A FEMININE—AND FEMINIST—APARTMENT IN HELL’S KITCHEN GOES BIG
The one-bedroom home is a ladies-only oasis for Leota founder Sarah Carson, except for Bartholomew, the life-sized peacock statue.
Feminist and feminine aren't always descriptors that co-exist, but in Sarah Carson’s one-bedroom home in Hell’s Kitchen, both adjectives live in pink and perfect harmony.
Carson is the founder of Leota, a fashion company that focuses on female empowerment through inclusive sizing and ethical production. Leota’s wrinkle-free dresses are a whirl of colors and patterns, and Carson tapped Homepolish designer Amy Courtney to craft a home with personality to match.
“'I want this space to be uber-feminine,'” she told Courtney. “'And I’m not afraid to go all out.'”
These directives materialized as a parade of statement pieces that would put off a minimalist and charm everyone else. Think: A Kelly Wearstler lamp on top of a table with bronze bird legs by Arteriors Home—beside a Jonathan Adler vase featuring “hundreds of boobs.” Plus, there’s a chainmail chandelier in front of political art and a life-sized peacock sculpture named Bartholomew.
And that’s just the living room.
The decor is spectacularly extra, but the tiny home offers a lesson in balance, as the end result is ultimately neutral. The design’s cohesion required multiple image boards and healthy self-restraint. Carson is type of client who would say “'love it, yes,’” to everything, and Courtney says she had to really think about where a piece would live the home in order to prevent too many good things.
