Homage to Personal History on Monroe Place

Living room in emerald green

A self-proclaimed history buff, Logan Gould proudly points out that every piece in his and Margot Heinlein’s collection of artwork and furniture has a personal, meaningful tie to the past. Even the couple’s choice of wall color – an unusual emerald green in the living room and a deep scarlet in the kitchen — links to their story. The couple met at Ohio State, and the jewel-tone red paint, Ohio Buckeye by Martha Stewart Living for Glidden, is named after the tree that inspired the school’s mascot. Heinlein explains why they chose the color for the kitchen: “We wanted to draw attention toward the window, away from the laminate cabinets we couldn’t do anything about.”

Their living room recalls an old-school New York social club, with a leather sofa, framed pennants and antlers mounted on one wall. Softer accents such as a light hued ottoman and pillows in toile fabric downplay the room’s masculinity. Also not to be overlooked are the nautical elements that accent the home: Buoys lie in corners of the living room, a pair of oars hang above the bed, and acrylic and oil paintings of both summer and winter beach scenes adorn walls throughout. Three paintings of scenes significant to the couple were painted by Heinlein herself, who was a fine arts minor in college. Unusual relics in the main living area include a set of five framed nails from the 1720s farmhouse in which Gould grew up in New Hope, Pa. During a renovation of the farmhouse, beams secured by the old iron nails were removed, and his parents gave sets of nails to him and each of his siblings as souvenirs. The wall color, China Green by Martha Stewart Living for Glidden, chosen for its gender neutrality, helps marry the masculine and feminine components of the room. It complements the blue tones of the sky that seep through windows and provides a nice backdrop for the couple’s art collection.

An antique cabinet and pump organ straddle the entrance to the living room

An inherited antique pump organ and cabinet sit in one corner of the living room; the cabinet serves as a bar and place to store bottles. Gould explains that its original key also comes in handy. “When my sister stays here and I’m away, I lock it and take the key with me. And you can’t duplicate the key.”

In contrast to the dark, den-like living room, the bedroom is airy and has a beachy feel, with light blue walls and framed vintage linen maps. “You don’t want to wake up in a bedroom that’s heavy,” Gould explained. “You don’t want it to be dark.”

Beyond the couple’s assemblage of personal artifacts, one of the most special features of the apartment is its view of lower Manhattan through original iron casement windows. As it’s the only high rise building on the block to face west, the view is prized, and almost rivals the décor.

Vintage oars hung above the bed act as a headboard

  Paintings and artifacts adorn a living room wall

The scarlet red wall in the kitchen draws the eye toward the window

 A repurposed piece of crown molding serves as a coat rack