AB: What has been your favorite project?
CM: The stuff that I'm working on now is pretty exciting. Part of the reason why I came back to this firm is that I felt more experienced and that couldn't happen again. Also, the company's changed. We're doing a condominium project in the West Village where we're in charge of the interior, so we're designing all kitchens for all the units, all the bathrooms, the lobby spaces, the amenity spaces, like the gym, the spa -
AB: Fancy building?
CM: Very fancy building. It's on the West Side Highway near the Richard Meier buildings and it's green. It meets all these criteria for energy efficiency and that's been great to learn about, because I didn't know anything about that before.
AB: So, what do they do - they obviously have to use steel and stuff.
CM: Part of it is that a percentage of the materials have to come from within a 500 mile radius. It's a point system - you can get the point or you can not get the point. You get a certain number of points - there are certain criteria level of certification. If you get a certain percentage of your materials from within a 500 mile radius, then you get x-amount of points. That reduces the amount of transportation, carbon dioxide…
AB: What do you think of all the new buildings going up? I work in Chelsea and I spend a lot of time in the West Village and every block it seems like -
CM: It's insane how much of New York is under construction - in Manhattan, Williamsburg, everywhere! I think probably 90% of the stuff going up is complete crap. The problem with New York architecture: it's so expensive to build and you invest so much money to make things happen, that corners are cut in terms of design and aesthetics, so what goes up is not top quality product, because people are trying to make as much money as they can, because they're spending so much money to make these things. So much of New York architecture is developer-oriented and dictated that you don't get a great product. There are certainly exceptions, but most of the stuff going up isn't very nice.
AB: They're never, ever going to be able to fill up all these apartments. And if they do, it's just going to be rich people.
CM: Yeah, well, that all ties into New York changing.
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Jossip Initiatives
Chad is very mellow and has a very good understanding of himself. That is something many people in our society never even consider. My luck to Chad and Ed in NYC or Yucca Valley.
It's who you are not where you are.
Danny,
Long Beach, CA.
Belmont Heights ( just blocks from OC)
blah blah blah…yawn…
Speaking of design, the blog containing this article needs a redesign. A thirteen page article with just a few lines of content on each page? I quit already.
I agree with Tiger. It was very tedious to read an article spread over so many webpages.
The commentary so far illustrates those divergent individuals who blog on Queerty.
The first person, dantiger, was positive, upbeat and he himself has a "very good understanding of himself".
However, there is a group of LBG persons who actually live in self-loathing transferred into words and behaviours that this 61 year old guy would call a "bitchy queen."
Many minorities suffer from this "dis ease". It is the acceptance of majority loathing for despised minorities. It is spending lives in closets in some part of their lives. It is often about loathing certain segments of the LGB or the T community as a whole.
It has made this old bishop stay on his Canadian blogs, and lurk and visit to observe the very sins that others accused my American spouse and me about. Nothing new, I have heard enough confessions in my life to realise that the world is not purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr fect…….just cattttttttttttttttttttttyyyyyyyy.
Who the hell is this guy and why should we care?
His boyfriend needs to lay off the sauce and take a much-needed nap.
I too was annoyed with the picture/text to page ratio as I was going through the article, but the pictures are amazing. That place looks so soothing–I love the relaxed, eclectic vibe of the apartment–kind of like the anti-interior designers answer to interior design. There is an authenticity and sincerity to the look of this place you don't find on the pages of interior design magazines these days. Big ups to McPhail.
Kitchen utensils in a Dixie cup on a laminate counter? Teddy Bear in cutesy costume on the bed? this guy is a designer??? Queerty, why not just go to the Men's Drop-In shelter across from Port Authority for a design feature?
That is a vintage glass bowl holding utensils, a real butcher block counter, and an antique Babar from childhood on the bed. I suppose you shop at BangBang Men and West Elm for all your household needs?
Friend of Chad; I don't care about their provenance, where they were bought, or how much they cost. they're fugly.
Wild, you get it. Authenticity and sincerity, this is the man I raised. He designs for others, he lives for himself and those he loves. Whether you care doesn't really matter. It is about life, about a man who has known who he is for many years, a man who is confident, loving, generous, sensitive and devoted. Isn't that what life is all about? Love, Mom
GRIZZZZZLY BEAR IS EFFIN AMAZING CHECK THEM OUT!
UHHH… thanks mom.
My mom doesn't "get" NY apartments at all.
Chad, we are so proud of you!!! You got yourself a feature spread in an online, "subculture" magazine. Your house is so nice and neat, it makes Dana long for Santa Barbara again. Oh, Dana wanted me to let you know she's getting married and I am going to be her maid of honor (yay!). We miss you, come back to your roots, and by roots, we don't mean the high desert. You look as handsome as ever. Way to go Chad! Hi Ed:)
Sorry "off subject" Will someone please tell this small town southern guy what "poppin" means?
Thanks Danny.
UG! Why should just any old drip be able to comment on Chad's personal taste? Thank God I don't have to read every one's hick opinion of articles I flip through in the Doctor's office waiting-room. And thank Jezus for Deb Korobkin!
I really enjoyed the interview & photos
I kinda knew (of) Chad when he worked for Laura Kirar - he's kind of scenester/hipster designer wannabe. No offense, but that was one of the most boring articles I ever read. "I like mid century modern" - wow…. exciting.