Apartment Therapy New York | Thirty Years Later: Allen B. Schwartz's UES Apartment The New York Times 12.31.08

Thirty Years Later: Allen B. Schwartz's UES Apartment
The New York Times 12.31.08

Last week, The New York Times launched a new occasional feature for their Home & Garden section. Once/Again looks at homes and apartments previously featured and revisits the spaces with new photographs. The first installment looks at the rental apartment of designer Allen B. Schwartz on the Upper East Side — originally featured 30 years ago. Check out the new look plus the carpeted stadium seating, gray Formica kitchen and mirrored bedroom ceiling that was all the rage in 1979...

The 1,200 square foot apartment is a rental that Mr. Schwartz found in 1972. Check out the full story, Once/Again: Remaking the Scene and all the slideshow images from The New York Times.

(Pics: Eddie Hausner, Michael Weschler)

Comments (10)

I honestly prefer the the amphitheatre style seating in the original, especially since the focal point is still a large television.

posted by Nesagwa on January 7th 2009 at 4:15pm
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haha. .love the mirror on the ceiling. The place looks really nice now.

posted by mva1201 on January 7th 2009 at 4:17pm
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You can tell this guy was crazy/single back in the early 80's - The place looked like a disco/porn set.

posted by bepsf on January 7th 2009 at 4:22pm
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I personally like the original layout over the new one for most of the rooms, except maybe the bedroom...that TV at the foot of the bed is just a little weird.

posted by suzy8track on January 7th 2009 at 4:23pm
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Over all Not that different a feel. I'm sure that is exactly what the client wanted.

Interesting that the owner still has his very distinctive personal mark and style on the space (even with the use of a decorator) that is surely the highest compliment to the decorator who was working with a very opinionated man. Notice the cats on the side of the fireplace :-O
I would have fought to the end to get rid of them, but hey that's why I'm not a professional any more!

The glass staircase wall and half glass wall works to open the space up. I would have preferred different materials to do that than glass, floating stairs would have been beautiful since there are no young kids in the apartment.

posted by dewi on January 7th 2009 at 7:00pm
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It should be illegal to have this much of a good life!

posted by chicity1126 on January 7th 2009 at 7:06pm
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whatever happened to Guillermo the houseman?

posted by 212gretchen on January 7th 2009 at 7:13pm
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Whatever happened to Gillermo the houseboy?

Him and his buddies decided to make a movie telling the tales of that apartment in a movie. He plays himself, Guillermo Irizarri as "Carlos".

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073091/fullcredits

posted by Djluckyonline on January 7th 2009 at 8:03pm
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How come it looks so huge in the old photos and so tiny now?

posted by Violetsrose on January 8th 2009 at 8:22am
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it's amazing how close they look, even 30 years apart. I think it's great that this feature is being done in the NY Times and I'm looking forward to seeing more.

Tabitha
http://www.fromsingletomarried.com

posted by Tabitha (From Single to Married) on January 9th 2009 at 11:25pm
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