Buying the house next door and knocking two into one created a dream of a home for this family
STYLING Colin King
SEATING AREA
‘This is a place for conversation and taking a moment at the end of the day,’ says homeowner Lauren.
LIVING ROOM
‘I like having art that is also functional, like this hand that is also a chair. Pieces like this brighten up life,’ says Lauren.
DINING ROOM
‘The house was missing original features, so we added character with mouldings and detailed cabinetry,’ says Lauren
‘I had to be reined in when it came to designing my home, otherwise it would have been just too OTT and definitely not practical for life with two small children,’ laughs Lauren Sands, talking about her Park Slope dwelling in NYC’s Brooklyn, which has the enviable distinction of actually being two townhouses knocked into one.
Although not an interior designer herself, Lauren revels in revamping houses, along with husband James, who has a similar DNA as a property man. ‘We don’t work together but we’re pretty much on the same page when it comes to design matters,’ she says. ‘We had to do a big rethink when our children – adaughter aged five and a son aged three – came along. Previously, in our pre-kids home, we had shiny marble and polished brass surfaces – but they don’t look too good when covered in tiny fingerprints.’ In their new home they have chosen comparatively smear-resistant surfaces such as the beautiful honed Copacabana black and white quartzite in the kitchen and the matt bronze cladding of the fabulous centrepiece fireplace in the living room.
Artist Lauren uses her home as a backdrop for her curated pieces of art and design, photographing them in situ for her new online store LES – Lauren Emily Sands – Collection, ‘That way customers get to see how they work in real life,’ she explains. Her dream of an idea means that her home is refreshed every other month as old pieces get sold and new ones take their place. ‘It’s perfect for me,’ she a
