Lena Dunham is this month’s Domino cover girl, and in addition to a gorgeous piece of writing discussing her aesthetic identity and relationship to the concept of home, the Girls creator (who is currently working on another project with HBO) has gifted us a look at her never-before-seen current residence in downtown Manhattan.
Dunham, whose parents are both visual artists, recalls growing up with a mother who loved home design and moving around ("it’s a miracle that they survived the Williamsburg rental with the black lacquered kitchen and faux Warhol wallpaper," she writes of her parents). She also speaks frankly about buying a home with an ex (Jack Antonoff) and decorating the place by herself while he was away, only for him to come home and hate it. After they broke up, she writes, she panicked and bought another place in what she calls a "massive real estate mistake." "I never even moved in, and magazines wrote about it when I sold it at a loss. I was real-estate shamed," she writes.
But this sad story has a happy ending! Dunham’s current West Village home, which boasts pastel colors, printed chairs, and the requisite quirky touches one might expect of the woman who created Hannah Horvath and the gang, is a sight to behold. Scroll on for five things we learned about the place, then read the rest of Dunham’s essay and see more images on Domino.
Ariel Okin Designed It
Ariel Okin, one of our favorite interior designers and the woman behind the signature look of The Wing (which was founded by Dunham’s BFF Audrey Gelman), is responsible for, as Dunham puts it, "arrang[ing] the things I’ve accumulated in an inventive and loving way."
On Instagram, Okin wrote: "eternally grateful for @lenadunham, who let me be the jewish mom that i (almost) am, and gave me full reign to make her a home in the city, monogrammed towels and all."
Photos by Alberto Zanetti, courtesy of Domino.
It’s Got Plenty Of Ettore Sottsass
Furniture by 20th century Italian architect and designer Ettore Sottsass is having a serious moment. Dunham, who owns one of his signature Ultrafragola mirrors, joins a list of famous fans that include La Ligne founder Meredith Melling, musician Frank Ocean, art collector Raquel Cayre, interior designer Sasha Bikoff, Girlboss fouder Sophia Amoruso, and fashion editor Laurel Pantin.
"The Ultrafragola is having a moment because it’s functional AND cool (it’s the ultimate selfie mirror. It’s a light! It glows!)," explains Domino editor-in-chief Jessica Romm Perez. "Sottsass was the cool dad of the Memphis Movement and inspired so many designers, as well as current creative visionaries I admire like Anna Karlin, Camille Walala, and Sabine Marcelis."
But Dunham doesn’t stop there; her place also boasts a shelf and table (seen here) by Sottsass. "This Ettore Sottsass mirror is everything to me. The neon pink light creates the best mood," she writes.
Photos by Alberto Zanetti, courtesy of Domino.
The Art Collection Is, Of Course, Awesome
As the child of artists and a product of the downtown art scene, it comes as no surprise that Dunham has an enviable art collecting featuring the likes of Lisa Yuskavage and Rob Pruitt (pictured here). Of course, paintings by her father Carroll Dunham are also in the mix. And she has a framed copy of her Vogue cover, which, you know what? We would too.
Photos by Alberto Zanetti, courtesy of Domino.
It Makes Excellent Use Of Pastels
In fashion and home design alike, feminine pastel colors are trending. But there’s a fine line between a room that’s girly-cool and a place that looks like your fourth grade bedroom. Okin and Dunham nailed this balance by piling on pastel patterns — which are edgier and more interesting than just having one or two solid colors — and integrating brighter accents like a printed table lamp sourced from 1stdibs and the blue birds on the table.
The painting is by Kristen Reichert, who told Talking With The Pros, "In general, it’s always my goal to pick colors that play off one another in an interesting way and create a certain captivation. I find colors to be so intriguing and complex and I try to capture those complex relationships in my paintings."
Photos by Alberto Zanetti, courtesy of Domino.
She’s Got Great Linens
From cat-embroidered pillows by Hill House Home to sheets and monogrammed bath towels by Matouk, Dunham clearly respects the importance of comfy-yet-chic linens and towels. She also writes that she enjoy eating in bed — a woman after our own heart.
Photos by Alberto Zanetti, courtesy of Domino.
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Source: Refinery29 – Cait Munro