Kai: I’m Kai, from Brooklyn, New York. I wear a few hats; facilitator, creative director, and multi-hyphenate. I’ve opened two neighborhood businesses that are basically canvases for my creative interests. Sincerely, Tommy is a lifestyle concept store primarily clothing, but also home objects, books, and now records (I love music). We have an in-house coffee bar run by the partners I also own my restaurant, Che, with. It’s all about a creativity-centered life-quality in food, style, music without the baggage of the word “luxury.”

ReFramed: What’s your most significant memory of a favorite room, past or present

Kai: This summer upstate. I hosted friends at my place and we were all in different transitions. The support was real; the food was great; nature was doing its thing. The house is minimal and works with the landscape, big open windows, waking to green and sun, moonlight at night. Every element felt aligned.

ReFramed: Do you remember your first bed as a kid?

Kai: A loft bed with a ladder desk underneath instead of a lower bunk. I had an inflatable chair; in my head it was my own little apartment. Climbing up gave it a tiny privacy factor. It was very fun.

ReFramed: What does a bedroom represent beyond sleep?

Kai: It’s the heart of the home. It’s intimate, private, sacred. I’m a minimalist, so no clutter. My current bedroom skews loungey, no doors (not intentional; I do want them), but I’m selective about who enters my home now. Being invited into that space is its own intimacy.

ReFramed: When did you last change something in the room, and why?

Kai: Recently. We moved back in and I needed a feng shui reset. First time putting the bedroom in the front close to street level which felt odd at first, but I like the function: couch + open area, so I can lounge, laptop, journal. The decor reflects what I’m into now: a mix of brutalism, modern, rustic, mid-century, it’s never a single era.

ReFramed: More broadly, what did you change when you took over this space?

Kai: A lot. I (controversially!) removed the original mantel mirror and the original ornate light. There was so much woodwork that I wanted less visual heaviness. I installed a Noguchi ceiling light for something light and airy, and filled the niche with books. I added closets. Che wanted more privacy for his room, so we closed a pass-through; a door now functions like a wall. Otherwise, mostly furniture moves.

ReFramed: When you’re away, what do you miss most about this room?

Kai: That it’s mine. My bed, my layout, everything where I like it being in my own energy.

ReFramed: What do you hope people feel when they enter?

Kai: Warm and at home. Minimalism can read “don’t touch,” so I think a lot about how to keep it lived-in. My dog (who passed) and having a kid both softened me. Stuff is just stuff. I still love neatness. It keeps my mind orderly but I want the space to welcome real life.

ReFramed: How does the space resemble you?

Kai: It is me. Everything reflects my taste and my present. It’s also set up to be light - if we decide to leave for a few months, I can sublet without moving a ton of things.

ReFramed: If this room had a season or time of day?

Kai: Fall equinox vibes warm days, leaves just turning. Lately I’d rather be home, cozy, drifting from couch to couch. When the sun calls, I’ll step into the backyard or sit on the stoop. Winter? Hard pass.

ReFramed: What emotions live here?

Kai: Ease, comfort and nostalgia. This is a family home; my grandmother bought it when she came to the U.S. I remember her living here, family gatherings, people we’ve lost. It’s layered with memory. Even this room has shifted the same shell, new lives. Constant evolution