Love the master bedroom, not so much the rest of the place. All that wallpaper, gorgeous as each design is, just gives the room a very cluttered feeling especially when adding in the extra clutter with more patterns on the furniture and actual clutter on the floor (which is of course staging but doesn't, in my opinion, help.) It doesn't feel restful; it's simply ostentatious. Beautiful individual pieces but everything together is overwhelming. I'd feel I was living in a kaleidoscope.

Wow - what a stunner! 😍 love the bathrooms and the lavender dining room in particular - the kitchen marble is a bit too dramatic for me but it’s beautifully done-

the views out the windows look like photoshop!

Love the console sink legs in the bathroom and the views from the windows.

Well...it's definitely not subtle...

The tiger print fabric on the side chair? If it's Scalamondre it was 1,000.00/yard a decade ago. I could see me in that apt---for maybe 2 days until I return to my soothing minimalist environronment.

The banquettes in the dining room...what's their purpose? ..."maximal done right"... absolutely. But I just want to know the why seats there? Wouldn't it be amazing to know people who are brave enough to make these choices! Sadly the cost cuts off self expression like this at the knees.

It's quite something, for sure! It isn't what most of our clients would enjoy. I find the backsplash almost dizzing in its pattern and intensity.

Love the bedroom but the bath wallpaper in no way works with the bedroom if that is the M. bath

The banquettes in the dining room are so beautiful, that fuschia/magenta velvet is scrumptiousI

I could see them being used if the homeowner were having a buffet lunch or dinner. Guests usually need to find a spot to sit and dine from small plates. They could sit on the banquettes in the dining room as well as the living room. And of course, just because.

Yes indeed. I admire Erika Faye Jones for her work as both a developer of affordable housing and an advocate for people who need it. The apartment was published in AD last year, with a few more photos. But thank you to Diana for bringing it to us in this easier form. I think the dining room banquettes, in additional to being useful for large buffet dinners as Dana says, are intended as great settings for photographing guests. The monkeys are spaced so that there are central blank areas where a person fits perfectly. Even for a moderate-income reader like me, there’s a lot to learn from this home: work with what you have (the kitchen is tiny but well appointed; I suspect the living room bar used to be the other kitchen/kitchenette when this was two apartments); know where to save so you can spend on what matters to you (very few antiques, only one small Persian rug, no full-length draperies); and the living room is a good lesson in how to treat a long, narrow space. Amazing to do all this in only 18 months!

wow, I actually love all the use of color. some of the bold patterns are a bit much, but they are all beautifully done and perfectly coordinated from room to room. (except the BR to the Mbath..seems disconnected)

the views over the park are amazing. that's some high-rent poo right there! love the herringbone floors. can't imagine the cost of that. And that kitchen marble?! wowza. That glossy lavender/orchid paint on the ceiling in the dining area? had to be Hollandlac paint!! that paint is over $200 a gallon.

If they conjoined two apts and this took 18 months, i'm guessing 5Mil?

I have his latest book, Design Reimagined” and this apartment is featured in it! I love it.

Replying to Beth H.: The AD article said that the two separate apartments had been conjoined by a previous owner, b but in an awkward way. Still, 18 months seems like quick thrnaround.

$30,000,000.00?

AI

Corey Damen Jenkins' distinct maximalist design approach relies on custom millwork, curated furnishings, and layered materials. Here is a general breakdown of how the estimated costs for this tier of high-end NYC interior design and renovation break down: [1, 2]

• Design & Architecture Fees: 15–30% of the total project budget or flat fees ranging from $150,000 to $500,000+.
• Structural & Layout Alterations: Gutting, reconfiguring apartment layouts, and upgrading plumbing/electrical can cost $500–$1,500+ per square foot.
• Bespoke Finishes: Custom elements like lacquered walls, de Gournay hand-painted murals, and custom velvet or silk textiles.
• Furniture & Art: Sourcing high-end, bespoke, and vintage pieces which can easily reach $500,000 to $1,500,000+ for a full floor.

Spectacular! But, how could I live there (even if I had the $$$$$$$$$$$$)? Do not wealthy folks need to put their feet up, watch t v, have a snack and get crumbs all over the place? How about my puppy? What if he has an accident...or rather what if my DH has an accident? Maybe they own a more casual space on the first floor with no view.

@HU-417221168 …… yes , I know some people ( not me, lol ) who live in something similar, different location, but they have full time help to maintain their homes in a pristine condition. Yes, they put their feet up, snack,spill their drinks & have pets.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the redesign work was $25 million, or more. The apartment is worth lots of millions too. It looks quite spacious. It’s beautifully done, even though I think there’s some red gingham overload (and I like gingham).

The photos were probably taken right after the project was completed, so no wear and tear is visible yet. I'm sure that anyone with that amount of $$$$$ definitely has someone to maintain it, and they don't worry about putting their feet up, etc., they can just redo/replace anything that is damaged, etc.

Infinite funds makes it easier to be bold. These finishes are exquisite and I’m so ready for color. Bye bye gray.

So agree with you @gardener123! I do like gray as a neutral, but the overuse of it these past few years has been dreary beyond belief. Gray walls, floors, upholstery, rugs, ugh it's so sad. I love color and have lots of various tones of red, blue, green and a touch of lavender in my home. Makes me happy!

^Agree! I have a lavender dining room and I love it so much - people look amazing in there at night 😍

I thought the wallpaper choices were exquisite. I have trouble picking wallpaper for ONE room….

The only thing I didn’t like was the stone choice in the kitchen. It felt off to me. I guess if they tire of it, they can afford to change it….

Ooo, lalaGirl, I'd love to see your lavender dining room!!!

It's beautiful, lalaGirl! I love the pendants and the rustic table. AND the family photos--don't ever apologize for them--I don't!! And I have them all through my house.

Love it! Looks like a happy, welcoming, and peaceful home!

I think LaLaGirl’s dining room is lovely. I especially like your pendant lanterns, and the way you use two of them so the whole table is evenly illuminated. very pretty and practical, too.

And I like how the curved chairs are a nod to the arched door and the glass kitchen cabinets. It’s really beautiful.

fwiw i love the room partly bc our architect told us “no one does dining rooms anymore“ when we renovated 10+ years go - and i have always thought that’s bc we don’t make them comfortable/welcoming enough.. so we went with super comfy chairs and it’s where everyjone hangs out when visiting - crazy thing is this room used to be the dining room AND our whole kitchen before we reno’d - the kitchen went from just left of the window to the wall. SO small 🙈. I survived in there over 5 years before we could afford to add on and move it - anyway sorry for getting the thread off track!

I feel like I am the only one here questioning the Emperor's New Clothes. I am generally a 'more isn't always better' person, but this design completely crosses over into the realm of 'more isn't ever enough.' Every single room is its own unique carnival. It feels like an ostentatious display of wealth with absolutely no thought given to how any individual piece can actually be appreciated when every expensive item that could be found was just spewed into the space. There is zero flow, zero restraint, and nowhere for the eyes to rest. Looking at the photos is mentally exhausting, I cannot imagine walking through the space.

It's a lot, no doubt. But some of it is yummy. The ceilings. I'm a huge fan of the lacquer and and grass cloth. Maybe not the the bee hive. And the herringbone floor. And the doors and trims, and the light fixtures and lamp shades. So while I agree it would be a lot to live with, some of it is amazing and I enjoyed every photo.

It will never make the cover of _Budget Decorating,_ but I think the interiors are appropriate for the home’s location and purpose, and it actually shows respect for the budget. The owner, Erika Faye Jones, entertains politicians and celebrities in her home— part of her job as a real estate developer who focuses on affordable housing. She isn’t ashamed of her money, but if money were the _only_ thing she cared about, luxury real estate development is much more lucrative. She also raises kids there, after a difficult and protracted breakup with their father. The apartment is on an upper floor without a terrace or balcony; I think I can glimpse a fire escape through a window. Since it has no direct access to outdoor nature, the designer had to create a transportive and varied environment indoors—and, I daresay, a healing one for this family. Part of Jenkins’s genius is making five million dollars have as much impact as 25 million. That’s still crazy money to most of us, but you can see respect for the budget throughout the home: the media room couch is from Anthropologie, there are no full-length curtains, only one smallish Persian rug, and they accepted the small size of the existing kitchen and bathrooms, although the building apparently permits changes (e.g. the pot filler in the kitchen can’t be original to a prewar building). I’m not sure that the mirrored ceiling in the entry hall adds any value, but that’s one of the few things that doesn’t seem to contribute to the overall experience.

Now for myself, I’m seeking a designer who can make a thousand dollars look like a million, ha-ha. I’ve said my piece and I’ll subside now.

Thanks everyone for your comments--all are welcome and everyone has a right to their opinion.

But think of this--without the excess of the very wealthy we wouldn't have places like Versailles, The Frick Museum, The Taj Mahal or the Pyramids.

@Diana Bier Interiors, LLC - Amen to that! All of the excess in Newport can be appreciated as museums that we can be in awe of. And Versailles is the granddaddy of them all.

Everyone is entitled to their taste, and the myriad decisions in every room of the expensive NYC apartment made me realize how few I’ve made in my house. I completely appreciate this woman’s home and her willingness to share it. I liked several aspects of the apartment. It was fun to look at - more than once.

Interesting take on excesses of the wealthy. I dunno though. Have a hard time imagining an apartment becoming a museum or a world heritage site/equivalent. Neighbors would probably be annoyed. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed looking at the pictures. I do feel sorry for the owners being disconnected from nature. Makes me grateful to have recessed balconies and to walk down a single flight of stairs into a landscaped area.

I think you're taking too literally my comment about museums, etc. It is possible that some of the items in the apartment could be collector's items/art and end up in a museum someday.

And I agree about apartment dwellers being disconnected from nature--but that has nothing to do with how wealthy you are. Many underprivileged individuals live in apartments disconnected from nature as well. On the other hand, the wealthy usually have more than one place to live, and many well-to-do New Yorkers have second or third homes in the country, the mountains, the beach, in all areas of the world.

Although I can appreciate architectural wonders like Versailles, the Taj Mahal, or the Pyramids, I also look at their historical significance. They are beautiful to look at, but they are also permanent reminders of the worst of humanity—built on the backs of exploited citizens who suffered and died just to feed the egos of the richest of the rich. It deeply bothers me that our society is so prone to hero-worshipping wealth and glorifying money over morals.

Learning that the owner made her wealth developing affordable housing makes this design feel particularly disingenuous. There is a profound disconnect in championing equity and community access in your professional life, only to turn around and retreat into an ostentatious display of excess.

Please understand, this is my own personal perspective. I’m a child of the 1960s, born and raised in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. I grew up in a culture that placed a profound value on humility, community, and the dignity of the everyday worker—where buttons on clothing is seen by the Amish as an unnecessary display of vanity.

Because of that upbringing, my core values are rooted in a strong middle class, human rights, the power of the common people and the belief that our worth comes from how we lift up others, not what we show off. Homes like this clash with my values.

I was thinking about the monkey wallpaper when my mind drifted to the wallpaper in the movie La Cage aux Folles.

Can you post a photo of it, @thinkof129? I love that movie!!!

I have o agree somewaht with Jennifer I have never been a fan of over the top over decorated spaces and too much is just IMO too much . The bedroom is nice not my style but nice/

Keeping up with the Joneses.

“Homes like this clash with my values” …. luckily you don’t have to live there. While the decor is the complete opposite of what I like & what I was brought up in ( MCM decor & architecture ) I ejoyed looking at it, sometimes it’s fun to just ”window shop” even if it isn’t your thing. Think of all the craftspeople ( painters, paper hangers, designers, contactors & subcontractors, etc., etc. ) who made $ from this project.

Great points, K Laurence!

@K Laurence -

The value clash is not about what I like or dislike. I own an MCM rambler and have MCM furnishings, but I appreciate the beauty of many homes and many styles of decor.

The value clash is because I find our cultural obsession with the rich and famous deeply troubling.

Doesn't this apartment perfectly echo the Roaring Twenties? Back then, Manhattan was dripping in opulent wealth while the immigrant tradespeople who built it lived in tenements, and Midwestern farmers were already drowning in Depression-era poverty.

When most people think of that era, the images are filled with jazz, flappers, and speakeasies—not the exploitation of the lower classes, who served the rich but could never join them. How often do we picture the tenements, the sweatshops, or the orphan trains filled with stolen children? How often do we think of the extreme discrimination against the Italian, Jewish and other immigrants? Do we give a single thought to the laws enacted to limit their entry to the US and the lack of police and political protection afforded to those who were already here? Do we think about why these immigrant groups formed street gangs (mafias) to protect their communities?

For me, "window shopping" this level of luxury is impossible to separate from the deep societal disparities it represents and the moral conflict with my belief that our worth comes from how we lift up others, not what we show off at the expense of others.

This is a decorating forum! Where else would you look at and critique over the top decorating. No need to bash the designer and/or homeowner personally.

Hot Topics on Houzz was closed down, but other websites host similar political/social discussions if someone wants to discuss those topics.

Diana, thanks for highlighting this designer, a minority too. I bought his coffee table book!

Turns out the homeowner is a minority too. I had to google because it was hard to tell from some of the small online photos. Not everyone with blonde hair is Caucasian!

@chispa - thank you for stating our goals here - discussing design, not the wealth or status of homeowners.

Thanks, chispa and RedRyder. Some folks here just can't resist turning everything into a political screed.

@Diana Bier Interiors ….. or ”Virtue Signaling” ….

As the Grateful Dead would say,

"Can't talk to you without talkin' to me, we're guilty of the same old thing"

For my part, I use Houzz. I'm showing off, maybe with fewer zeros.