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well-lit home feels like entering a museum.
Colorful artwork hangs on almost every
wall, and knickknacks from her travels rest
on tables and shelves. Her home reflects
the “melting pot” quality of New York that
drew her here in the first place.
The first thing guests see is a large circular
rug in the entryway. Homann, while
not religious, is very spiritual and finds
symbolism in many things. The circle symbolizes
unity and makes for a peaceful
entrance. A knee-high Buddha statue sits
beside it, surrounded by two plants and a
tall mirror — simple and calming.
Turn the corner and the living space
is long, packed with interesting art and
furniture. On the day I visited, there were
tall, pink tulips in a vase on the white living
room table – fitting, since it was International
Women’s Day, as she reminded
me. They also effortlessly complemented
the pink, blue and grey abstract art on the
wall above.
“Art, as you can see, is my happy place,”
Homann said. “I have it everywhere. Some
people are scared of art; they don’t know
what to do with it. There’s nothing to do;
just look at it!”
A 3-D piece hangs on a wall nearby. It’s
constructed from reels of photo film rolled
up into beautiful designs. “This one’s about
all the stories we have that we don’t expose,”
Homann explained.
Perhaps the most striking element is a collection
of statues and relics from her and her
husband’s travels. Her husband, Tarun, is
from India, so the couple travels often to visit
family and to feed their wanderlust. There
are collections of Buddhas, candles, beads
and even a statue that once belonged to
Homann’s grandmother.
On the far left of the display there are
rows of beakers filled with water. This honors
a charity Homann and her husband set
up when they married in 2010 called “Gift of
Water,” a project aimed at creating safe water
sources in villages throughout East India.
In lieu of gifts at their 2010 wedding in
Germany, they asked guests to donate to this
newly established fund.
“Everyone had to travel, it’s a lot of expenses,
and I don’t need another toaster. I
just want people to be there to have a good
time,” Homann said. “So I told my husband —
I had just come back from a polio vaccination
trip in India — ‘We have to do something with
Photos courtesy of Nadine Homann
water.’” And Gift of Water was born and still
continues to this day.
So far, they’ve successfully established 14
wells — represented by the 14 beakers on
display in their apartment— and the couple
visits often to check up on the villages.
Turn away from the impressive display
and you’ll spot event more mementos from
their travels: a tall wooden African statue, a
pipe and more art. An indoor plant stands
tall in the corner — it’s hard to miss as it looks
like it’s been pulled from the jungle, but it
somehow ties the room together.
Along with art, light is also very important
to Homann. While the spacious windows
offer ample natural light, Homann
has had to improvise with the light fixtures
as only a skilled interior designer
could. There are three large lights on the
ceiling in the living room, all beginning
from the same solo fixture in the middle
of the ceiling, swooping out like tentacles
to hit all areas of the room.
The space is truly a designer’s dream,
combining her signature sleek style with
personal mementos.
“My home is like all my inspiration,”
Homann said with a smile.
DiWine