in an adeptly conceived space.
We hope you enjoyed this installment of our Dwellings series! Stay tuned for future posts, and email us at furnishgreen@gmail.com for a chance to have your space featured!
Dwellings Issue XII: MaLa Project NYC
For the latest installment of our Dwellings series, we head to MaLa Project NYC, a new restaurant in the East Village (122 1st Ave. to be exact) that is serving up some very tasty Chinese cuisine. Although a restaurant is not a dwelling per se, there’s certainly a benefit to making your patrons feel at home. And Amelie has done just that. For the task of decorating the MaLa space, she knew that she wanted to utilize mostly vintage pieces but did not have the time to go digging around a warehouse for that diamond in the rough… And that’s where Furnish Green comes into the picture.
Amelie found us just in time for our annual Small Business Saturday Sale and snatched up a bunch of great items for her own small business. And while we appreciate the support shown to us by all of our customers during this particular sale, we’re very happy to have been able to help out a fellow small business and give Amelie the opportunity to make some of her restaurant design goals a reality.
In constructing MaLa’s interior aesthetic, she has taken a raw industrial space and transitioned it into a warm and inviting atmosphere that’s ideal for social dining. Amelie’s selection of alluringly eye-catching accent pieces feels very much at home against the rustic feel of the exposed brick walls. The space is open, clean and somewhat minimalist while managing to feel cozy and quaint at the same time.
FG Pieces: She utilized one of our long narrow farm tables for communal dining and large parties. And a vintage dry sink became the perfect waiter station. A set of vintage china is the flatware at the bar, and a retro rattan tray has been used for spice display.
In her design of the space, Amelie has successfully wed stark urban industrialism with charmingly inviting details. The starkness of some industrial elements like the shiny metal ceiling is nicely contrasted by the warmth of the brick walls and the abundance of green leafy plants. MaLa Project features some distinctive and arresting design that includes some choice Furnish Green pieces as well as an intriguing menu.
We hope you enjoyed this installment of our Dwellings series! Stay tuned for future posts, and email us at furnishgreen@gmail.com for a chance to have your space featured!
Dwellings Issue XI: Long Island City
One of our favorite things about the Dwellings Series is that it gives us the opportunity to put a home to the names and faces we’ve come to know so well. Irene and her husband Lars are long-time Furnish Green regulars and refreshingly lovely people. Their bright and colorful apartment is everything we hoped and imagined this couple’s dwelling to be.
After shopping with us for about 5 years, much of our furniture has found a place in their 2 homes, while they have managed to find a place in our hearts. Originally from New Zealand, Irene and Lars have been purchasing for both their Long Island City apartment and for their weekend home upstate.
We payed a visit to the LIC apartment and had the pleasure of experiencing their well-decorated home alongside their amazing view of Manhattan. LIC, being the first 7 train stop in Queens, has a bit more of that “neighborhoody” vibe and allows you to be extremely close to the city without being completely confined by the walls of the Concrete Jungle.
In the apartment, their black cat, Master (named for the Mikhail Bulgakov novel The Master and Margarita), is a direct foil to their vibrant and punchy design style. Bright colors, clean white and shiny chrome mark the theme of the space, which Irene describes as late 60s sputnik.
As Irene explains, the decorating style of a space should be informed by the aesthetics of the space itself — which is apparent when noticing the seamless blending of architecture with furnishings found in their home.
Irene became obsessed with vintage American glassware when she moved to the US, and began collecting.
The design is also largely inspired by the couple’s first major furniture purchase in the States, a round white and chrome kitchen table with 4 yellow vinyl rolling dining chairs. They stored the set for awhile, and after finding an at least semi-permanent residence it came out of storage to become a central fixture in their new home.
Broyhill Brasilia Mid Century Credenza from FG
Their chosen light fixtures really shape the design of the apartment. Lots of chrome with white glass globes, and a focal Sputnik chandelier from Argentina that hangs above the kitchen table. Once a fixture in a bar, it was originally covered in a stubborn layer of nicotine and took some serious elbow grease to get it shining again. But boy, it’s a looker now!
This shiny metallic element carries you through their home, and is complemented by the warm reflections of their rich color scheme. The sculptural metal art pieces, like the very large Mid Century Curtis Jere piece (actually 2 separate wall hangings; featured above), reflect light and give the space a unique texture and 3-dimensionality.
The plenitude of color and green leafy plants combined with the abundance of natural light, makes the couple’s apartment feel like a sort of city oasis. Accompanied by the warm welcome and the utmost hospitality, we could have just stayed all day!
The lovely outdoor patio space at their LIC apartment.
Some photos from the couple’s home upstate; they’ve got a unique mix of Furnish Green items spread throughout the space .
We hope you enjoyed this installment of our Dwellings series! Stay tuned for future posts, and email us at furnishgreen@gmail.com for a chance to have your space featured!
Dwellings Issue X: Turtle Bay
My name is Marielle, and while you may know me as a Furnish Green employee, I’m a Furnish Green regular customer as well, which is probably to be expected… I’ve always loved vintage furniture. Growing up with my mom, who is an avid garage-saler and thrift store shopper, made me feel right at home at Furnish Green from the beginning.
I’ve lived in Midtown East Manhattan for about 3 years in a neighborhood known as Turtle Bay, and after working at FG for 2 years, I’ve acquired a good bit of stuff. My apartment is small, but the ceilings are high and it’s on the fifth floor of a walk-up building so it’s a pretty pleasant bright space.
As far as my design style goes, I definitely have a tendency toward the feminine and ornate with a serious focus on (possible obsession with) flowers… alive, dried, painted… you get the point.
Lampshade turned jewelry display and organization.
It’s a girly space, but I like to think that I haven’t gone overboard. I’ve recently started incorporating a bit of brass to offset the wood and upholstered pieces, particularly in my living room, i.e. the bold brass and glass coffee table and the compact and convenient brass record rack.
More FG stuff: The stained glass swag lamp above my kitchen island (featured above) is definitely one of my favorite, and earliest acquired, FG items. The rustic wooden clothing rack in my bedroom (featured below) was a necessary addition to the apartment, considering my rapidly growing wardrobe and the limitations of only one closet.
Since working at Furnish Green and getting a chance to see all of the furniture styles that are out there, I’ve become more selective about what I like and what works in my home. There are definitely some pieces that I’m looking to replace, but it’s nice to be able to wait it out and find just the right fit.
I hope you enjoyed getting a brief glimpse into my home! Stay tuned for future posts, and email us at furnishgreen@gmail.com for a chance to have your space featured!
Dwellings Issue IX: Midtown West
For this Dwellings post, we delve into the center of New York City. Adam, a local bartender, has been shopping with Furnish Green for about a year and currently resides in Midtown Manhattan. It’s an extremely industrial area, so you wouldn’t necessarily expect to find an apartment with so much character. The space has original hardwood floors and crown molding and features a beautifully ornate fireplace mantel… So meet Adam, and enjoy the space!
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How did you end up in this apartment?
I was looking at a studio in Chelsea that advertised a wood burning fireplace, so obviously I went to check it out. To my excited surprise it actually worked. The rest of the place was a shit hole but it definitely gave me the idea. Anyway, I had some time to really look around before my lease was up so I decided, at least for a while, to ONLY look for places with wood burning fireplaces. This drew some strange reactions from a lot of realtors. I remember being in one guy’s office and he was just screwing me around, telling me what I wanted to hear and being full of shit. I yelled “Listen buddy, I don’t want to look at anything that doesn’t have a god dammed wood burning fireplace in it!” Then a sort of hush fell over the whole office and everyone just stared at us in, I guess, disbelief. You could hear a pin drop! It was absolutely ridiculous. An absurd demand. Somewhat out of character for me, but I was so frustrated with this guy. It just all came out.
Do you have a design style that you’re going for?
Not particularly. Everything basically revolved around the fireplace. Dark and cozy I suppose. My roommate, Brian and I both work crazy late hours, so when either of us gets home it’s usually already light out. It’s nice to pull down the blinds and relax a little without feeling too abnormal. Also, there’s something comforting about sitting in front of a crackling fire on a freezing January morning, delighting in the knowledge that the moron that puked in the corner of the bar last night is beginning their day with a top-five-hangovers-of-all-time and is about to get a good ass-chewing by their boss for being late and looking like such shit. So, I dunno, is schadenfreude a design style? Urban-Neoclassical then. Haha, I’ve no idea.
You seem inclined to shop for vintage furniture, is there any reason why? Or is it just a preference?
I’m attracted to things with character, I guess. I think everybody is. Something with some history to it, y’know? I used to get a lot of furniture from the trash. That swivel chair is one of my favorite trash picks. I found two broken ones outside a bar on 46th street years ago, and after a long time of hoarding two broken chairs, I abandoned my intent to fix them both and just sort of made one out of the working parts of both.
Do you have a favorite Furnish Green piece?
Probably the corner bookcase that we use as a bar. I think, deep down, it always wanted to be a bar. I’m happy to facilitate that. Or maybe the spittoon! I can’t wait to put a big cactus in that thing.
How did you decide on your wall colors?
I thought a dark, rich blue would bring out the fireplace. Also, the apartment is pretty big and the walls are high so I knew it could take a dark color. Well, that, and my occupational disdain for the morning sun.
What’s the story behind the big canvas with the holes?
That is the work of a mischievous little Cocker Spaniel I once had, named Winston. I had acquired the frame from a bar that I was working at downtown, and bought the canvas to wrap around it. I had also taken a photograph from the hudson river of the water towers on the tops of the buildings of the UWS, it was during one of those late, low autumn sunsets that makes the brownstones glow red. My plan was to somehow superimpose this photo onto the bottom of the canvas, and this artist friend of mine was going to paint a big sky above it. It was going to be a sort of landscape in a portrait format. Anyway, I had the canvas rolled up and taped, propped up in a corner of my old studio apartment. I got home one day and Winston, who had evidently been gnawing on the same spot for a while, greeted me with a wagging tail and no apparent remorse or recollection of the incident. Bastard. So when I unravelled it, the holes appeared in this cool, ascending line. I kept it because I think it’s awesome! And it reminds me of a good dog. I taped a small scrap of red paper to the back of one of the holes to give it some of myself, but it’s Winston’s piece.
Where did you get the fireplace grilled cheese makers? And what’s your favorite grilled cheese combo?
Those things are amazing. You get a good fire going, heat up these cast iron beauties, butter them like you’ve only got a week to live and then basically put a sandwich in them, clasp them shut and shove them back into the coals. We’ve had some good combinations lately, but I think the notion of a gourmet grilled cheese is somehow amoral. Like putting clothes on a cat. People should stop doing that. Keep the fig jam and chevre D’or in the fridge. Give me white bread, a slice of cheddar and a slice of white american, cook it, then put me to bed.
Is there anything (furniture or home decor) you’re really looking to add to your apartment?
We do need a better storage solution for our records. I was thinking about trying to find some reclaimed wood and building something. I have a few bev-naps with some crude sketches…
Do you have any general comments about your experience with Furnish Green?
I have only great things to say about the place. A patchwork of treasures and novelties, nestled among some really beautiful pieces of genuinely livable furniture. My only criticism is that I wasn’t able to find it sooner.
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So there you have it! This unique space exhibits the charm that exists in Midtown amid the overwhelming amount of industry and tourism. Adam has managed to create a humble home that really makes you want to just close the blinds and get cozy in front of a fire (grilled cheese not optional).
We hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of our Dwellings series! Stay tuned for future posts, and email us at furnishgreen@gmail.com for a chance to have your space featured!
Dwellings Issue VIII: Jersey City
As we continue to meander through the dwellings of our customers, we take you into the home of a couple of graphic designers currently residing in Jersey City. In August, Justin and Amanda moved from one neighborhood of Jersey City to a downtown location with a bit more charm. With charm, of course, comes smaller living quarters, forcing the couple to cut their possessions in half and learn how to optimize every inch of their new apartment. They were able to maintain their same style of design while purchasing pieces that were practical and served a very strategic purpose.
As artists, their home naturally reflects their tendency toward visual thinking. It is a well curated and “graphically designed” space. From minutiae like well-thought-out lines and angles everywhere to color-coordinated books on a shelf and adorable knick knacks displayed in a rustic type drawer, it is clear that they both have a keen eye for detail.
For the couple, vintage furniture seems to be the natural choice in decorating their home. Both grew up surrounded by antiques and vintage and a familial affinity for old-world style. They share a common goal in acquiring items that have a history or prior life, and much of their decor has been handed down to them.
Justin and Amanda have been shopping with us for a year and a half now, and they have acquired a good mix of items that happen to mesh very well with their other vintage inspired home decor. Their space has a charming combination of colors and rustic making it feel fun and playful while maintaining a comfortable warmth. The presence of green leafy plants in every room makes the apartment feel lush and full of life. Amanda explains that, after growing up in South Jersey, she seems to just “want green stuff,” and you have to give her credit for managing to keep them all alive.
Furnish Green has enabled them to populate their home with thoughtful pieces while helping them overcome the initial intimidation of working with a small space. We’re fully aware of how many of our customers are in need of space-saving (yet stylish) furniture. The FG team is happy to have been able to help the couple get comfortable in, and possibly even prefer, a small apartment.


Dwellings Issue VII: Bedford-Stuyvesant
For our most exciting Dwellings excursion yet, we take you to Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn. We stepped off the subway, turned the corner onto Stuyvesant Avenue and, as strangers to this part of BK, were surprised to find rows of beautiful brownstones! Our hosts explained to us that Bed-Stuy claims the highest concentration of pre-war brownstones in all of NYC. And the home of Byron and Bee definitely does this neighborhood justice.
Bed-Stuy is a historic Brooklyn neighborhood, and their house represents a unique history of its own. Built in 1891, it was first owned by a German family with the last name Fuehrer; they later changed their name to “something like Fulton” for obvious reasons. The second owners lived there from 1930-1997 at which point, the house was purchased by an artist and used primarily as a photography space. During Byron and Bee’s first viewing of the house, the place was overrun by half-naked male models and kittens; probably a selling point.
The house became theirs. Byron and Bee moved to Brooklyn, after spending 10 years in London where Bee worked as a writer and Byron as a research professor at the University College London. While they describe their London flat as much more modern, they wanted the items that would inhabit their new home to match the Victorian style of the space. There are original ornate details everywhere, including 5 fireplaces, original windows and accordion style shutters, narrow dark wood staircases, large door frames, beautiful floor-to-ceiling crown molding, hardwood flooring that is unique in each room and Lincrusta-covered walls—a beautiful textured paintable wall-covering that was very popular during the Victorian era.
Entering the four-floor brownstone is truly like stepping back in time. Byron and Bee, eager to maintain this time warp, are changing as little as possible of the home’s construction, while of course bringing things up to code, as demanded by the city.


Every room has its own unique identity, but there are a few that really stand out. Walk into the main bathroom of the house, and instantly feel like an entire day could be spent there. With the soft blue light, giant claw foot tub, and darling wall tiles with pastel floral details, it is simply lovely. Although Byron and Bee would have loved to keep the original bright blue (and probably lead-filled) paint on the walls, a good deal of work had to be done to this room to prevent a variety of code violations. Despite the changes, it’s a truly romantic space.
Head downstairs to the kitchen where large windows face out to the backyard; the previous owner planted a perennial garden, making the room well-lit and serene. A bright red 1950s Chambers stove, restored to good working order by “Carlita the Stove Lady,” grabs your immediate attention. The couple’s favorite Furnish Green piece, a Hoosier kitchen cupboard from the turn of the century, also resides here. Made of oak wood, it has plentiful cabinet space and a built-in flour sifter, complementing the space and its vintage kitchen companions.
Byron and Bee certainly are educated home-owners, with a great knowledge of their home, the neighborhood and its inhabitants. They also provided a wealth of interesting asides to keep us enthralled for the entirety of our visit. It’s an amazing space so take a look at what’s going on in the rest of the house!





