When Guyana-born Minetta Archer was transferred from Chicago to New York City in 2009, she made a contingency plan to return on the first plane if things didn’t work out. To her surprise, it took no more than two months before she was hooked — instead of planning to move back to Chicago, she was already making plans to stay in New York for the long haul.
Minetta’s husband, Ozgur Aslan, a personal trainer, has also had a somewhat unexpected love affair with New York. Originally from Turkey, Ozgur moved to the city three years ago, after completing a government contract in Turkmenistan. He initially returned to Turkey but soon realized that he was longing for a bigger adventure. Having visited New York several times before, Ozgur knew that living there would be an experience of a lifetime. He sold his apartment and all of his belongings, and took a leap of faith. Within three months, Ozgur met Minetta — three months after that, the two married and have been going strong for three years. “I think maybe ‘3’ should be our lucky number,” Minetta laughs.
Shortly after the two met, Ozgur moved into Minetta’s two-bedroom apartment in Harlem, which she has rented ever since moving to the city. Minetta originally chose the area for its comparatively slower pace and value-for-money rentals. The apartment itself was ideal thanks to its layout with bedrooms at the rear, more than ample closet space and light shining through from windows at either end. Over the years, Minetta’s decorating style has changed tremendously. Many of the pieces she brought with her from Chicago have been replaced, and safer design choices have made way for bold accents, unique wallpaper and fearless experimentation with textures and colors. At the time Ozgur moved in, Minetta had already developed a good sense of the design direction for the apartment. “Luckily he’s been a real trooper in letting me take the reins of the design,” Minetta explains, “but we’ve also been able to compromise, which is why there are Legos prominently featured as decoration in our apartment!”
Until recently, Minetta was a sales manager for a major cosmetics company. An unexpected layoff caused her to re-examine her career. “I’ve always enjoyed decorating and was constantly helping friends and family pull their homes together. There was always a need in me to turn my creative endeavors into my full-time job, but the timing never seemed right,” Minetta shares. Realizing that she would never have full control over things that happen in any job, Minetta decided it was time to turn her passion into a career, and more importantly, work hard to create her own future rather than rely on someone else. Although the process has been challenging and a big learning curve, Minetta hasn’t regretted a single minute of it. Her home has served as the perfect canvas for experimenting and honing her skills as a decorator. Now, the four-story walk-up is a cheerful representation of Minetta’s style and creative mindset. What started off with upholstering a sofa in green velvet has taken Minetta on a decorating journey that has involved everything from wallpapering and painting each nook and cranny, to rearranging and styling her favorite pieces. “I’ve learned […] that pretty much anything can be reversed, so why not take a chance?” —Sofia
Photography by Minetta Archer / @minettaarcher
Image above: Minetta tried to maximize functionality in the relatively small living area by creating different zones — lounging, watching TV, working, eating, dining and entertaining can all be done in different areas of the same space.
from Design*Sponge http://www.designsponge.com/2017/12/a-harlem-rental-that-fearlessly-embraces-the-color-wheel.html
from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/168679818439
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