It feels so good to nest. Since moving from LA to New York, I've found myself traveling to NYC less (obviously) and I'm finally home for stretches of a few weeks at a time. My plan this weekend is to roast a chicken - no matter how unfurnished my place is, schmaltz and roasted garlicky vegetables will make a kitchen smell like home to me.
Everyone approaches making a space differently. Some start with a mood board and color palette. Some pick a few anchor pieces and build the space around it. I always, always begin with an object of desire and a mood. In my second New York chapter, I wanted to be able to host: have an open door policy where friends would know they were welcome to ring and come up for a Ghia Spritz or a good story. The beginning piece to my puzzle was my couch: find it, source it, then build everything else around it. It's backwards to most designers, but it works for me.
Loulou de la Falaise’s NYC loft could be its own Substack
I rented my loft sight unseen, in a rush to get out of LA after the fires. And while my Paris apartment is a tiny jewel box – every inch meticulously measured, every finish obsessively detailed – this New York loft is the complete opposite. A rental walkup more expensive than my whole LA house. I'm lucky to have a big open space, but the finishes leave much to be desired. The bones here are quintessentially New York: high ceilings, original brick walls, large factory windows, but every window pane has a different type of glass on it. Nothing is straight and someone put up curtains that arbitrarily stop 3 to 5 feet above the ground, depending on the window. Almost every time I open the bathroom cabinet, it falls on me. It's a project, so of course I love it.
My Carrie Bradshaw era brings fresh intentions: make more money (much needed), date (also much needed), allow more time to be creative, dress up more? The French would call this apartment my "garçonnière" (a bachelor pad, essentially), perhaps my last one. I'm embracing what would have been my 17-year-old self's dream apartment, more boho and colorful than I might if I were sharing the space. Textured, vibrant, full of character. Lived-in linens (a reminder that perhaps the best quality linens in the world are made by my mom and sister here, loungey furniture, and pieces that might not make sense anywhere else.
Stretching my few tchotchkes across these big bookshelves, cardboard as a coffee table. This Bode belt is 25% off here and the rest of the fit is here. Most importantly, Carol from @havebetternotmore has been creating a fail and fool-proof organization system and made these shelves look good in an hour, I am so grateful for her.
I've mentioned before that my parents are "collectors" (hoarders), which has always been difficult for me to reconcile with. Three things out, one thing in! I've always craved empty walls and shelves. As I grow older, I'm starting to embrace things as they are, not to say “stuff”. This is new territory, and I realize that books and knickknacks can dress up a space too. But do we really all need a Venus statue and branches to complete the space?
A sneak peek into this corner of my brain is below, and as always, let me know what is in yours!
Cheers, Melanie
PS: This newsletter took me 2x longer than the usual ones, and I know many of you like the clothes, but I like trying new things!
Venus, objects on a silver tray, and a fresh craving for blue and not-white sheets!
This would have for sure been my dream bedroomin 2005. I’m still very much after the Cocoon lamps.
Tie Dye curtains a la Justin Morin on semi circle rails that hug the bed at night. I’m so tempted to ask my sister and mom to make me those.
These curtains from Nordic Knots are my #1 swoon items - they make a room feel finished. I tried to bring mine from LA but alas, they are too short!
Louise Roe Glass Vase $804. Yes it’s expensive, but it makes $12 tulips look like a million bucks the rest of the year! Girl math.
My favorite candle now made for outdoor. I helped someone get a job and they gifted me this and I was so happy - candles, just like vases, are annoying to buy for oneself but a pleasure to receive. Loewe Perfumes Verbena Candle | $275
The chaos here is relatable, but my favorite bit is the “Lampape” lamp by one of my first designer crushes Ingo Maurer. As a teen, I dreamed of his table lamp with the wings, and for my 28th birthday I bought an Uchiwa sconce from him - he passed away a few months later and prices skyrocketed after that, so I may never get a second one but will cherish mine forever.
These Vigne lights on modernmetier.com ! Swoon.
I just love bedding with piped linen (Cultiver has nice one here) and a sconce to make the space look finished)
Kettles and espresso makers as props, and really anything from Alessi (my dream Ghia collab). This $95 espresso maker gives so much style to an ugly stovetop.
I’ve always loved contrast doors and trims - they’re Backdrop “Mood Lighting” in Paris. I so so so want to paint the NY ones silver…
Roche Bobois Mah Jong, mine is from the 80s. I’ll never stop looking for the Sonia Rykiel collaboration. 1st Dibs is obviously a trove, but they come up on facebook marketplace and I have a few dealers in Italy that can pretty much source anything ever at wholesale-ish.
Alex De Betak’s Parisian loft. EPIC (note the mirrored ceiling to make the space look grand)
Nothing says loft like oversized photography. Manifesting $500,000 on the lottery to buy a Gursky!!
My friend Ishrat makes incredible rugs out of recycled silk saris with her company Mishcat and I’ve been dreaming of one for 15 years. It might be time…
Mario Bellini’s “Bambole” sofa used to be a bunch of modular pieces (I hunted down one from 1972 for my Paris apartment). love love love.
Special mention for the asymetrical Marenco sofa on an angle (and a nice floating shelf - these are a good price.
Do I use this because I love it? No. I use it because I live in constant fear of the invisible stuff in my water, and it’s a small price to pay for peace of mind. Jolie Filtered Shower Head | $165
After spending > 100h trying to figure out how to have this in Paris - I gave up: this is a soaking-in-only-water bath, and I like to smell good and use shower gel. Oh well.
Thanks for reading Night Shade! This post is public so feel free to share it. If you feel inclined, drop a <3 or a comment. It helps me get discovered :) xx
Wow—the visuals in this dispatch made we swoon….and rethink the decor in my apartment. Grazie!
I lovvv alll