We gush about readers on a regular basis throughout our Cup of Jo workforce conferences, and Lauren O. is a reputation that always comes up. A reader from the start, she has left many hilarious and heartwarming feedback (assume: “Dangle unfastened my goose“, a birthday realization, and what occurred when she deleted Pokémon GO from her telephone). Different readers have requested to study extra about her, so at this time we’re thrilled to characteristic her one-bedroom Manhattan condo, which she shares along with her husband, Joe, and two darling cats…
LIVING AREA
Chairs: classic Niels Otto Møller from Housing Works Thrift. Throw pillows: Pendleton. Stereo: “Joe’s audiophile ‘Frankensystem’ — it’s a Linn turntable on a customized plinth with a Leben amp beside it, and DeVore Constancy audio system.”
On shifting to New York: Joe and I come from San Francisco to Manhattan in 2003 in order that I might intern at a PR journal. We initially thought we’d simply keep for the summer time, so the transfer felt low stress. However then we sneaky fell in love with the town. Earlier than New York, I’d by no means actually discovered a metropolis that spoke to me. So, on the finish of my internship, once I was supplied a full-time job, my reply was ‘In fact.’
Pink lamp on document shelf: Nicholas Furrow. File cabinets: “Joe and our good friend George made them.” Media heart: Design Inside Attain thrifted by way of Craigslist, comparable. Pink lamp on espresso desk: Mantar.
On private fashion: Our design vibe is just like the Bergdorf Goodman vacation home windows, in the event that they had been made by and for raccoons, since we love shiny issues. I’d additionally describe it as a metropolitan goblin really feel — there’s plenty of information, books, orbs, minerals and rocks.
Artwork mural: thrifted from Home Works. File shelf: CB2, comparable. Pink lamp: classic, by way of Furlong. Plant shelf: Ethnicraft. Espresso desk: Jordan Crowell. Pink lamp: Mantar. Sectional: Saba Italia, comparable. Moth throw pillow: Timorous Beasties. Rug: Saint-Ouen flea market in Paris.
On bursts of colour: Earlier than the pandemic, there was positively much less colour within the condo. However as soon as we had been caught right here on a regular basis, we wished to brighten issues up. Joe was truly the one who stated, ‘We’ve to get a pink sectional.’ So, we went for it.
On a journey custom: I used to volunteer on the Housing Works bookstore, and sooner or later a mysterious Frenchman got here in asking if we had any copies of George Orwell’s novel 1984. We pulled out all these totally different editions, and he was over the moon, saying that whereas touring, he at all times goes to native bookstores and asks for an version of 1984 from their nation. I assumed that was the most effective thought. The e-book was revealed in a zillion languages, and it has been launched in new editions. If you happen to learn the varied introductions, folks love to border it by way of their nation’s present political second; it’s an attention-grabbing lens by which to see different locations. I’ve now taken his custom on as my very own.
On fibre artwork: I’m going by random phases the place I get the urge to make fibre artwork. I made a Debbie Harry portrait throughout our first summer time in New York, when Joe was as a paralegal and by no means house. Just a few years later, I embroidered a portrait of David Bowie on a purse for a contest held by the now defunct purse model Rachel Nasvik. I ended up profitable!
Lauren and Maya
On beloved cat kids: We adopted our cat Maddie in Anaheim, California, whereas I used to be down there visiting household. He had been a stray working round in some parking zone, and we discovered him on Petfinder. Then we adopted Maya a yr in the past. She was initially dwelling along with her 5 kittens in a kill shelter in Tennessee, after which in some way all of them ended up on Staten Island? The truth that she ended up there along with her infants at all times makes me snort as a result of it jogs my memory of Madonna’s music video Papa Don’t Preach.
BEDROOM
Basket: Swahili African Trendy. Blue bench: West Elm. Tiger throw pillows: Williams Sonoma. Quilt: “A white West Elm comforter I received on tremendous clearance after which tie-dyed and appliquéd with a bunch of quilting scraps.”
On a long-time love: Joe and I met 26 years in the past, whereas finding out overseas on the College of Oxford in England. For certainly one of our first dinners, he made me this implausible, sophisticated, vegetarian Thai soup — though he lived in pupil housing with a crappy kitchen shared with a dozen folks, and he had to buy groceries in a small city within the early aughts the place good substances had been exhausting to return by. That gesture meant a lot to me as a result of previously, earlier boyfriends made me really feel like shit for being a vegetarian. Prefer it was a trouble to work round. However Joe has at all times taken my wants significantly and my eccentricities in stride — like once I wake him up in the midst of the night time as a result of I’m unhappy about the best way individuals are imply to pigeons — and he at all times actually hears me and makes me really feel taken care of.
Gold dachshunds: classic by way of Atlantis House.
On favourite books: I’m without end recommending Kelly Hyperlink’s Magic for Inexperienced persons, a sequence of brief fantasy tales. You may really feel your mind rising new wrinkles and buying new neural pathways as you learn. She’s simply so inventive and I’ve such a crush on the best way she places her tales collectively. I can’t think about anybody not discovering this e-book magical.
Paint: Middleton Pink from Farrow & Ball. Mushroom throw pillow: John Derian for Goal. Mushroom print: David Shrigley. Wolf print: “From a competition in Montreal. I noticed them all around the subway and ended up writing to the competition’s workforce asking if I might purchase one. They then despatched me a pair without spending a dime.” Mattress: CB2. Velvet blue throw pillows: West Elm and Timorous Beasties. Brass bookcase: One Kings Lane, comparable.
On mushroom decor: It began with submitting a pitch to Mushroom Folks Journal about an artist who made shrouds inoculated with mushroom spores that you may be buried in. In concept, the mushroom would eat you. Placing that piece collectively ended up spurring a lifelong mushroom enthusiasm. I’m now a part of the New York Mycological Society, a bunch of citizen scientists and foragers who’re actually into mushrooms and tremendous beneficiant with their information. Now throughout walks, I fetch sticks with thrilling issues rising on them and current them to the extra knowledgeable members like a retriever with a Frisbee.
Brass bookcase: One Kings Lane, comparable.
On touring with dad and mom: The image of the little woman is my mother. A pair years in the past, Joe and I began a practice of happening trip along with her and my stepdad Doug. Mother and I like strolling round all day, so we’ll placed on our comfortable sneakers and head out. Then Joe and Doug will go to a sports activities bar and chat about baseball factoids. For our first journey, we went to the U.Okay., and I discovered a lake in the midst of the Hampstead Heath that solely girls can swim in. And though it was November and freezing, my mother and I jumped in. After that, we determined we had been formally pond scum and needed to swim in every single place we traveled. In Iceland, we went to the lagoons, and once we go to my sisters, we at all times decide a resort or trip rental with a pool.
ENTRYWAY
Credenza: classic. White lamp: Verner Panton. Rhino: gifted from her mom.
On particular items: My mom stunned me with this rhino for Christmas. She was an artwork historical past main who took a bunch of studio artwork lessons, like furniture- and rug-making programs. When she and my dad received married, they had been as poor as church mice, so they principally made every part of their condo. Her factor was that if you happen to ponder one thing lengthy sufficient, you possibly can work out a cool method to make it. She is an enormous affect on my sisters and me. We’re at all times questioning, ‘What can I make to go in our house?’ and ‘What can I make for different folks to indicate them how a lot I like them?’
KITCHEN
On working round outdated design decisions: Our kitchen may be very a lot not our fashion. Nevertheless it was model new once we moved in and is in actually nice situation, so I can’t think about spending cash on ripping out the counters. As a workaround, I’ve added private touches. I’ve been switching out the cupboard knobs separately, so none of them match. Some are snails, some mushrooms, one is a resin knob with a bunch of moss inside. I additionally began drawing this mural. Altering the kitchen initially felt like an annoying job, nevertheless it has became this house of giving myself permission to do no matter I would like. And that’s been very liberating.
Thanks a lot, Lauren. We like you! By no means cease commenting!
P.S. Extra house excursions, together with a a reader’s ‘introvert nook’ and a yoga trainer whose Manhattan studio condo is a love letter to girls.
(Images by Christine Han for Cup of Jo.)
