The Objects of Her Affection

I also borrowed the concept of vintage from fashion, to throw in a retro curve. When you shop for vintage, take someone who has an eye. A designer friend helped choose this zebra-skin settee, which helps bring an African feel to the room.

Originally, I had planned to strew books throughout the apartment—until sheer volume rendered that notion impractical. Still, I often pull books from shelves near the tent and place them among treasured curios, such as the carved wooden mermaid on my coffee table.

They, like the framed photographs hanging on the walls of my dressing room, help this apartment tell the story of my life.