By her own admission, Leah Cumming has always been New York curious.
Her life felt entirely rooted in Los Angeles.
Im single, young, and had nothing really tying me down in Los Angeles, she says.
Photo: Michael Clifford
So I decided to do it.
On a sweltering day in August, she saw over 12 apartments in 24 hours.
Then, she signed the lease on one.
Furniture designer Leah Cumming at home in New York—her first apartment in the city after moving from Los Angeles.
Furniture designer Leah Cumming at home in New Yorkher first apartment in the city after moving from Los Angeles.
Its selling pointa large living roomwas also the biggest challenge.
So she looked at Art Deco parlors for inspiration.
You have different pockets and seating areas, Cumming says she observed while studying vintage photos.
All of her self-designed furniture had been created with beachy, airy Los Angeles living in mind.
They come from an old mens tailor, says Cumming.
They give me a little bit of a Magritte vibe.
Cumming jokes that the choice has affected her style as well: It even boils down to clothing.
At first, I could never imagine them in a contemporary kind of city apartment, she says.
Now that I see them in this context, Im like, Oh, this is very cool.
It just shows the versatility of the product.
