10 Enchanting NYC Bookstores to Support During These Surreal Times

Books aren’t fair weather friends. No matter what, we can always rely on the words of the authors we love to taste life twice (so says Anaïs Nin, who sure lived a spicy life). Now, more than ever, it’s our turn to help support the guardians of these words: our cities’ independent booksellers. We’re talking…

A Brief Compendium, or an Ode, if you will, to Celebrate Balconies

As the world stays home, we would like to opt for a new euphemism for life in quarantine: Nesting. Last week, we dove into the plushy world of retro conversation pits. Today, we’re pivoting to the glory of the balconies – which have become the world’s incidental stages at this strange time. They’re teaching us…

I Visited 18 Countries Today, How about You?

Not to brag, but I went all over the world today – before I’d even stopped for lunch! In these unprecedented times, when one of our greatest passions – travel – is taken away from us, it calls for a back-up plan. And that my fellow explorer, is armchair travelling. In addition to falling down…

How a Curious Bunch like Us can Help in Times like These

Where do I begin? Or a better question – how can I help in a time like this? Together, we’ve built a truly unique community of people that shares a very particular mindset. So let’s stick to what we’re good at and put it to some use. For the past decade here at MessyNessyChic, we’ve been…

The Vault

New York Spring Guide 2020

After a long and frosty winter, Springtime rolls around to pull New Yorkers out of hibernation and into the sun – which won’t stop from shining, no matter what news headlines arrive. But as we gear up to enjoy the unfurling al fresco cafes and new exhibits, New Yorkers are being asked to work together,…

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Life Inside a Genie’s Lamp, in Brooklyn

There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who furnish, and those who decorate. “My apartment is something that has evolved over time,” says New York City interior decorator Sean McNanney, “Ultimately my main inspiration is an Upper East Side classic six transported to Wes Anderson’s take on Old Constantinople – if that…

Someone should Buy this Old Captain’s Mansion in NY, before it gets Demolished

History is its own, curious commodity in the United States (where we are notoriously good at razing architectural treasures), and what makes this home – known as “the Turtle House” – so special. A rare pearl nestled in the Hudson Valley, New York, it was constructed in 1822 and just hit the market for the…

Someone Reinvented the Futuro House and put it on Airbnb

In 1968, a Finnish architect designed what would become a controversial but iconic example of mid-century architecture, inspired by the post-war futurism and space exploration. The Futuro house was all set for mass production around the world, marketed as the ideal “portable” ski chalet or beach house, promising to change the way we lived. Some…

Mother & Daughter Buy an Abandoned Chateau, Invite You to Stay as they Restore It

Back in 2013, we broke a story about a couple that bought an abandoned chateau and started a blog to share their journey. Widespread interest, longing and general FOMO (fear-of-missing-out) ensued on the internet. Several years later, we’ve found a similar fairytale: an architect from Austria, Elisabeth Herring, and her daughter Valerie, adopt a neglected 16th…

Hide Away at the Home of Picasso’s Favourite French Poet

With the first signs of an early Spring, perhaps you might find yourself looking towards summer already and thinking about how you’re going to spend it. With France as my oyster, I began my hunt for hideaways in the south when I stumbled upon a rare gem in the medieval village that has long been a…