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Designer Ariane Goldman lives with her husband Max and their two young daughters, Charlie and Georgie, in downtown Manhattan. Their home is warm and bright, and the stucco walls make it feel like an Italian trullo. Here’s a peek inside, if you’d like to see…
On settling in: We moved here when I was eight months pregnant and had a toddler. It was crazy, but Max is super mellow, so he calmed me down. When it comes to decor, I always feel like you have to live in a place for a while before you know how things are going to roll out. We probably put the couch in three different places before we got it right.
On big windows: I love sitting on the couch in the living room, looking out both windows. Especially when it’s snowing. And I can’t wait until the cherry blossoms bloom. Just being able to look outside and feel peace in New York City is so rare, and the fact that I can find that in my home makes me so much more at ease now.
Couch: ABC Carpet & Home. Upholstered chairs: eBay. Low woven poufs: Ikea. Coffee table: Vintage, from Beale & Bell. Woven side table: Chairish. Furry stool: Desiron. Striped throw blanket: Calypso.
On decorating as a couple: Max is a cinematographer, so aesthetics are kind of his thing. He’s very picky; I’m usually the one who gives in. But we have a lot of pink tones in our home right now, and he’s actually cool with it. He owns it. I can’t go crazy with it, but having two girls has changed things.
On choosing art: I don’t know anything about art. For me, art is a visual smile. I like things that make me feel content when I’m in a room. My friend Gordon Harrison Hull is fantastic. I’ve been a fan of his work for so long. Keeping Gordon’s whimsy around the house makes me really happy.
On working at home: I rarely work from home, but when I do, I get my most work done there. I run two companies — HATCH and twobirds Bridesmaid — and our office is an open-floor plan, so if someone’s on the phone, I can’t help listening and chiming in. This little nook is incredibly important. It allows me to think.
On “surprise” decorating: Many little pieces in our home are just trinkets that Max and I pick out along with way. Sometimes we don’t tell each other. One of us will put something up and then later the other one will be like, “Where did that come from?” Max loves architecture so recently a little model building appeared on the shelf.
On favorite places to shop: For home decor, my favorite stores are ABC Carpet & Home and Ochre — they have a less expensive line called Canvas that’s amazing. For nursery decor, I like Ikea and Serena & Lily. I try to mix and match high-low.
Desk: Ochre. Chair: Organic Modernism.
On the stucco walls: At first, we were like, oh, this is interesting. I wasn’t sold on it. But the more we lived here, the more it started feeling Spanish or European, like we’re in this wonderful little sanctuary.
MASTER BEDROOM:
On how to unwind: In the evening, after the girls go to sleep at 8 p.m., my husband and I like to hang out in bed. We are bed dwellers. We watch our go-to shows — Max’s is SportsCenter and mine is Real Housewives, so we split the difference and call it HGTV. Right now our favorite show to watch together is Fixer Upper.
On family time: We also hang out a lot in our bed as a family. We have movie time or cartoon time. I love linen bedding, especially when it’s light pink, mauve and grey, the kind of colors you can pile on top of each other and just relax.
Mirror: eBay. Bedding: Matteo. Lamp: West Elm. Parsons table: Design Within Reach. Chair: One Kings Lane. Sheepskin throw: Serena & Lily.
CHARLIE’S BEDROOM:
On princesses: Right now, Charlie’s into anything pink and Frozen everything. I’ve tried hard to get her into other things, but she’s really this Disney princess kid. She loves pink and tiaras and tutus, and I think she loves having her own space where she can do her princess thing. I’m going to make Georgie be my little tomboy!
On playing together: Charlie and I do crafts. We make a lot of handmade necklaces with beads. I also asked her what she liked when we were decorating her room, because I think it’s important that she helps create her own space.
On choosing art for kids: I found the big hot air balloon photo on Etsy when I was pregnant with Charlie. I wanted to provide that levity of “anything is possible.”
On family photos: Max and I have been together for almost 12 years and married for eight. Our framed photos are from the era when people still printed photos! We scatter them across the house. Now that we have Charlie and Georgie, it’s especially important for them to know that he’s there, even when he’s traveling for work. Also, I’m in love with him, so I like seeing his face.
Hanging basket chair: Serena & Lily. String lights: La Case de Cousin Paul. Bed: Serena & Lily. Bedding: John Robshaw. Canopy: Restoration Hardware Kids. Desk and chair: Smallable.
GEORGIE’S NURSERY:
On choosing baby names: I love boys’ names for girls. I assumed I was having boys both times I was pregnant. I thought Charlie sounded like someone you wanted to be friends with. I had to sell Max on “Georgie.” It was going to be Sonny, for a boy or a girl, but then she just didn’t look like a Sonny. I was psyched he agreed for her to be Georgie.
On the wonders of white furniture: Since New York is so crazy, we prefer white furniture, since it makes our home feel like a retreat. All our white dressers are from Ikea. They’re clean and blend in. Then we can decorate with pops of color and change things easily with bedding.
On adjusting to a new baby: Charlie is handling it deliciously. She’s fantastic with her baby sister. It has brought us so much closer because she has helped me so much, and Georgie loves her. Charlie adores her so much, she can hug her and be super physical and Georgie’s neck isn’t fully in the right place. She wants to eat her. That’s the only thing I have to keep an eye on!
Crib: Serena & Lily. Feather print: Etsy. Mobile: ABC Home. Splatter print: Gordon Harrison Hull. Raffia side table: Serena & Lily. Rocking chair: ABC Carpet & Home. Elephant side table: Serena & Lily. Round mirror: Serena & Lily. Plush mounted animal heads: Serena & Lily. Leather animal bookends: Serena & Lily
Thank you so much, Ariane! Your home and family are beautiful.
P.S. More home tours, like a bohemian home in California and a colorful Brooklyn apartment.
(Photos by Alpha Smoot for Cup of Jo. Interview by Caroline Donofrio. Ariane’s dress is the HATCH Jersey Drape Dress)
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