Sleek City Style

After 30 years in his New York City apartment, Peter Som is still finding new things to love.

- by MONIQUE VALERIS

New York City apartment hunting is not for the faint of heart, but fashion designer, cookbook author, and tastemaker Peter Som struck gold in 1996 when he stumbled upon a charming one-bedroom in a prewar building in Manhattan's West Village.

“It was probably the 20th apartment I had seen, and the moment I walked in, I knew this was it. It felt like home,” says Peter, a native of the San Francisco Bay Area.

From the classic proportions and the fact that it was flooded with natural light to the original floors and pronounced ceiling beams, the apartment offered much to appreciate. Plus, it was the ideal blank canvas for Peter, who loved a design challenge.