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Apartment Envy: City Modern Home Tours

Amanda Gabriele
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If you live in a big city, you know how difficult it can be to make the most of a small space. How can you think about decorating when quarters are so close, your oven doubles as a nightstand? But if you’re a fan of Dwell, you know a tiny apartment is no excuse for poor design.

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So to inspire you, Dwell Media and New York magazine have teamed for the 2nd Annual City Modern, a series of events to elevate the level of discussion and awareness about how design effects all areas of urban lifestyles. The roster of happenings is stellar, but we are most excited for the home tours this weekend.

What are the City Modern home tours exactly? They’re a chance to see behind the closed doors of 10 private modern residences in Manhattan and Brooklyn. But these aren’t just any well-decorated pads. Designed and furnished by New York’s top architects and interior decorators, expect to see pools, chutes, glass ceilings and other details sure to put your jaw on the floor. To get an insider look at what to expect, we caught up with Alex Polier from Dwell who handpicked all of the homes on the tour. Check out our Q&A with her below.

You handpicked each of the stunning New York homes for the tour this coming weekend. What are some of the elements you looked for when adding a residence to the final list?
I looked for variety and wanted to showcase everything from family-oriented, to the bachelor pad, to something for the power couple. The goal, as always, is for tour attendees (Dwell readers) to be able to pull ideas from any home on the tours.

Is there one tour pad in particular you would choose to live in if you could?
Skyhouse

At Dwell, you believe good design is an integral part of real life, and we agree. But utilizing a tiny city space can be tricky. Any tips for the first time decorator looking to make the most of his or her small apartment?
In the November issue, which is all about small spaces, the average size of the homes featured is about 540 square feet. Interesting fact: the average square footage of homes in the United States (according to the 2013 US census) is 2,600. Check out the issue for tips and tricks. Our archives are also full of tons of great small space examples.

To purchase tickets for the Manhattan and Brooklyn City Modern home tours, visit citymodernnyc.com. A portion of proceeds from ticket sales benefits Architecture for Humanity, a nonprofit design services firm building a more sustainable future through the power of professional design.

Amanda Gabriele
Amanda Gabriele
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Amanda Gabriele is a food and travel writer at The Manual and the former senior editor at Supercall. She can’t live without…
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