IN A TOP-TO-BOTTOM RENOVATION of a bay-side A-frame home on Fire Island, Bromley Caldari turned a seasoned beach rental into a sleek, modern hide-out. Rethinking the iconic 1960s A-frame form, architects R. Scott Bromley and Jerry Caldari broke through the envelope of the building to weave a sculptural staircase through the airy three-story structure. Working with local builder Walter Boss, the team made preserving the surrounding natural habitat and pristine views a priority.
photos by Mikiko Kikuyama
The A-Frame home had a spiral staircase that split the center of the home; four cramped, dark bedrooms; a leaky roof; and a cracked pile foundation. It was not the beautifully designed vacation home that is so often associated with Fire Island Pines. However, the architects, builders, and clients saw the potential, and the poolside sunsets over the Great South Bay were spectacular.
Blocking that great view and occupying the heart of the house was the old, six-foot-diameter steel spiral staircase. The clients were willing to sacrifice a bedroom or two to remove that remnant.
photos by Mikiko Kikuyama
With the lot coverage at its limit, Bromley and Caldari took advantage of a local law that permits bay windows to project a maximum of two feet from the building envelope. The new stair would tuck into two large bay windows staggered at different elevations on each side of the house, with a cat-walk balcony off the master bedroom to connect the two sides. Views of the bay are framed at each elevation.
photos by Mikiko Kikuyama
On the main level, of this A – Fram is a double-height living and dining room stretches the length of the window-clad North façade. The open kitchen and house utilities run along the south side. The master bedroom suite has full-height glass sliding doors to take advantage of the view. When privacy is required, the sliding glass doors fog up at the flick of a switch.
photos by Mikiko Kikuyama
Under the peak on the third level is a quiet second bedroom and den, which doubles as a third bedroom when needed. The two rooms are connected by a walkthrough bathroom with a glass shower enclosure on one side and a glass-enclosed powder room on the other. Pocket doors at each end allow for privacy
Condominiums near national parks. (Image Source: Unsplash)
Luxury Condos in 2021
Nowadays, various housing options are available and one of the hottest markets right now are condominiums. Owning a condo unit would be convenient since it offers a variety of perks such as access to recreational areas in the vicinity. Also, some condominiums are strategically located near the places people visit daily. It is also a way to avoid the long, daily commute for people living far from their work.
Where to Find the Best Condos
There are several cities near New York and Ontario where you can find some luxury condos at a great price. Fleur Condos is one of the thriving condominiums just located in Toronto, Ontario. This city is a great location for a condominium since it is near the border of the United States, which makes it easier to go to certain landmarks there if you want to go sightseeing.
If you want to wander around locally, Toronto is full of great places to visit such as the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Toronto Eaton Centre. The city is also rich in cultural events like the Toronto Caribbean Carnival and the Trinidad & Tobago Festival. There are also national parks and great outdoor spaces located in the city, for people who love the outdoors.
(Image Source: Unsplash)
If you want to look for other places in Ontario, there are more on this page which shows the available condominiums in the area. The condominiums built in Ontario have been upgraded and can now be on par with the new designs recently built in New York.
Great Cities for Condo Living
Other notable places to look at are Etobicoke, Vaughan, and Mississauga.
Etobicoke
Suburban Etobicoke is a great place for people looking for condominiums near national parks since this place is full of them. Along with several shopping centers and history-themed streets, this place is great for active people who are always looking for a great time outdoors.
Vaughan
Vaughan is located just north of Toronto and it is the headquarters of the Canadian Ahmadiyya Muslim community. The city is also home to Canada’s Wonderland, the largest amusement park in Canada. The city is also filled with national parks.
Mississauga
Mississauga is a great place with a great view of Lake Ontario, with a mix of the urban and rural lifestyle. This place also has a great skating rink in the winter season which is widely popular in the holiday season.
Since most of us are spending more and more time at home these days, we tapped award-winning interior designer Daun Curry for some advice on how to design a bedroom that feels like a sanctuary. See below for some of her tips on how to create a space that most works for you!
Design by Daun Curry; Photography by Emily Gilbert.
5 Bedroom Design Tips from Daun Curry
“Your bedroom is the most intimate, personal space in your home. It should be a place to unwind, relax, and disconnect from the world at large. The design should also most embody what encompasses a sanctuary to you. While there are a range of tips to recommend when creating your own personal haven—such as investing in luxurious linens and bedding—your bedroom should reflect your personality, unique sensibility, and the colors and design elements that best help you recharge.” – Daun Curry
1) Introduce Elements of Whimsy
If whimsy is what you gravitate towards, embrace it. From light and airy drapes and swirl-laden painterly pillows that recall the colors of the sea to wallcoverings with a sense of movement, these rooms exude a gorgeous flight of fancy. Despite their differing color palettes, each design incorporates layers and gradations of the same color family to create a soothing ambiance.
Design by Daun Curry; Photographs by Emily Gilbert.
2) Infuse Your Vacation Home’s Bedrooms with a Lighthearted, Playful Feel
When you’re on vacation, your environment should reflect your state of mind. Designing for different age groups and/or a personal room or guest room should all take different factors into account. For kids’ rooms, fun furnishings such as bunk beds and geometric rugs in eye-popping, complementing colors are the perfect way to create a playful ambiance. Meanwhile, in a guest bedroom, it’s important to keep an air of sophistication while also instilling a more carefree, insouciant ambiance into the space. Perfectly tailored, layered bedding in shades of sunny colors, a defined area rug, elevated artwork that recalls beach house living, and linen upholstered beds create a picture of relaxation with a big dose of finesse. In the main room, make sure to take advantage of any natural light and the views. Next, focus on comfort—layer your bed in fresh, luxurious bedding, add in bold pops of color, soft carpet underfoot, extra seating, and lighting for all needs.
Design by Daun Curry; Photographs by Emily Gilbert.
3) Create a Luxurious Seating Area
Your bedroom should be your escape—so whether it’s a seating nook, window seat, or adding in plush chairs, swivel chairs, or a bench, including this essential element in your bedroom will offer you just that extra bit of comfort. From having a cozy place to perch while getting ready for dinner to curling up in a reading nook or enjoying a morning coffee (or a nightly glass of wine) while in your pajamas, you’ll be surprised at how much enjoyment you’ll gain from this simple addition.
Design by Daun Curry; Photographs by Emily Gilbert.
4) Incorporate Texture
Incorporating texture into your design scheme can add visual interest and a sense of warmth—especially when it’s tone on tone. From silk-textured and grasscloth wallpapers, to ceilings finished in shimmery Venetian plaster, metallics, dimensional paintings, and antiqued mirrored furnishings, each well-placed inclusion will add depth, tactility, and a sense of balance. Texture can also facilitate in creating a seamless flow—drawing your eye exactly where it should go.
Design by Daun Curry; Photographs by Emily Gilbert.
5) Pattern, Pattern, and More Pattern
Don’t be afraid of using multiple patterns at once—you can easily layer varying designs that work well together rather than fight each other. Unexpected pairings in fashion are considered daring in the most stimulating of ways, and the same can be said when it comes to design. While you might not want to go completely bold and vibrant in the bedroom as lighter colors create a more restful ambiance, differing patterns in neutral shades and lighter hues create visual appeal.
Design by Daun Curry; Photographs by Matthew Sandager (left) and Emily Gilbert (right).
Long before online streaming and binge-watching, both TV shows and movies, are the way most spend our evenings. Sitcoms were the “it” form of entertainment as many rushed home after a long day at work, possibly gathering at friend’s apartments for a take-out and TV show gathering. This was a time when every family member was glued to their TV after dinner to catch up on their favorite show.
One of the most popular sitcoms at the time was a show called Friends. This show went on for more than a decade, totaling 236 gut laughing, real-life episodes. Friends enjoyed one of the highest ratings to date, even in a time filled with new content and even more shows for the modern family to enjoy.
There was more to Friends than just the laughs. It was a show that combined entertainment, life lessons, and influenced different cultures in many ways. For example, throughout the over 200 episodes, the show revolved around friends spending most of their time in Monica Geller’s apartment, which was located in the West Village of New York. Monica was a chef, but how did she manage to pay rent for this spacious apartment remains a mystery, more than 25 years after the first broadcast.
How Monica afforded her apartment
The expensive apartment Monica rented was inherited from her grandmother after she relocated to a retirement home in Florida. According to the show, Monica’s grandmother’s rent was rent-controlled at $200, the same amount she’d been paying since the 1940s.
Rent-controlled is still intact today, the rent control policy was enacted in 1971 by the then US President Richard Nixon. The policy prevented landlords from taking advantage of housing shortages in several US cities, for example, Florida and New York, cities with high rental populations.
Monica’s apartment real worth
Monica’s apartment was a large two-bedroom, with a spacious living area. It came with a storeroom and a storage unit. The walls were painted in purple which was the color of the time, and the kitchen included modern cabinets. This was considered a luxury for a $200 per month apartment, considering the large space, estimated at 1500 square feet. Definitely, larger than an ordinary 2-bedroom apartment in any large city.
Real estate experts estimated Monica’s apartment to cost upwards of $3,500 per month then and in today’s market, a real estate broker would estimate it at around $14,000.
If the property was to be sold in the current market, it would cost well over two million-plus, especially in the West Village, one of New Yorks’s premier real estate areas.
How an ordinary cook could afford to live and host her friends in such a high-end apartment? Rent control and a lot of great friends as roommates to share in the cost.
This was where this group of young adults became great FRIENDS and enjoyed their youth in New York City, one of the greatest cities in the world.
The quality of the air we breathe in every day can have a massive impact on our health, whether we’re sitting indoors or outside. In fact, studies have shown that poor air quality can actually lead to diseases such as heart disease, lung cancer, and strokes. Often the air inside the home can be more polluted than the air outside, thanks to cleaning materials, chemicals, and sprays as well as dust mites and malfunctioning appliances. Luckily, there are some ways to purify the air to improve your health.
Open the Windows
The simplest and cheapest option for purifying the air and improving the air quality of your home. Even if it’s just for five minutes a day, letting fresh air into your home will help to alleviate the accumulation of toxic pollutants in the air.
Run the Air Conditioner
If you have air conditioning in your home, you are lucky enough to have an entire air filtration system at your disposal. Air conditioners work by pulling the air out of your house, cooling it, and then pumping it back throughout your property. These units typically have a filter that traps harmful pollutants and particles, so if you can change this regularly with a new air filter from your local hardware store it will keep your air cleaner for longer.
Remove Mould
Mold releases fungal spores into the air which can worsen allergies and make the symptoms worse. Areas of the home such as bathrooms and laundry rooms that are prone to damp are more likely to develop mold. But if you can keep these spores at bay by keeping these rooms dry and aired out regularly, these spores won’t develop as quickly.
Use an Air Purifier
Air purifiers are an effective way to keep the harmful particles in the air at bay, but they’re especially key if you or your family members suffer from asthma or have dust allergies. There are several on the market to suit all different budgets or spaces.
Keep Your Pets Groomed
Pet dander such as hair and skin cells are deposited everywhere in your home when you have a pet. But more than just fur, dander can actually lead to asthma-like symptoms and make symptoms worse if you or your family members already suffer from it. If you have pets, the best course of action is to keep them brushed and groomed on a regular basis and to brush them outdoors if you can to keep the amount of fur indoors to a minimum. Vacuum on a regular basis to keep the dander to a minimum too.
Add Plants to Your Décor
Many people don’t realize that certain house plants can actually improve the quality of the air in your home. For example, having a spider plant can effectively reduce formaldehyde and carbon monoxide in your home. Chrysanthemums, meanwhile, are more than just a colorful flower – they can filter out benzene which is commonly found in plastics, paint, and detergent. If you want a natural way of keeping pollutants to a minimum, plants are the perfect solution.
Lower Manhattan is constantly changing and developing. Along the way, some buildings lose all traces of their original beauty, but One Wall Street continues to hold onto its historic architecture as it undergoes its transition from an office building to a residential condominium.
Photos provided by OWS.
Under the ownership of Harry Macklowe, One Wall Street’s preservation and development has been a 16-month process. Since it was originally designed by Art Deco icon Ralph Walker in 1932, the purpose of the building has changed from serving time as the Bank of New York to becoming a repurposed residential hub.
The final challenge in the revamping of One Wall Street is the iconic “Red Room”, which is known for its meticulous, detail-filled composition.
The Red Room was designed by Hildreth Meière in 1931 as a multi-colored glass tile mosaic. Although it was originally the building’s banking hall, this testament of time will be rejuvenated as a retail space with doors expected to open in 2021.
As for the rest of the building, occupancy is expected to begin as early as 2020. There are nearly 600 multi-million-dollar condos each with engineered hardwood floors, breathtaking views, washer/dryer sets, and Miele appliances included.
