The Beautiful Home of Misty Copeland

As the child of a couple of New Yorkers, I’ve often had a fondness for the notion of compartmentalized living. Growing up, I’d visit my relatives in the city and marvel at their apartments; they were so well-designed, so chic, so much personality in such a comparatively small space. This is why I find those who can really bring out the personality of an apartment space to be especially impressive, and why I find the home of professional ballet dancer Misty Copeland to be absolutely stunning.

Having just recently moved to the Upper West Side of Manhattan with her husband, Olu Evans, Misty had the entire space of their new apartment redesigned by famous interior designer Brigette Romanek. As you may expect from someone whose career requires balance and elegance, Misty’s apartment exemplifies doing a lot with less. Not to say that it’s empty, of course; rather, it’s full of just enough tasteful decoration to showcase the collective personality of her and her husband without covering the floor and walls in random tchotchkes. In balance, there is beauty.

By Misty’s own admission, the focus of the apartment’s theme is “pops of color.” Many of the shelves, walls, and floor use a more subdued, muted color palette, opting for soft whites, grays and browns. In between the subdued colors, however, you can find small bursts of color to give you a little shot of invigoration. These bursts include things like a sea green rug in the kitchen, a bright red potted plant in the living room, several fantastic pieces of artwork and, her husband’s favorite, a brightly-lit wall bar with a healthy stock of imported Japanese whiskey.

Misty’s home invokes a powerful feeling of calm. It’s not a place for a roaring house party, but rather a quiet, sunlit Sunday morning on the couch with a good book and a song in your heart. That’s a home I’d sure love to live in.