My obsession with Kate and Andy Spade’s apartment continues…
The Selby (an awesome photographers blog) recently photographed it rather indepthly.
What I love is the seemingly random and haphazard arranging of everything.
How they are able to surround themselves with everything they love and not have it look all scattered about.
I love that they live with what they love, not what is expected.

I called Jannie (the master of design and my mother) to see why they were able to pull off that effortless eclecticism and powerful
 punches of color… what was I doing wrong? 
Without hesitation after a quick overview of the photos she decided their style was hardly random and very well edited.  Although they do have a lot of interesting treasures they have obviously collected over the years, they are very careful to keep their collections together.  “Likes with the likes” which I have heard a million times over the years.  Jannie is herself a huge collector , but
 has a rule she has always followed and passes along to clients is that if something is smaller than your head (chachki’s) you must group it with others like it.   She was quick to point out the collection of antique silver boxes, the table with only picture frames, and the coffee table
with just books… ”controlled stuff”.
By keeping them together your eye quietly dances over them, rather than darting about when you have random groupings.

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She also commented that they used five colors throughout.  A parchment color on the walls, the perfect neutral background to not compete with their art and many treasures.  The black doors (which anchor and ground – not to mention have the added perfection
of the antique mirror panels), pops of red, yellow and a little green and that is it.  She also had to point out how tall the ceiling are and that they do have amazing New York architecture which many of us do not AND they have one
 child not three!
I just think their apartment is brilliant, I thank them for inspiring me. !