New Beginnings

A few weeks ago I schlepped all my belongings up 5 avenues to my new home in the Upper East.  After nearly two years (TWO YEARS!) of breaking myself in to New York life living with 2 roommates, it was time to carve out a little space of my own.  I'll miss coming home to them and lamenting about the work day, the weather, the old lady who bullied me out of my seat at the bagel shop (yes, that happened) and so on.  I'll certainly miss our Bachelorette watch parties and I don't think the 3 of us will ever forget the horror of watching election night unfold before our eyes as we sat stunned on our petite sofa.  There is something so comforting about sharing a space with 2 other people when you're fresh in a new city.   If you ever move somewhere new, especially to New York, I highly recommend it.   I moved here when I needed big changes in my life, a fresh start, new inspiration, and new challenges, and I'm happy to report the city has not left me disappointed.  I feel that I've already lived a thousand lives in the past 22 months and I've grown immensely as a person.  I've toughened up but also softened up, if that's even possible.  I've worked alongside some of the most talented designers and watched in awe as they created magical spaces seemingly out of fairy dust, and in the process I've learned how to look at the world with new eyes.  

{photo of my 1st NY bedroom, taken by Sean Litchfield, more photos to share soon}

I've at times felt scared, elated, lonely, stunned, in love, at peace, energized.... but most of all transformed.  I've had lots of time to examine my 20s, to heal and to grow and to relax and honestly to laugh at the sometimes absurd experience of life.  There have been countless "Is this really my life?" special moments, and I'm writing them all down in a journal to keep track of them so maybe I can document them here one day.

“...quite simply, I was in love with New York. I do not mean “love” in any colloquial way, I mean that I was in love with the city, the way you love the first person who ever touches you and you never love anyone quite that way again. I remember walking across Sixty-second Street one twilight that first spring, or the second spring, they were all alike for a while. I was late to meet someone but I stopped at Lexington Avenue and bought a peach and stood on the corner eating it and knew that I had come out out of the West and reached the mirage.”   - Joan Didion 

New York... I'm not tired of you yet, not in the least.

XOXO,

Sam

NYC Travel Guide: Upper East Side

 I am excited to launch what I hope will be the first of many Manhattan guides covering different pockets of the city.    As I have now lived and worked in the Upper East for a little over a year, I feel it's the only place I can confidently guide you through at this point, so that's where we'll start.  There's a reason Truman Capote, CZ Guest, Holly Golightly, and the Rockafellers all chose to call the Upper East Side home-  it's beautiful, relatively quiet, and home to the Museum Mile as well as Central Park.  I for one love living in the UES, even if all the cool people love to reside downtown. While it once was known to be rather snobby, I find it delightfully welcoming, neighborhood-y, and inclusive.  Read on for a list of my must-see places:

{via instagram}

Lilly Bunn's Upper East Side Apartment

When I was in Montauk last month with Gaby and Lauren, we were discussing what interior designers best exemplify our personal aesthetic.  Besides my current firm, Amanda Nisbet Design, I immediately thought of Lilly Bunn Interiors. I love the way she infuses color in to her spaces to create a youthful, livable feel.  To me, her rooms feel well-thought-out and balanced, with the perfect mix of statement-making decor and classic pieces.  Her Upper East Side Manhattan apartment is a great example of a home that is both kid-friendly and adult chic:

{Don't even get me started on how cute Lilly is-  I have a major girl crush!}

Her living room features a Moroccan rug that anchors the seating area while creating fun pattern play.   She chose to go with a Moroccan that had shorter fibers, so she wouldn't be stuck fishing out her kid's crumbs from long shaggy hairs. I love that she chose to scale the table lamps a bit larger for added drama, and the frilly window treatments add a femininity to the space. 

A magenta juju hat pops against Hinson's splatter wallpaper:

Many different elements are at play in her dining room.  Black, lightweight bentwood chairs surround a modern pedestal table.  Lilly walked by a downtown lighting store admiring this crystal boat chandelier in the front window for weeks before she finally gave in and purchased it.  The natural striped rug was selected because it can easily hide her kid's stains and spills. 

I love the shape of Lilly's master bedroom headboard as well as the nailhead trim.  A gold Tiffany & Co. clock she received as a wedding present sits on display by her bed. 

Lilly and her husband Chris have 2 young daughters, Grace and Daisy.  Their rooms are playful havens filled with youthful textiles, and double as the girl's playrooms.

As always, fabulous job Lilly!  See more of her impeccable work here. 

{photos via One Kings Lane}