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Take a tour of a modernist apartment in New York City.

That's All There Is to It When It Comes to Brazilian Design!

When Bonobos founder Andy Dunn and his wife, Manuela Zoninsein, bought their three-bedroom apartment on the historic Great Jones Street in New York City, they recognized that having an open floor plan was essential. They both come from large families (hers Brazilian, his American, Indian, and Scandinavian) and like entertaining. Moving into a larger home with fewer walls made sense after welcoming their first child, Izzo, in October 2020. The couple turned to their trusty friend, New York interior designer Becky Shea, for help, and she did not disappoint. Shea, who also furnished the couple's former Greenwich Village apartment, says, "I built the layout with the primary goal of entertaining in mind."  buy property in qatar

“Working with Becky on our previous home and again on this one was a lot of fun since she has a good feel of our aesthetic,” Zoninsein says. This second residence reflects that aesthetic, which includes a great admiration for Brazilian modernism. Glass, wood, and stone—all of which are traditional Brazilian design materials—are frequently used in the apartment to create basic and organic aspects. “Manuela was the driving force behind the interiors,” Shea says of her client, whose ancestry is particularly visible in the main room of the property. (In fact, Brazilian designers are responsible for 90% of the furniture in the residence.) “Every piece could stand alone and still be appreciated for its materiality and design,” Shea argues. Brazilian [craft] is notable for this kind of material and structure harmonization.”

Whether it's salvaged wood on the dining table from their previous apartment or a passed-down piece of art in the room, Zoninsein like the idea of repurposing. “If you invest in something lovely, it may last a lifetime,” she observes. The fact that so many of the famous Brazilian pieces, such as the old sofas in the living room, are known to the Rio de Janeiro native is also comforting. With a giggle, she explains, "Everything you see...is something I saw and sat on as a child in Brazil."

Shea originally wanted to paint the entire apartment in that Brazilian modernist style, but she changed her mind about Dunn's den, which she characterizes as "a weird, cool acid trip." The design inspiration for his little corner changed away from Brazil and toward the United States (particularly, the Old World–inspired hotels of midtown Manhattan). “I really wanted to feel like I was in a library like the one at the NoMad New York,” says the author. "I've always felt that when you move into a new property, it doesn't seem like home until the books go up," Dunn observes. Shea traveled to the NoMad Hotel in Manhattan to study every component of its design, from the soft-to-the-touch textures on the sofas to the gloomy hues on the walls, and put her own spin on the worldly, masculine space. Dunn reflects, "You really get the impression of being in a warm and pleasant setting." Plus “all of the colors of the books absolutely pop.”

What the couple loves most about their new home, though, is the narrative behind it. “They are romantics and storytellers,” Shea readily confesses. Dunn and Zoninsein were very intentional in every decision they made because they wanted to feel linked to each and every piece. “I always want to tell people the complete story of where we acquired things, but I have to hold back,” Zoninsein adds with a grin. “Every element is incredibly personal to us, and that was the point.” Indeed.

These YouTubers are the most expensive homes in America

Real state vloggers offer viewers an intimate picture of costly penthouses and huge mansions, gathering millions of views and subscribers.

Enes Yilmazer has toured some of the world's most costly homes. He's exploring penthouses at the Billionaire Row in New York, palatial beach houses in Malibu, California, and Lake Tahoe waterfront mansions. He oohed, aahed the views of the Central Park, marble floors, infinity swimming pools, retractable roofing and candy walls and had an explosion of 8- and 9-figure immovables across the country.

Mr. Yilmazer, 31, is not a wealthy buyer, nor is he a real estate agent at the present time. Instead, he is one of a handful of YouTubers, amateur video hosts and producers who bring usual people to the megarich mansions on their laptops or cell phones. Mr Yilmazer's videos offer millions of views and inspire tens of thousands of comments with over 820,000 subscribers on their Youtube channel.

"Imagine forgetting something on your way out, and going 5-6 days or less to get it," one unbelievable commenter wrote on Mr. Yilmazer's recent video of a huge $38 million estate in the costly Calabasa area of Los Angeles. "How many people it would take to clean this place!" another one told Bel Air Chateau about 50 million dollars.

In some ways, YouTubers like Mr. Yilmazer offer a response to the MTV Cribs phenomenon in the beginning of the 2000s, offering the masses a rare glimpse of how 0.1 percent actually live. But instead of getting a peak through the eyes of a film star or a slightly celebrity image agent, they see such houses through the eyes of a regular guy like them in shows such as "Bravo's Million Dollar Listing."

Two years ago Mr. Yilmazer and his long-time friend Michael Ayers began the channel with a handheld camera, which would allow a top-of-the-range real estate agent to film any house, he said.

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