A “Bland” NYC Rental Is Chic After a “Really Good Scrub” and a "Lick of Paint"
Adrienne Breaux
·6 min read
"I am an artist and a native New Yorker, so there are two dualities at play here: I want my home to reflect my passions and personality, but with restraint. My hometown is noisy, chaotic, and at times overwhelming, so I strived to create a peaceful spot to provide a respite from the world outside," Kellie Rogers writes. Credit: Jasmina TomicCredit: Jasmina Tomic
Kellie "created the wallpaper as a nod to one of my all-time [favorite] bands, New Order (it's the album cover of "Power, Corruption & Lies"), and it greets you once you enter my home." Credit: Jasmina TomicCredit: Jasmina Tomic
The Crate and Barrel console holds all of Kellie's vinyl collection. Credit: Jasmina TomicCredit: Jasmina Tomic
Kellie's bedroom is a minimal and relaxing space, and the kitchen and bathroom are black and white. "Color permeates the living room and studio, though, so not all is lost in a sea of monochrome," she explains. Credit: Jasmina TomicCredit: Jasmina Tomic
Kellie says that before she moved in, her studio "was a baby room with a clothes closet. I removed the doors, gave it a lick of paint, and installed shelving to store my supplies and books." Credit: Jasmina TomicCredit: Jasmina Tomic
"This is where I spend the majority of my day," Kellie admits. "There are two desks mirroring each other. One is for my day job, and the other for my art practice. I spend most of the day in front of the computer screen, and evenings at the other desk creating with my hands. Working remotely is so 2D — I really crave tactile work at the end of each day." Credit: Jasmina TomicCredit: Jasmina Tomic
Her studio is her favorite place in the apartment. "It's where I spend most of my days and nights working, playing, or creating. I allow myself a certain amount of mess here. It's the place where I feel most free and most myself." Credit: Jasmina TomicCredit: Jasmina Tomic
"Jenny Holzer has been my favorite artist since I first saw her work in the '80s. Her work populates (almost) every room of my home," Kellie explains. Credit: Jasmina TomicCredit: Jasmina Tomic
Kellie says she "removed all the doors in the apartment (with the exception of the door to the bathroom). I wanted the sun to shine from one end of the apartment to the other without impediment. With no doors, the apartment feels even airier." Credit: Jasmina TomicCredit: Jasmina Tomic
Kelle explains that the apartment's kitchen is "sandwiched between my bedroom and living room. It has very little natural light. I wallpapered one of its walls in Fornasetti and added much-needed shelving." Credit: Jasmina TomicCredit: Jasmina Tomic
"My bathroom and kitchen are purposely black, grey, and white — a reflection of my wardrobe. Both are neat and clean and minimal." Credit: Jasmina TomicCredit: Jasmina Tomic
Kellie says she "took a Zen approach" to the bedroom, "keeping it mostly monochrome and clean and without fuss. The only distraction comes in the form of a gallery wall of ephemera from a former life ('80s club kid)." Credit: Jasmina TomicCredit: Jasmina Tomic
Kellie says the apartment has quite the slope to it. "This house was built around 1855 and the floors are original and at this point, very slanted. I needed to lift up one end of my IKEA clothes closet so the sliding doors could stay shut." Credit: Jasmina TomicCredit: Jasmina Tomic
"Without those feet, the closet doors would remain open. It took a good amount of time to get used to this slope and to accept that everything in my home would be slightly askew," she admits. Credit: Jasmina TomicCredit: Jasmina Tomic
"Across from my bed is a small gallery wall of ephemera from my youth. A bit of nostalgia to remind me of when I stayed out 'til dawn." Credit: Jasmina TomicCredit: Jasmina Tomic
"Kim Gordon's limited-edition White Columns EP lives above the crooked toilet. Her version of Syd Barrett gives me a side-eye while I get ready each morning," Kellie describes. Credit: Jasmina TomicCredit: Jasmina Tomic
"My apartment only had only two built-in closets: one in the bathroom, which I wallpapered and left as open storage; and another in the studio, which I also ripped out and transformed into open shelving for my supplies and work." Credit: Jasmina TomicCredit: Jasmina Tomic
“The apartment was rented as-is, meaning it needed a really good scrub, a lick of paint, and an updated kitchen and bathroom. The owners of the house are long-time friends (I live in their top-floor apartment) and we worked together on minimal kitchen/bath upgrade and I handled all the rest,” begins artistKellie Rogers, who’s rented this two-bedroom apartment for six years and pays $2200 a month (what Kellie calls an “absolute bargain”).
“The vibe of the apartment was typical NYC rental with no special features, bland, and a bit beat up. The fireplaces were long defunct and the marble mantels were long gone. But the spaciousness and endless sun that streams through all the windows held special appeal for me, so I moved right in,” Kellie writes.
“This is the longest I’ve ever lived in one place (a nomadic life since birth), and it’s become a home in more ways than one. The vibe is welcoming and relaxed, with all my favorite things on display. The approach is practical (I rarely make purchases unless they have a pragmatic use), yet fun and comfortable.”
“The decor is a mishmash of items I’ve collected along the way. Bits and bobs from living abroad, a special chair from my grandparents’ home, mostly secondhand pieces found online, gifts from friends. My most prized possessions are my books and collected artworks, and they both have pride of place.”
