WHO: Stuart Sussman, Senior Vice President and Associate Broker, CORE, one of the two featured real estate agencies on Selling New York. Stuart appeared in Episode 7. Vanessa and I took a trip to NYC in the summer and were fortunate to have a tour of the funky, art-filled home Stuart shares with his partner Flavio.
All photos by Alex Beck, Inadequate Animal
WHAT: A three-floor dance theatre workshop building turned custom apartments. The developer bought the rights, tore down the building, gave the workshop a brand new theatre and built 12 beautiful homes above it.
WHERE: New York City, baby! Stuart is a native New Yorker. The antique sewing machine at the bottom left of the photo above came from his grandfather's Brooklyn tailor shop. It still works.
The entry way. The sword on the bottom shelf was presented to Flavio upon his retirement from the American Ballet Theatre.
WHY: It's an open concept space with interesting built-on-purpose angles, modern furniture, eclectic art from Stuart and Flavio's travels and an authentic carousel pony!
HGTV: I have to ask about the carousel horse, I love it.
Stuart Sussman: The merry go round horse is from the carousel in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, circa 1950s. A friend was going to throw it away so I rescued it and walked it down the street to my apartment. It’s light because it’s made from plastic.
HGTV: How long have you lived here?
SS: I purchased the home right after September 11th, when nobody was buying real estate in the city. I took a chance; I could not afford it. But I decided I’m buying it, I don’t care, I’m still healthy and alive and it’s time. I bought it as a white box, there was nothing done to it. I could not afford to make it beautiful for one year. For one year I lived out of boxes and then year two I spent living behind a construction tarp. The project finished in 2005, and then I bought furniture so I’ve been living here, as is for five years.
HGTV: So when you say white box, were there walls and everything or was it just a total blank space with nothing?
SS: The 12 homes in this building came with a kitchen, one bathroom and a rectangle with no A/C, no electric, no walls, no closets, no second bathroom -- and that’s how we lived.
HGTV: How would you explain your décor style? Is there a mood you’re going for?
SS: Because I’m not a typical family with kids I decided to have one open space and my architect suggested leaving it open with a flow that has angles, something like a ship. So they left it open and everyone that walks in says, "Wow, what a great entertaining space."
HGTV: It is! That’s what we said when we walked in -- it’s a great place to have a party.
SS: Most of the homes in this building have two bedrooms, two baths, etc. So leaving this open gave it a real buzz. We throw a lot of charity parties, fundraisers, it’s a great space for that.
HGTV: So all the angles, those are deliberate?
SS: Right, deliberately done. Everything. Sometimes after two drinks you’re a little bit dizzy.
HGTV: Or maybe it straightens out after two drinks!
SS: It’s like a ride on the Staten Island Ferry, I always say.
HGTV: Did you use a designer?
SS: I had two architects here that worked in collaboration with each other and they suggested the whole design.
SS: These doors [in the partition] open and close.
HGTV: Very cool, little pocket doors. That’s good for privacy.
SS: It gives a little bit of separation from the bedroom. The partition is African wood and it weighs a ton.
The back of the unit holds a TV and media centre for lounging in bed.
A stylish spot to relax in the blue-tiled bathroom, with sculptures in the shower.
HGTV: Can you tell us about some of the artwork and the pieces that you've collected?
SS: All the artwork here is South American and Asian inspired, mostly from Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, China and other places that we have travelled to.
HGTV: And the chair in the bedroom?
SS: I was the bidder at a benefit charity auction for the Cooper Hewitt Museum and it was the opening of the West Elm store, so that is comprised of 4000 West Elm catalogues, shredded up.
HGTV: Was it made by an artist?
SS: Yes, the artist’s name is David Stark. He’s based in Brooklyn and he has a good reputation in the area. You can’t sit on it though, when you’re wet.
HGTV: Can you actually sit on it if you’re dry?
SS: Well you can, but the paper sticks to you, so if you’re wet – woah, watch out.
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