A House in the Clouds

A House in the Clouds New york is a nesting doll, composed of cities in cities, all always in the action of being built, with more popping up all of the time. Among the newest places to investigate is Long Island City. Not to be mistaken with Long Island itself, the Long Island City sits on the western border of Queens, right at the point at which the Queensboro Bridge ends its trip from Manhattan. There, at a luxurious twenty-third floor apartment with commanding views of both Brooklyn and Manhattan, interior designer Tanika Goudeau Hochhauser, the creative principle of the design company Depsyn makes her home with her husband, Brian, employing all of her design abilities to make certain that the view inside her space is every bit as magnificent as the one outside her window.



Laid-Back Luxe From the narrow entryway the distance opens wide into the living room, a space made even larger by the huge windows that look out to Manhattan. This space epitomizes Tanika's "laid-back luxe stye" mixing mid-century contemporary furnishings with contemporary accessories for a casual yet classy look. The neutral color palette in this area adds to the relaxed feel while making use of the light that the space receives. At precisely the exact same time, light however purposeful moments of pattern have been added to the space through the rug and woven artwork attribute on the wall.



Warm Moments Mirroring the black of the shelves is this painted characteristic wall. The wall is topped with a white, Cameroonian Juju coat on merry screen. Combined, they provide the ideal background to the slick, modern fireplace which keeps the couple warm through the colder months of this year. Even a New York luxury, the bio-fuel burning fireplace was installed by Tanika and Brian to finish the look of the space.



Architectural Elements Storage is crucial in each home as is a fantastic dose of creativity. This built-in bookshelf was a DIY project by the few to make an architectural feature in the home. The final product was painted black to bring a little elegance and contrast to the shelves which hold a fun assortment of small accessories and bits picked up on travels in Paris, the Netherlands and Japan.



Cool Contrast The dark gray of the sofa and the wall art above offers a comparison to the walls while remaining neutral. The sofa itself is brightened by the wool throw blanket that adds texture in addition to colour. Meanwhile, the general area is heated by the inclusion of creative wood components in the lamp rack as well as from the side tables and accessories.



A Floor-to-Ceiling View Easily one of the features of the home, the windows offer bird's eye views of the river running past their window. Here, Tanika added that the perfect seating to consider the opinion: the iconic Eames lounge chair designed by Charles and Ray Eames which remains the pinnacle of mid-century design.



House of Mirrors You can never have too many mirrors if you are on your way out the door, so Tanika made sure that there were lots on hand within her entryway using two French-style pieces. She continues to make good use of the space with an easy white console topped by a flower under black and glass candles. Completing the space is an African mask which promises the blessing of fertility to the home.



Designer Instinct As a designer, Tanika understands the worth of a good entryway, both as a functional part of daily living and as a design characteristic, setting the tone for everything to come. She makes excellent use of her space on both fronts using a dark-stained wooden seat adorned with vibrant cushions in brilliant geometric patterns. Complemented by the modern, artistic mirror hanging above, the seat is the perfect place to sit while putting on shoes to pause for a moment after a long day, with an underside that doubles as storage for shoes.



Accessorizing With Mementos In the hallway leading to the bedroom, even more artwork awaits. Much like the map of Paris from the kitchen, big metallic lanterns are mementos from the couple's wedding. Tanika maintained the Moroccan bits for use in the house, pairing them with a 200-year old, hand-painted Chinese chest. The oversized Scrabble pieces set above, also started as part of the wedding decoration, spelling from the couple's initials. The combination of modern metallics with classic global wares is a hallmark of Tanika's design and one of those secrets to her beautiful home.



Statement Wall This comfy bedroom includes layers of textures and layout all set against a striking black feature wall. The rustic, wooden bed frame stands out against the colorful and varied patterns of this throw pillow. To the right of this bed, a large ampersand, a symbol of connection that was featured in Tanika and Brian's wedding sits by the window. Its weathered metal is the great replica of the weathered wood of the headboard - after a room divider that Tanika repurposed to your room.



Family Portrait Opposite the bed, a large art screen hangs on the dresser. The paintings--a series created by Tanika's talented younger sibling--depicts most of the members of their family including the couple's puppy.



Decorating With Whimsy To the left of the bed, a little astronaut figurine holds another wedding memory, pressed flowers from the table. Adding artwork and accessories from significant events and places is the ideal way to make an area that is full of significance and connection. And adding moments such as an astronaut on the bedside table helps create a relaxed and fun setting that feels like home.



Cool Collections By the door, a final collection of artworks reiterates Tanika's certainty that art "ought to be things you love and people you love." A set of sketches of the happy couple sit beside woven artwork and also a ceramic doggie sculpture to the puppy.



Global Elements Within the kitchen, this window offers another magnificent vantage of this view below. On the sill, a combo of beautiful and practical pieces bring together the different ways this space is utilized. Meanwhile bright green bar stools produce a pop of color that divides the neutral-heavy space while providing seating to what is typically a standing-room-only space.



Color Pop In this house, art is a statement of sentiment as much as an aesthetic statement. This map of Paris is a constant reminder of a honeymoon spent in the City of Lights. Reflected in the map is the presence of another piece of artwork--that one a gift from from one of Brian's old buddies that gives an edgy, contemporary look at the couple's kitchen.



Art With Meaning A creative parting gift from Tanika and Brian since the couple shows us what they love about their life together and also where they share that, far above everything.