In with the new, toss out the old.
Living in New York City, you need to be merciless about how you use your precious space and ruthless about avoiding clutter. It helps to be a little OCD (like Lena Dunham and me) when organizing your apartment.
Welcome to our first issue of 2015, where we help readers get a fresh start to the new year with our A to Z guide on “decluttering” on page 20. Yes, it includes buying a label maker. And one golden rule: “If you acquire some- thing new, get rid of something old.”
Of course, big, open, clutter-free space is the whole idea behind the loft apartment, arguably the most desirable type of Manhattan home these days. As the popularity of downtown living continues to gain on the old- guard Upper East Side, the prestige of lofts climbs higher.
In a story on page 28, we take a look at the handful of original live/work lofts remaining in Manhattan, just over 40 years since they were legalized for residential occupancy. Ironically, of course, many have been snapped up by wealthy investors, eager to tap into the cultural cachet of owning an “authentic artist’s loft,” and given high-end finishes, chef’s kitchens and roof decks — not to mention bedroom walls. As Christopher Cameron, our new staff writer (who knows how to coin a phrase), says, it’s “frou-frou DIY par excellence.” Check out our exploration of the cultural phenomenon in which (luxe) life imitates art.
There are still working artists in some Manhattan lofts, though, and we go inside the home of a particularly celebrated one — Edwina Sandys — with a story on page 24. The accomplished Brit, whose works are on display at the Tate, has an interesting lineage as the granddaughter of Sir Winston Churchill, which is reflected in her expansive, 6,500-square foot space in Soho.
We also take a peek at the home of another artist, best-selling author Douglas Kennedy, who grew up in Manhattan but spent more than three decades in Europe before recently returning home. The author of “The Big Picture” (which was turned into a movie starring Catherine Deneuve), assures us, thankfully, that “New York is a happier place than London,” his previous home base.
Finally, check out our guide to all things posh — the best home furnishings, watches, cars, fashion and more — in our new department, Luxe Life, on page 12. I’m particularly partial to the cheeky “Yuppie” slippers, a nice throwback to the 1980s, an era when people flaunted their wealth with abandon. The whole world of “luxury” today is more refined, I’d argue. Except, maybe, the brunch scene downtown in the Meatpacking District.
Enjoy the issue and enjoy the New Year.