Making a house feel like home is often daunting. It can feel so complicated. There’s an urge to add and add and add in order to make a room feel finished. I’m certainly struggling with that in our house right now. But what if you did the exact opposite? What if you used restraint and instead maintained a continuous purging of the things, honing your aesthetic down to either the truly essential or truly beloved? (Yes, the idea very Life Changing Art of Tidying Up.) This home, a townhouse in NYC’s Greenwich Village owned by designer and editor Tom Delavan, is a prime example of this approach.

Lifestyle blogger and design enthusiast Erin Hiemstra showcases a beautifully simple home tour on apartment 34Lifestyle blogger and design enthusiast Erin Hiemstra showcases a beautifully simple home tour on apartment 34Lifestyle blogger and design enthusiast Erin Hiemstra showcases a beautifully simple home tour on apartment 34

In this space, a simple color palette of white, black and rich warm woods doesn’t feel plain or boring, but instead bright, easy and welcoming. Obviously, with details like floor-to-ceiling bookcases, an ornate fireplace, epic crown molding and gorgeous french doors, this room had the design upper hand built in. But by using restraint – the simple dark drapery for contrast and the timeless pieces like linen covered sofas, a marble coffee table, and an oversized Noguchi pendant – the room is able to breathe. Each piece can stand on its own. Nothing is overlooked. The Moroccan rug, velvet side chair, woven basket and a cream throw add just enough texture to make the space feel warm and inviting rather than museum-like.

Lifestyle blogger and design enthusiast Erin Hiemstra showcases a beautifully simple home tour on apartment 34

The bar peeking in the corner helps too.

Lifestyle blogger and design enthusiast Erin Hiemstra showcases a beautifully simple home tour on apartment 34

The muted color palette continues into the kitchen. Love.

Lifestyle blogger and design enthusiast Erin Hiemstra showcases a beautifully simple home tour on apartment 34

A beautiful antique chair can serve as functional art.

Lifestyle blogger and design enthusiast Erin Hiemstra showcases a beautifully simple home tour on apartment 34

Those wonderful massive bookshelves house a collection of design tomes and an archive of magazines (Delavan is the design editor at T Magazine and was once the Editor at Large at Domino). The books add a touch of color that brings additional life to the space. I’m still stuck on the fireplace though. But that’s a different post.

Lifestyle blogger and design enthusiast Erin Hiemstra showcases a beautifully simple home tour on apartment 34

Every detail in this home feels considered and intentional. Sure, that can be incredibly hard to achieve with a toddler and a massive lego collection underfoot. But if I can carve out even one room in our house that I can maintain as a mama-oasis like this, I’ll consider that a win.

Here’s how you can recreate this simple timeless vibe in your home.

Lifestyle blogger and design enthusiast Erin Hiemstra showcases a beautifully simple home tour on apartment 34

SHOP: noguchi lantern / seagrass basket / vintage chair / marble coffee table / bronze candle sticks / moroccan rugchunky throw / vintage senufo stool / floor lamp

 

For a maximalist take on this style, CLICK HERE

For our entire home tour archive, CLICK HERE

images via tom delavan

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10 Comments

  1. I love how they’ve managed to keep the overall look of it monochrome but making it so much more welcoming, and personal, and less harsh by cleverly adding details in hues of warm grey and browns. Skillfully done!

  2. I agree with your article the black and white always compliment themselves. Are those thermal drapes? Also where do you recommend you get drapes or curtains ?

  3. The carpet is simply beautiful! The entire interior is kind of monochrome but much more warm and cozy with the warm tones of grey and brown. And that coffee table is adorable !

  4. Beautiful! Do you know what the paint colors are?