The Freedom of Newness

Design editor Wendy Goodman takes you inside the city’s most exciting homes and design studios. [Design Hunting]( A visual diary by Design Editor Wendy Goodman David Zhang and Sarah Kim in their living room. They designed the abstract patches on the wall as scratching pads for Tomo (pictured) and Uncle. Photo: Dean Kaufman Sarah Kim and David Zhang met during their freshman year at NYU when they lived two floors away in the same dorm. On the eve of their graduation, they started to look for a place to move into together, ending up in the Denizen, a new apartment complex in Bushwick that they had often passed on the way to visiting friends but had always dismissed as being “too big and weird,” Kim says. But the rent was right, and the apartment they found had the instant appeal of what Zhang describes as the “freedom of newness.” That freedom gave them the inspiration to design most of the furniture there and launch their own design company, Homeroom. Young and in love with talent to spare and a new business is a story we all can celebrate. [Take a tour]( Also on Curbed: Justin Davidson on how the office — [remember the office?]( — was a uniquely New York invention. Also: Kimberly Drew [visited]( MoMA’s “Reconstructions” show; Robin Rose Hilleary [recommended]( Bruno Munari’s 1973 book, A Flower With Love; and Valeria Ricciulli [spoke]( with mayoral candidate Dianne Morales. Best, Wendy Goodman Never miss a detail: [Subscribe]( for unlimited access to New York. Design Happenings Five things to check out this week. • Listen to [Broken Nature](, a podcast hosted by Paola Antonelli, senior curator of architecture and design at MoMA. The first episode in the four-part series, which explores “our fragile ties to the environment,” was released today. • Stop by [Hudson Yards]( (or NYCxDESIGN’s [Instagram]() to follow the work of four recent graduates as they transform a storefront on the fourth floor into a pop-up design studio. • Make an appointment at Hauser & Wirth’s 69th street location to see a [new exhibition]( of abstract expressionist sculptures by David Smith. • And while you’re uptown, check out Gagosian Gallery’s exhibition of new paintings by [Helen Marden](, “Bitter Light a Year.” • Add some tiny pops of color to your home with these bright new [wall hooks]( made by Chiaozza for Areaware. [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Curbed Open House Some apartments and homes on the market for you to peruse. [The best rent deals right now.]( [What you can buy right now for under a million dollars.]( Who Doesn’t Need a Personal Online Shopper? Some picks from the Strategist. Photo: Courtesy of Sydnee Washington [This lamp lights Zoom calls by day — and turns my home into a club at night](. Photo: Courtesy of Yoga With Adriene, Illustration: Joe McKendry [What yoga instructor Adriene Mishler can’t live without](. Photo: Liza Corsillo [What’s the best indoor smart garden?]( Introducing [My Week in New York](: a brand-new newsletter from the editors. [Sign up]( to get the next edition this Saturday. [GET THE NEWSLETTER]( [logo]( [facebook logo]( [instagram logo]( [twitter logo]( [unsubscribe](param=dh) | [privacy notice]( | [update preferences]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Was this email forwarded to you? [Sign up now]( to get this newsletter in your inbox. [View this email in your browser.]( You received this email because you have a subscription to New York. Reach the right online audience with us For advertising information on e-mail newsletters please contact AdOps@nymag.com Vox Media, LLC 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, 11th Floor Washington, DC 20036 Copyright © 2021, All rights reserved