May/June 2007
Passions: Lee Mindel
Photos by Michael Moran
The architect and designer takes us through his graceful mid-century modern Manhattan duplex.
Frette and Pratesi bed linens
Creating Privacy
“Even though we’re making art, this is a service business. The only place I get to be really alone is in bed.” Mindel believes in creating a sumptuous refuge—both in his own room and his guest room. It starts with a handmade, Swedish pine and cotton Duxiana mattress, then down pillows, and finally, soft European cotton sheets.
Apple MacBook Pro laptop
Manipulating the Image
“Sometimes to capture something that you’re feeling and find a way to record it is the greatest gift you can give people.” For Mindel, taking pictures and organizing them in his computer is almost a way of physically processing his experiences. His Apple laptop is filled with slideshows—trips to the Kjaerholm house on the North Sea, Windsor Castle in England, Romanian architecture. He snaps the photos while traveling, then, back home, arranges them with a soundtrack—everything from Petula Clark to Christina Aguilera—and shares them with friends. “You get to animate it and make more of the moment and the memory.”
Jules LeLeu three-legged wooden table; V'Soske custom rug.
Delineation of Space
In the living room, with its beautiful views and carefully chosen objects, Mindel needed a floor covering that provided structure without detracting from the action. “The floors had to be flat and simple—we couldn’t have fluffy.” When Mindel couldn’t find the rug he needed, he went to the renowned rugmaker V’Soske and worked with them to make exactly what he wanted. “We took the cotton matting that rugs are usually backed in and we just coated it with latex.” The beige minimal rug works almost like a canvas, delineating the space and unifying the objects in a subtle composition.
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