As with clothes, the way you decorate a room expresses your personality. In its most ideal form, it signals to guests how you interpret yourself. In this round of Real Cool People, Real Cool Apartments, we check out the West Chelsea home of Lele Sadoughi, the designer behind the eponymous label. Our intentions behind the creeping: to learn what she’s all about.
Neighborhood, # of rooms:
West Chelsea, 12 rooms (5 bedrooms) plus 8 bathrooms
How long have you lived here?
Four years
What do you like about the neighborhood?
I love all the galleries and open space near the West Side Highway. Also, my children’s school is visible from the front door. Our home allows for a lot of light, and we have kept all the walls white to make it feel spacious and airy.
Who do you live with?
I live with my husband and two kids. My son is 5 and my daughter is almost 4.
What did you think about when decorating?
Like designing jewelry, I start with a mood board. I also love to scour flea markets and fabric stores to find unique pieces that can be upholstered and fixed up. Once I have settled on a budget, I prefer buying amazing quality, original mid-century pieces to refurbish than I do new pieces of furniture that aren’t as well-built.
What do you do for work?
I am the designer and owner of Lele Sadoughi. My team meets in the office upstairs and we create jewels and headbands…and soon a home collection!
If we were a fly on the wall of your home for a weekend, what would we typically see?
My kids are always climbing up and down the stairs. Sometimes, we stay home all day without realizing it because we change floors to play in the playroom, watch a movie in the living room and have a family meal in the backyard.
What do you think your home says about you? And how do you want visitors to feel when they walk into it?
Our home has welcomed so many people. In addition to our kids, we also have friends over, as well as buyers and editors. It is not a typical house since our office is on the top floor. We have an elevator, so we bring buyers and press straight to the top. I always have to explain that we are in my house and the office is on the top floor. Having my work and home in one place gives people the opportunity to see my DNA and how I live my life, which is important since Lele Sadoughi is a lifestyle brand. This one of the reasons why I am so thrilled to extend the brand into home decor.
Where is your favorite place in your home and why?
I love the solace and clean palette of the second floor living space with the green plants and malachite accents. I have had many creative meetings and cocktail parties in this room.
What are your favorite home “scores”?
The mid-century pink salmon velvet dining chairs around my dining table are my favorite scores. I found them on 1stdibs.com and went to the warehouse in New York with cash and got an amazing deal. They are so colorful and unexpected for dining chairs. I just adore them. The pink took convincing for my husband to accept, but he finally came around.
What’s something about your home you want to change and why?
I want to add more pattern to the house. I have been searching for some colorful rugs and new wallpapers.
What’s something you’ve been looking for forever but still have yet to find?
I want a brass mid-century coffee table for the living room and a hand-woven carpet for my bedroom.
Where do you look for decorating inspiration?
1stdibs.com and Pinterest. Plus I follow the hashtag #elledecor.
What’s the best piece of decorating wisdom you’ve ever heard?
Do not buy an entire room from a catalogue. Fill it with personal items from trips and pieces you have inherited over the years. I appreciate new things, but have a particular fondness for older items that have been refurbished and repurposed for a modern space. It gives new life to pieces and feels fresh. I also like to invest in sofas and tables and change up the side chairs and rugs every so often. Accessorize your home as you would outfit with costume jewelry, letting things evolve according to your mood and the colors you’re interested in seeing. Invest in the basics so you can change up the accessories constantly.
Photos by Heidi’s Bridge.
