This 113-Year-Old Condo Is like a “Collected Jewel Box” Inside
Adrienne Breaux
·7 min read
WriterElisabeth Edelman describes the style of the two-bedroom, 750-square-foot condo built in 1912 she bought five years ago as an "eclectic, collected jewel box." Credit: Kate ThompsonCredit: Kate Thompson
"My home is a refuge and safe space amid all the change in my world. I decorate with photography from my travels, favorite pieces and lots of flowers, so I feel that freedom, happiness, and inspiration," she begins. Credit: Kate ThompsonCredit: Kate Thompson
Elisabeth made a "makeshift" entryway. "I drop mail on the cake stand, and my keys in a straw basket I picked up in Harbour Island in the Bahamas." Credit: Kate ThompsonCredit: Kate Thompson
"I love the mix between vintage and new pieces," Elisabeth describes of her home's living room. "The photography in the corner is a shot I took of Bondi Beach in Sydney." Credit: Kate ThompsonCredit: Kate Thompson
"An important finishing touch for my apartment is all the pillows in each room. They add personality and pops of color in an otherwise fairly neutral design, making the rooms feel so lively," Elisabeth begins. Credit: Kate ThompsonCredit: Kate Thompson
"I sourced all the fabrics from The Lot, a boutique fabric textile firm founded by my friend Brittney Forrister. She has *the best* taste, so I knew I was starting from a good place. The pillows are designed to be interchangeable from room to room, with some pattern repetitions to tie things together." Credit: Kate ThompsonCredit: Kate Thompson
Elisabeth can't pick just one favorite room, because she "designed these four rooms to truly flow one into another, with a consistency to the design." Credit: Kate ThompsonCredit: Kate Thompson
"Each room has such clear function that I can move between each effortlessly and constantly through the day. I almost move with the light through the day, cozying up on whatever soft surface to enjoy my home," she continues. Credit: Kate ThompsonCredit: Kate Thompson
Elisabeth cites the design of the guest rooms in the New Orleans hotel, Maison de la Luz, as a huge inspiration for her. "Their rooms are more grand and more avant garde, but I wanted to borrow that feeling and put my own spin on it," she explains. Credit: Kate ThompsonCredit: Kate Thompson
"My primary bedroom lacked distinction — it was a white box with one window, so to elevate the room, my brother-in-law and I installed molding on one wall to create a focal point. We completed the project in a day and then painted the molding the same matte white color as the wall for a textural, architectural effect." Credit: Kate ThompsonCredit: Kate Thompson
Elisabeth incorporated a pair of her grandmother's reupholstered armchairs into her home, but doesn't keep them both in the same room. "I broke up this pair of armchairs since my home is smaller. The chair in the living room balances the sofa, whereas this chair serves as a cute reading nook in the guest room / office." Credit: Kate ThompsonCredit: Kate Thompson
"My bookshelf is organized not by color or alphabetically, but by category: five-star reads, to-be-reads, business titles, children's books, other favorites, etc.," she describes. Credit: Kate ThompsonCredit: Kate Thompson
Elisabeth says she always has a dedicated desk in her home, "though I end up moving around the apartment as the muse strikes. My guest room has numerous carved out spaces and purposes: reading nook, desk, vanity, and daybed. It's a perfect balance as I rarely have guests so then I can make good use of the space," she writes. Credit: Kate ThompsonCredit: Kate Thompson
"Both the desk and vanity have these acrylic chairs, which reduces their visual weight in a full room," Elisabeth explains. "I had a larger leather chair at the desk, but it was too much for the space, didn't fit under the desk, and clashed with the leather chair in the corner. Sometimes you have to try and fail!" Credit: Kate ThompsonCredit: Kate Thompson
When writerElisabeth Edelman bought this two-bedroom, 750-square-foot condo built in 1912, she explains that the apartment “held the charm of an old building but had been lazily renovated with builder-grade finishes.”
Her plan was to “highlight the century-old charm while creating a luxe feel to the small space.” And she started by “painting every room and closet white to brighten and open the space. Over time, I replaced every light fixture and all the blinds, removing a hideous film coating on all the windows to further set the right tone with lighting, which is so important to me.”
"To give that eclectic but consistent look, I repeated secondary finishes of black, gold, acrylic, and walnut through all entire apartment," she writes. "My salt and pepper vessels in the kitchen are sourced from France and Greece — and their different shapes and sizes make them sculptural additions to the kitchen table," she also explains. Credit: Kate ThompsonCredit: Kate Thompson
She was also coming into the space without much existing furniture. “When furnishing the space, I mixed my grandmother’s antiques with Facebook Marketplace finds, custom pillows, and more slick Lucite and marble pieces to create a soulful, fresh feel. I previously lived in New York City for five years, so I know how to give purpose to small spaces,” Elisabeth explains.
“To craft that luxe feel, there are soft surfaces and downy pillows in every room, from my deep cozy sofa in the living room, to a daybed that doubles as a guest bed, to upholstered bench seating with pillows in the kitchen and of course a plush bed in the primary. The New Orleans hotel Maison de la Luz served as an inspiration for the primary bedroom, so my brother-in-law and I installed molding to further accentuate the high ceilings.”
"As a 41-year-old single woman, I'm in the middle of an exciting life transition, and my home is a grounding presence and inspiration for the life I want to live," Elisabeth writes. "I just sold my PR firm this year, I'm having a baby girl on my own, and I'm pursuing writing and getting published full-time." Credit: Kate ThompsonCredit: Kate Thompson
Elisabeth recently sold her PR firm, is working on a novel, and publishes one short story a week on her Substack newsletter, Plot Twists. And there’s one last bit of design wisdom she has to share. “[G]reen plants are my secret to giving spaces more of an organic architectural detail. I love nestling planters of vine plants on my bookshelves and letting the plants go wild, creeping up, down, behind and between all the books.”
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"I love the asymmetry of the art here, with the small pieces trailing down the side of the larger ones," Elisabeth admits. Credit: Kate ThompsonCredit: Kate Thompson
Pillow Fabrics — The Lot – Note: I used a lighter fabric on the back so I can change the look
"I love adding mismatched layers to a room for that collected look," Elisabeth reveals. "For example, I have two different bedside tables, but I ensured they were the same height and were topped with matching lamps." Credit: Kate ThompsonCredit: Kate Thompson
BEDROOM
Chair — Grandmother’s chair reupholstered in Moore & Giles Leather
Pillow Fabrics — The Lot
Floor Lamp and Shelving — CB2
Desk and Desk Lamp — West Elm
Photography — two of my shots from Paris
Small Art Pieces — Hannah Diomataris
Acrylic Chair — CB2
Headboard — Custom Design by U-Fab
Pillow Fabrics — The Lot
Lamp — Vintage from my Grandmother
Coverlet — The Company Store
Rug — McGee + Co
Thanks, Elisabeth!
This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
VANCOUVER — Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, surprised football fans Sunday, appearing at the Grey Cup in Vancouver before the Toronto Argonauts took on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
BRB, adding creepy little babies in wine glasses, foot cakes, and alligator adult toys to my list of "Horrifying Things I Never Want to Encounter in Real Life." 👶🐊🦶
