Fall is here and I couldn’t be happier to be settling in at our new home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. We recently purchased and completely renovated a pre-war apartment in the heart of this vibrant neighborhood. Of all the places I have lived and called home, this home surely is unforgettably cozy and exudes true city living at its best. I look forward to eventually sharing a few home decor and city renovation tips for those currently going through the stressful yet rewarding process of making your dream home come to life. Until then, I would like to share a few fall highlights and new additions to our home that arrived just in time to host a few friends for libations & celebrations – Ladyhattan style.

LIVING ROOM

The sunken living room is the highlight of our new place and has been completely redecorated by yours truly – Ladyhattan! Because of the sunken nature of the space, the ceilings are extremely high and dramatic – a characteristic of older New York apartments that I absolutely love. Please note that at the end of this post you can find a complete list of all the details you see in the photographs below including direct links to the respective vendors.

My goal was to create a space that was reflective of our personality. I also wanted to combine both the home decor inspirations of chic urban living with classical antique pieces to appease the pre-war details inherently grounded in the space. Intertwining antique charm and modern glam is a bit challenging, but I think that I may have pulled it off – I’ll let you be the judge. Changing your wall color and floor aesthetic will make an immediate difference in the immediate first impression of your space, especially for apartment homes where square footage is obviously limited. From the moment we closed, I had the walls painted a bright white with the crown molding highlighted in a lacquered finish. Additionally, I had the outdated light tan floors stained a striking dark brown shade by using the “jacobean and ebony mix” (75/50) in materials. This mix is the way to go if you are a seeking the super sleek, nearly black, dark wood floors – anything less will get you a muddy looking brown so be careful and make sure to test out samples first.

For decor, I started with a black and white palate (my favorite colors) and then continued to add pops of color and pattern along the way. Instead of purchasing new furniture, I actually chose to have original pieces reupholstered in a Quadrille zig zag print on the couches and a fun polka dot on the chairs. This was a quick and easy process that completely changed the look of the previously dull taupe fabrics. Although I was afraid it might be a bit too bold, I added leopard accent pillows and x-benches to the mix, along with splashes of “Kelly Green” and a dark Hermes orange through decor pillows and poufs. Boy was I wrong on being too bold – the mix of colors and pattern has been a complete hit! From the home decor research I have done on my own, sophisticated animal prints can be used as a neutral in your design scheme. This was surprising to me. The leopard, although a bit loud by itself, actually tames down the room and gives it a very warm feel. Because the centerpiece of the room is an enormous antique hutch (made of wood), I decided to use gold/glass and even mirrored table accents for the rest of the furniture. The glass tables do not overwhelm the room and help illuminate the gorgeous hardwood floors.

CELEBRATIONS

I have 3 best friends from college that I consider sisters. I’ve known these ladies for over a decade and they continue to be the people that support me through all the ups and downs of life. The beauty of having a close-knit group of friends for such a long period is that we are able to celebrate our life milestones together – from graduations, marriage, babies, birthdays – you name it and we celebrate it. This fall marks an especially an exciting time for us friends with a birthday to celebrate, the news of a baby girl on the way, a one-year anniversary (me) and a recent new marriage! As you can see in the lovely photograph above, I surprised my friend with an embroidered baby bag from Italy (inside a monogram baby towel) surrounded by a bow in every color for her little girl… A little lady should have a bow for every occasion (a color to match every outfit), so of course I made sure she will always prepared.

A few fun elements that I’m proud to share are photographed below. I took great pride in was producing my first “smoked cocktail” – yes, smoked! While in Italy, I learned how to master the art of smoking cocktails to give the alcohol an extra punch of flavor. To be extra fall festive, I created a smoked bourbon cider cocktail garnished with maple bacon and paired with a hot sugary cinnamon doughnut. Does that not sound mouth watering? My friends loved this creative treat and especially enjoyed watching me produce the smokey concoction right before their eyes. I will share another more detailed post with specific instructions on how to properly use the cocktail smoker machine to produce drinks that will be the highlight of your next event! Another aspect of the night that seemed to be a hit was my cheese board. Here, I tried to mix different shapes of cheese (triangle, square and circle) along with some fun European inspired additions – a dish of fig jam, some cornichon (mini pickled cucumbers), salted nuts and of course a selection of delicious meats like prosciutto and truffle infused salami. Whole Foods now sells almost all of these items and they taste just as good as the fancy neighborhood cheese shop.

Oh yes, it’s October and everyone knows that Ladyhattan lives for Halloween… so why not throw some orange Halloween fun in the mix too? I scattered a few orange votive candles and coordinating candlesticks on the table for a spooky Halloween festive atmosphere.

DINNER IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

My favorite part of the new home is the location! I might not have a big backyard or an ocean view, but walk around the corner and you have streets lined with some of the best restaurants, shops and nightlife in New York City… and probably the world! On the weekends, when the weather is pleasant, numerous restaurants throughout the Upper East open their sidewalk patios “cafe-style” and the area is bustling with life, dogs and boozy brunch. I love seeing people out enjoying the city together – it’s a beautiful site. There is something that makes a person feel so connected to the world, to the moment and to LIFE when exposed to such a lively environment.

After fall cocktails and treats, we walked around the corner to one of my favorite places in the neighborhood – Uva. I have blogged about this restaurant before, but here I am again to set the record straight that this place absolutely rocks! The northern Italian cuisine, reasonable prices and charming intimate environment make this place the perfect spot not only for your next date-night, but for a fun group gathering! The general manager of the restaurant kindly presented our favorite cupcakes and facilitated the perfect moment for a lady to make her birthday wish dreams come true.

HOME DECOR DETAILS

If you enjoyed the photographs from this post and want to learn more about the products or items that interest you, I have created a comprehensive list with direct links to help you learn more about how you can

Windows: Window treatments were done by an incredible NYC based company that I highly recommend – Alluring Window. Roni and Moria were awesome – ask for them and tell them Ladyhattan sent you. They will come out to your place and give you a free customized quote before starting any work. They helped drape my front windows perfectly, including a very complicated large corner window. Thank you!
Fabrics: As stated above, my couches have been reupholstered in Quadrille fabric (black-white zig zag print). My pillows were done custom by a wonderful woman named Patricia – she is so sweet and will customize any pillow covers you can think of. She worked with me to achieve the exact look I was going for by piping all of my pillows with custom color requests. She will make any vision you have a reality – just check out her company Southern Shades and email her with your project details. My larger pillows are in a “poison ivy green” with black piping around the edges. I also mixed a few leopard pillows (with knife edging) in the mix to match my new benches.
X-Benches: Wow, these came out amazing. I met an incredible husband and wife team at livinUPdesign who sent me these exquisite benches – their work is beautiful, check it out!
Jetsetter Coasters: These adorable porcelain coasters were given to me as a house-warming gift and I love them. They are perfect for the travelin’ lady! You can find them at Jonathan Adler.
Customized Cocktail Napkins and Leather Coasters: I designed custom cocktail napkins as well as leather drink coasters to have in my new home through one of my favorite company’s – For Your Party. I used this company for my wedding events and continue to go back to them in creating fun details for my home or special events. I love the circular leather coasters because they can be reused for a long period of time, while the paper coasters are just for temporary events. They specialize in gold foil printing which is great for me because gold is one of my favorite accents!
Mirrors: I shop at Ballard Designs quite a bit and i love the large statement mirrors they sell.
Black/White Details: As you can probably guess, my pumpkin, vase and candle stick holders are all by the lovely Mackenzie-Childs. I love the black and white enamel for a few accent pieces.
Cupcakes: You probably already guessed it, but the variety in cupcake flavors and toppings were done by Sprinkles – my favorite bakery in NYC (and the world).
Smoking Gun: You can smoke your cocktails too, lady! This hostess essential can be purchased at Sur la Table (online or in stores).
Gold & Glass Martini Serving Tray: This gorgeous tray is designed by Annieglass and can be purchased at Michael Cfina.
Candles: Diptyque candles are my absolute favorite, especially in the BAIES scent. This will fill any room in your home with the most dainty and beautiufl aroma.
BOO Cookies: Did you spot the gorgeous “BOO” Halloween cookies? I had them custom made by a fabulous baker I found on etsy, check-out her shop, Guilty Confections.
Reupholster Furniture: Amazing interior designer, Cara Boyce of Red Wagon Design helped me reupholster all my chairs and couches in gorgeous prints to make our home come alive.
Mirrored Coffee Table: I fell in love with this glass mirrored coffee table – it has a lower shelf for extra storage and display space which I love. The finish is an antiquated looking gold and the entire tabletop is a mirror which is really fun. You can find this table in the Uttermost collection sold at Wayfair. They ship most of their furniture with free 2-day delivery which is extremely convenient!
Wedding Book: We get comments on our wedding album all the time – seriously, it’s a really cool coffee table book and home decor statement. The book has a mirror cover with a photograph printed on mirror. My wedding photographer, Ulysses Photography, can actually make you a customized book even if you did not hire him as your photographer and have your simply your wedding photographs.

If you know anything about Ladyhattan, I live for the ones of I love, the places I dream to see and celebrating any and all occasions – yes, that is me. I hope you found this post helpful as you get your own home and spirit aligned with the beautiful fall season that is upon us. Until the next lady celebration.