The Home Page | Neon Lights, Big City Sights, and Holiday Glow
From Vegas to the Big Apple
This edition of The Home Page was originally emailed to subscribers on November 13, 2022. To receive Sarah Sinclair’s real estate newsletter in your inbox each Sunday, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.
I love neon. One of my happy places is the Neon Museum in Downtown Las Vegas, where their “neon boneyard” preserves old neon signs from casinos and hotels and lays them out in a twinkling walk-through exhibit that’s inspiring, educational, and always on my must-do list when I’m in town.
I was mesmerized by Jeff Shelton’s story about his own love of neon and the manner in which he “helped” his alma mater, the University of Arizona’s College of Architecture, update the sign on their building when he was a student there in the early, early 1980s.
In this instance, a picture is no substitute for a thousand words. I highly recommend Jeff’s account of the process and the lifelong friendship it fostered.
As we roll headlong into the holiday season, and we’re actually experiencing some crisp autumn weather here in the Santa Barbara area, I’m sure I’m not the only one whose mind turns to cozy, at-home pursuits. Nothing says “home for the holidays” like a well-decorated fireplace mantel like the one shown above. True confession: I don’t have a fireplace, but I try to ad-lib something as a stand-in each holiday season.
While surfing Instagram in this fireplace-envy frame of mind, I found a very cool before-and-after fireplace renovation story, with DIY steps along the way. Here’s the “before” of her 1930s home:
And then the almost unbelievable “after” shot:
If it seems too good to be true, check out the reel of this two-month project, as shown in 12 seconds.
A luxurious penthouse in Manhattan is way on the other side of the spectrum from my cozy, beachy Santa Barbara lifestyle. I guess sometimes it’s those exotic other-world options that strike the most fantasy-filled adoration. Plus, this isn’t just any luxury penthouse. It’s Trevor Noah’s dramatic 3,600-square-foot Hell’s Kitchen home, with unobstructed views of the city, a floating staircase, and stylish details that make it “as attractive as the homeowner.” Here’s a glimpse of the interior, which Noah has painstakingly updated since purchasing the duplex in 2017:
The home is located on both the 17th and 18th stories of the historic New York Telephone Building. Originally designed in the 1920s by Ralph Thomas Walker, who was recognized in 1957 by the New York Times as the “Architect of the Century,” the building was converted to apartments in 2014 and renamed the Stella Tower after Walker’s late wife.
If I lived here, I might never leave this incredible lobby!
Need more inspiration? We’ve got a gorgeous Carpinteria cottage on the cover, beautiful local listings to ogle inside, and 50 open house listings to consider if you want to get out and about and visit real, live houses for sale this afternoon. Happy Sunday, whether you’re out house hunting or cozying up at home. Thanks for stopping by!
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