Back in NY

I love my return to NY. Since we rent the apartment while we are away from it, I never know exactly how I will find it. Usually, it has been cared for with astonishing grace and we arrive to find love letters on the dining table from our guests. I love filling the refrigerator and getting fresh flowers.This trip we sent a new chest of drawers, our beloved photo of the Guggenheim, which seemed like it was sorely out of place in Minneapolis, and a beautiful 19th Century Italian mirror I got from Claire Steyaert, my favorite antique dealer, and the woman who has the greatest shoes ever - she buys them when she is in Europe.

I've always had a little fantasy about being a hotel keeper - a little bed and breakfast. Although I no longer have THAT fantasy, I love making our apartment nice for guests - down to the linen hand towels, Kiehl's soaps and body washes, linen bedding, goose down comforters, even linen kitchen towels, blah, blah, blah. But, I show up and the housekeeper has mixed up the bedding in some crazy way - like, not sure how you put dark gray cotton sheets on a bed with white linen pillow cases, when there are dark gray pillowcases right there. OR white linen sheets right there. Then, mixing up the towels - instead of four nice matching towels. Why am I so anal about making a place really nice for other people?

I guess that is my job. Duh. Okay, now I get it. Who would pay me to design a room if I didn't care, really care about the details? I know it doesn't involve blood - and in a pinch, I know what is really important. But given the choice....I prefer my four towels to match. I'm so shallow. :-)

Straight on shot of the main living room. It feels bigger than it is because of the luxurious  10-5 ceiling height!

Lee's writing nook with the Guggenheim back where it belongs - in NYC!

This is the amazing chest of drawers I found at the antique shop on Xerxes and 50th.
Vintage - probably 19th Century cherry (not the new stuff!)
It takes a bit of room, which we are getting used to. Practically, it is just right.
Claire's Italian mirror is above.
So, here are a few updated pics of the apartment. Btw....while I am here writing, there are workman in our bedroom removing a pipe that was original the 1880 building. I went in to grab some laundry and it smelled suspiciously bad  - like burning bad. Then I saw smoke. The Polish workman looked rather sheepish and asked for water. Really? You just ask for water? You don't want the fire extinguisher or the fire department? Yikes. I kept bringing him containers of water and, apparently, all's well that ends well. The bedroom is too small for me to get over to see what they are really up to, but I know that a big chunk of wall is missing. Glad it's their job and not mine.

Comments

Popular Posts