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!