Pop & Circumstance | Guidebook for Beautiful Living

I’m excited to be highlighting Clark Crowley’s Chinatown apartment to kick off a new series of Home Tour posts. I’ll be featuring one apartment or home on P&C each month. If you’re interested in having your space featured please shoot me an email!

This four bedroom apartment in Chinatown is one of the most unique living spaces I’ve seen in Boston. With rough wooden floors and exposed pipes, it’s got instant vibe (and trust me, it’s seen it’s share of great parties). With roommates coming and going over the years, the apartment has accumulated a collection of objects that all speak to it’s history. It’s constantly evolving and fabulously eclectic.

“My biggest goal for the loft is for it to NOT look like a set from “Rent,” which can be really difficult when 1.) You’re on a budget and 2.) it’s so big. Its easy to get into a panic and start thinking ‘I NEED to fill all this space.’ Once I recognized that the space, not the objects in it, carried the most weight, it was easy to divide it and place things where it felt most comfortable. I want the space to change based on our needs and wants at any given time. Its not a sedentary thing.”

Clark gave me a tour and we talked about city living, some of his favorite possessions, and personal style. “I feel very fortunate to live in Chinatown, in this loft, at this specific time. As we all know, Boston is not an inexpensive place to live, and I recognize that this space is unique and special. So rarely does everything seem to click: career, where you’re living, who you’re with, and that has happened for me here.”

Clark’s space is minimal, clean, and maximized for function. Having no closet, he makes the most of his space by using two neatly organized clothing racks. I found out that “WWEW” stands for “What Would Ellen Wear?” and was printed for him by a friend who thinks his wardrobe looks just like that of Ellen DeGeneres.

Almost every decorative object in Clark’s room has a backstory and personal meaning. His decor includes paintings from friends and even one his mother made in elementary school, photo albums, found objects, and vision boards.

Clark is an avid blog reader and draws inspiration from The Selby, In the Make, Apartment Therapy, The Art of Doing Stuff, The World’s Best Ever. He also occasionally blogs about contemporary art at All My Gems. You can see more of Clark’s musings by following him on twitter @Clark_Crowley.