How I created sanctuary in a tiny NYC apartment

As I walked into this building more than a hundred years old, squashed between two larger buildings in midtown Manhattan, I realized that creating sanctuary in this place was going to be a challenge.#1. Prewar Manhattan Apartment building. Circa 1911. Yes, that war.#2. Old pipes with “crispy” plumbing (in the words of the building manager.)#3. Narrow hallways. Stephen King would have a field day#4. Cables and wires strung everywhere on nails pounded into moldings.Sounds more like a recipe for (design) disaster than a recipe for a sanctuary in the city. Welcome to my most recent and wonderful challenge/labor of love.One thing to know about me: I heart New York.Yes, I live in peaceful, tranquil Naples, FL, where the great excitement comes at the end of the day when we rush to the Gulf to watch the sunset. But in the city, the sheer volume of people, the noise and opportunity is pure energy. And yet it’s always struck me how walking down the street in the city can make you feel a part of something enormous and yet also entirely alone.Every day, I think about this: Everyone. Living Everywhere. Needs sanctuary to some degree.And working on this project in NYC, I started thinking more about this: Everyone. Living in the city. Needs sanctuary to a great degree.Maybe that buzz of the city causes me to look inward, to crave solitude and quiet, to seek the peace within. With this idea of city living inspiring me to seek sanctuary in a more intentional way, I set about creating it for my client in New York.Researching the building I saw it had once been a hotel. And now, as I planned, designed and implemented the renovation to this pied-a-terre, I found myself wondering, “How many people had slept inside these walls? How many had sought sanctuary here? How many found refuge from the big, busy city just outside the small window?”There are windows in both rooms but they look out at a tall, brown building next door. The slim space between the buildings doesn’t allow for much light to penetrate into the rooms, , and the dark brick of the exterior absorbs much of it before it even makes it to the panes of glass. So I chose the colors of the sky and trees – blues and greens – because we can’t see them out the window. I invited Mother Nature in through the door instead.I used a light-colored background for floors, walls and ceilings, to capture as much of an airy, spacious feeling as possible. I also added pendants to hang from the ceiling to brighten the spaces. By mid afternoon, the natural light has gone very dim and the extra lighting fights off the gloom.Soft fabrics and rugs. Textures that beg to be touched. Embroidered leaves on the fabric on the window treatments. Pressed botanicals framed above the sofa. This is a retreat from that pulse of energy that is a constant background electrical hum when you’re on the street.When you close the door, the dirt, the noise, and the distraction are outside. Inside it’s clean, it’s pretty, it’s organized. It’s a refuge. A haven. You don’t have to guard your wallet, avert your eyes, keep your guard up. In here you can let your guard down. You can be vulnerable.When I was there last weekend I didn't take a great many pics that are fantastic, but here's a couple of the bedroom:So here are the three things I did to try to create a sense of sanctuary in a tiny, dark apartment in the city:

• I used light colors to make the most of the space. Without them the walls seem to close in on me a little, making me keenly aware of how small the space is. The also make what little natural light there is go further.
• I really ramped up the storage, even at the cost of shrinking already small rooms. To me clutter is such a distraction, and it’s hard to really be in the frame of mind required to relax when my mind is busy worrying about where to put everything I see out of place.
• I worked hard to bring reminders of nature into the space. The framed botanicals, the floors of European white oak, and the patterns I chose for the bedding - all subtle reminders that connection with nature is what recharges our batteries. Fortunately for the client, real nature is available at Central Park, only a short walk away.

Everybody needs sanctuary – especially in the city.With appreciation,Lisa