Chelsea Apartment Is Flea Market Chic with a Pop Art Punch
There’s no shortage of trendy flea markets in the city these days. From Brooklyn Flea to Green Flea, New Yorkers can easily deck out their entire apartments in retro, second-hand finds. And that’s exactly what Brazilian design entrepreneur Houssein Jarouche did in his Chelsea pied-à-terre. But to keep the studio loft from looking like one big antique store, he enlisted the help of his friend and New York-based interior designer Ana Strumpf and infused the space with punches of contemporary, pop art and quirky pieces that reflect his passion for the American Industrial Era.
Jarouche owns the furniture/housewares store MiCasa in São Paulo, Brazil, and he comes to NYC four times a year to source merchandise from the city’s various markets, which is when he stays at his Chelsea loft. On his shopping adventures with Stumpf, he also picks up plenty of unusual pieces to furnish his own home.
What looks like a giant mural on the kitchen wall is actually the cabinets disguised by bright, colorful tape, laid out in geometric patterns by Jarouche. This modern art piece is juxtaposed with the vintage pendant lamps that hang over the kitchen counter, old glass lampshades found in designer John Derian’s store, as well as the mix-matched collection of shabby chic chairs.
The dark grey walls of the kitchen are balanced out by the white walls in the living/bedroom space and the wall of large windows. The metal shelving unit is a perfect example of Houssein’s love of industrialism, while the display of taxidermied heads showcases his quirky, unexpected side. He covered the ceiling with off-white tin tiles that look they’re original to the space.
The upholstered Victorian-inspired headboard over the bed was created by the design team at MiCasa, and the drip painting on the white door was done by Brooklyn street artist Paul Richard. Now if only Houssein Jarouche would let us stay in his eclectic pad when he wasn’t using it…
[Via Yatzer]
Photos © Frank Parente
