One of my favorite homes to be featured in our dearly departed Domino is that of Katie Lee Joel, chef, cookbook author, and wife of Billy Joel. The downtown New York town house (in the West Village) was designed with the help of Nate Berkus, one of my favorite interior designers. I adore the palette used in this downtown town house. It is serene and sophisticated. The floorplan was updated with the help of architect, Ahmad Sardar-Afkhami, who knocked down several walls to create an open, gracious space, perfect for entertaining. After all, this is the home of a chef and the Piano Man!
The light grey walls and dark wood floors provide a neutral palette for the original architectural details, like the fireplace and mouldings to really shine. I love the gilded nesting tables and upholstered chairs with the fabulous greek key arms.
In contrast to the formal living area in the previous photograph, the upstairs den is decidedly more casual. The room is dressed in various shades of gold and brown, along with forest green. The den features many textures, along with an extra long couch where the Joels often watch television together.
A close-up look at some peonies and vintage vases
The kitchen, dining room, and living room are all part of one large, open space. I absolutely love this dining room. I think the shelving filled with books and tchotchkes is phenomenal and keeps the room from feeling too formal. The fireplace is a wonderful feature, as well. The gorgeous table and chairs are French reproductions. The upholstery on the chairs is the perfect chocolate shade. Love, love, love those chairs! Notice that Joel opted for two small antique crystal chandeliers instead of one larger one. Do you like this idea?
How incredible are the floor-to-ceiling windows in the kitchen? The five-panel window frames were custom made. This is such my dream kitchen! The walls are painted in "Pale Smoke" by Benjamin Moore and the beautiful cabinetry was custom made. I also love her vintage French bistro table and chairs. The pup is adorable, too!
The kitchen was described by Domino as "a consummate cook's headquarters" and I couldn't agree more. 
The luxurious guest room features the same neutral palette carried over from throughout the rest of the house. The Joels often host out of town guests, and Katie designed it with her mother in mind. Nate Berkus installed a pair of 19th-century French boiserie panels on either side of the bed. The bed linens are from Leontine Linens.
I really love the windows in this house! Aren't they gorgeous? The bedroom also features a bench and zinc-top desk from Mecox Gardens, as well as a Frances Elkins chair. Berkus used Benjamin Moore's "Cliffside Gray" in this room. 
The piece-de-resistance of the Joels' apartment was left out of Domino, but was later featured in Town and Country Magazine. 
The dressing room was inspired by the grand hotels of 1930's Paris. The 105 square foot space is covered in $25,000 worth of gold leaf. According to the architect, "we wanted it to be a place where the act of dressing would be heightened to an exquisite ritual". 
Is it over the top? Absolutely! However extravagant, it is hard to deny to beauty and glamour of Joel's dressing room. 
The Joels appeared on Oprah a few months ago and gave viewers a tour of the home. The photo above and immediately below are from Oprah. Click here to watch Katie give viewers a tour of her home. 
I absolutely adore this home. It feels elegant and grown up, yet not at all stuffy. Images via Domino Magazine, Town and Country Magazine, and Oprah.com
25 comments:
I love this home, too. Adore the kitchen and dining room. It's her that I can't stand. The gold digger is just so proud and smug.
I looove her home, It's the perfect kind of french look. So gorgeous.
This home is so classically beautiful, with all of the perfect modern touches. I know that most homes are staged for photos, but it doesn't look like they had to try very hard here..
I actually really like the idea of too smaller light fixtures instead of one large one.. I think it adds to the grandeur of this room..
Grazie
..Vitania
this home is beautiful! i'd love to cook a meal in the kitchen and snuggle up in that bed.
I know for a fact that she put a lot of work into that place. And she's no gold digger. She really loves the guy. And why not? He's very loveable.
Loved her home in Domino! One of my very favorites. And I loved her fun citrus-y dress too.
What a gorgeous and clean space, I love it!
I really loved the paint colors in the entire apartment. Do you know the other colors used in the apartment? I am trying to pick colors for our new home and I find it to be so hard.
Wow, toots hit the jackpot huh? This is a beautiful classic townhouse. It's got all the modern amenities without loosing it's period details. I love the original fireplace and the moldings. I'm not crazy about the stair rail. That's definitely not original to the home.
Good job Nate!
I loved this feature too.
Even though I think its ridiculous Billy Joel is married to someone young enough to be his daughter, she does seem like a cool woman! She has amazing taste.
i love her home...
Sherry, let me know which colors you are interested in and I will try to find out for you.
I want that dressing room! In love!
Miss K
www.simplylovelyideas.blogspot.com
The color in the entry and the den. You can see the den color in the video link. I have been enjoying your blog for some time now. I've made a feeble attempt at starting my own. It's a work in progress just like our house. Thanks for your help.
Sherry, I believe the entry is also Pale Smoke by Benjamin Moore. It seems that they used that for the entire downstairs area. I couldn't find anything on the den, but I'll let you know if I do. Thank you for reading! :)
Absolutely beautiful home. especially like the small two seater table set at the side of the kitchen.
Wonderful!
Love the house. Do NOT like her!
This house has long been a favorite of mine. The windows are to die for! Yes, I do love the double chandeliers.
this was one of my absolute favorites. it's one of those instances where i fell for every room for different reasons. to imagine them all in one house?? over the top! i die!! :) the bedroom is simple perfection!
love this one, like so many others seem to as well. thanks for the look at the other rooms, I hadn't seen the T&C feature or the Oprah video.
that closet -- wow. I can see why Domino left it out, it doesn't relate to the way they approached the house -- as a casual, comfortable retreat.
I love it!! I had seen the Oprah video, but it had been a while... so it was such a treat to watch it again!! Soaked it all up!! Great post!!!!!
I love Katie Lee Joel...love her award-winning burger...her husband's music...and now her lovely home.
I adore this house!!!
I really enjoyed watching the Oprah piece - love the idea of using a chest as a bar with storage for wine glasses inside.
I also love that the trim is painted black in the windows of the kitchen - or do the windows have steel grids? Beautiful.
Love the entire home... I want to be her when I grow up, smile...
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