A retired flight attendant's 550 sq ft Upper West Side studio
Tom has spent nearly 28 years shaping his alcove studio near Central Park into a mid-century home full of finds from his travels.
Tom flew as a flight attendant for close to 40 years. He has lived in this 550 sq ft alcove studio on the Upper West Side for about 27 years. He calls it his retirement apartment. The building dates to the early 1960s, and the unit was a white box when he bought it. He has reworked it with designers over the years.
His main style is mid-century modern. Matching end tables flank the sofa, and nesting coffee tables move aside when friends come over. A dropped ceiling with recessed lights frames the living room and a wall unit. A slate blue contrast wall in the living room carries into the bed alcove. A glass and metal screen, inspired by his many trips to Japan, closes off the bed.
The kitchen hadn't changed since the building opened. He took the cabinets to the ceiling and found a marble remnant for the counters. A cabinet on gliders hides the circuit breaker box. In the bathroom, he swapped the tub for a walk-in shower.
Travel and family fill the shelves. He bought Godzilla figures at a Tokyo department store and a Tanuki, about 150 years old, at a Japanese antique shop. A wash stand comes from his family's Michigan farm. Tom shared the apartment with his husband, who helped shape its design and died two years ago.
