PARK AVENUE — a New View        MY HUSBAND, FRANK, BOUGHT THIS APARTMENT RIGHT BEFORE WE STARTED DATING. As a downtown girl, the thought of relocating to the Upper East Side was not my idea of movin’ on up in life. But, as usual, fate had a different plan. I’ll never forget the first time he took me to see the space: it was dark, smelled like mothballs, and it was uptown. I hated it! But I loved Frank, and he loved the apartment, so it was part of the package.
       After my initial resistance, the breathtaking view of the open sky from the 14th Floor (rare for New York City) ignited a fire I didn't know I had. That fire was my sudden burning desire to tackle a nature-inspired design project. 
       From the serene, spa-like Master Suite, to the earthy eclectic Living Room and Dining Rooms, allusions to nature were abundant. Color stories revolved around earth, water, wind, and fire, and there were enough animals to start a mini zoo (in fact, I may have had more animals inside that apartment than there are in Central Park!) The journey of the Park Avenue renovation was a delight for me both as a designer and as a person who loved every step of the process, from inspiration to installation.  
      The experiences taught me that as a designer, I'm best at following my bliss, and as one half of a couple I can survive anything! While it wasn't always easy, the upside was that I grew as a designer and I got to know my future husband really really well. Before it was finished, we decided to stay together forever and argue about renovations into our old age! The End. 
      Just kidding! Actually, it was only the beginning. We are now married and have a daughter, Olivia, who is—as I write this—22 months old. Her arrival was the reason we sold the apartment as soon as the renovation wrapped. But the road to selling was full of so many colorful moments, including a wedding and the birth of a child. I still love everything about this apartment and miss it terribly. See the slideshow below, for highlights of my favorite design moments.