“It’s Like a Womb”: Exploring Chloë Sevigny’s East Village Apartment
To quote Liam Hess, there lies a challenge within publications to find the exact words to describe the elusive Chloë Sevigny. With her work stringing from a rather odd & diverse knot, she says, “…It’s always been: ‘Oh, she’s the fashion girl, she’s the New York girl,” and rarely the actress who is more than willing to sacrifice everything for a given role.
Photo originally shot by Lele Saveri for Apartmento Magazine
On this side of the internet, however, one thing’s for sure: the indie-thespian-turned-bona fide it girl is nothing if not praised and revered for her effortlessly cool persona—on and off screen—often charming delusional girls and boys alike. Appearing in both Miu Miu campaigns and critically acclaimed films like Boys Don’t Cry, fashion’s cult muse Chloë Sevigny demands little to no introduction; simply earning that privilege in her own right. In light of today’s piece, we’ll instead explore her 1862 East Village garden residence featured in Apartmento Magazine back in 2009, and how it’s been a splitting image of the profile the actress has donned since her rise to stardom in the 90s.
The curation of the home environment is usually where one inevitably spills their creative prowess; one can uncover plenty about a person by observing how they utilize their interior space: how they prefer their patterns, the size of their couch, or how high the chairs. The same especially applies to Sevigny, who originally moved to New York in 1993, two days after graduating from high school in Connecticut. In the fall of 2005, while spending her roaring twenties renting apartment after another, she one day came across the house she calls home today: bare, looking for something “cozy” with “a lot of charm” — Chloë walked in, saw the low ceilings, and felt immediately at home.
Photo originally shot by Lele Saveri for Apartmento Magazine
“It had low ceilings and many details that were reminiscent of homes I’d grown up in and around Connecticut,” she says in the feature with Apartmento. “It felt like a womb.” A what? A womb. You read that right. The actress collaborated with designer David Cafiero—who happened to live near Sevigny’s apartment—to further alter the womb-like apartment to her eclectic personality, exuding a beaten-down, ‘70s, “I’ve lived here long!” kind of aura despite only moving 2 years prior. The house also has wide plank floors from 1862 along with bedroom fireplaces, both of which are Sevigny’s favorites. The actress also did a great job of incorporating hints of country into the space—it was like an escape from Manhattan in Manhattan, combining elements of old and new. From the memorabilia to the scattered pieces of art, these trivial yet complex pieces add depth to the place so similar to the owner. Pictured below is her extensive collection of Herend china:
Photo originally shot by Lele Saveri for Apartmento Magazine
Ultimately, the famed it girl’s home is a splitting image of herself. Virtually touring the house gives off a similar feel to a voyage through a woman’s messy wardrobe, it’s one surprise after another. Much similar to her 90s image, there’s this chic shabbiness to it, speaking on behalf of the scattered shoe collection, the skull painting inside the bathroom, to the black and white photos juxtaposed with pink walls. Her room is even more daring: an explosion of bright pinks paired with even brighter reds. The more you explore the space, the more you discover the multifaceted nature of its maximalism—even from the guest room, which had chintz screaming all over the place—most of which were inspired by American interior designer Billy Baldwin who championed the thought of, “Be faithful to your own taste, because nothing you really like is ever out of style.”
Photos originally shot by Lele Saveri for Apartmento Magazine
Chloë Sevigny’s house is much like herself: eclectic, playful, beautiful, more. She buys fresh flowers for her space almost every week. “I like fragrant flowers like lilies or hyacinths and I try to buy whatever is in season. […] Pink or red for the bedroom and yellow or purple for the living room.”
Nina C. is a 21-year-old law school dropout slash fashion blogger who writes under the pseudonym, nextlevelsolegit. She enjoys architecture, interior design, and Miuccia Prada.
Read her first column “Exactly, Bella: No Bed.” here