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Frank Ocean is getting personal in a new way. The elusive Grammy winner has typically expressed himself through his emotional and nostalgic lyrics, innovative music videos, and creative side projects (like his Boys Don’t Cry zine), but since his Instagram became public late last Thursday, he’s opening up more intimate parts of his life. And, yes, that includes his New York City apartment.
In a 2016 profile in The New York Times, Ocean revealed that he was set to start apartment-hunting in the city, and earlier this year, he told VMAN that he was in the process of furnishing his new place. But it hasn’t been till now that fans have been able to get a look inside the space, and it’s clear that Ocean has an eye for design.
The light-filled space is brimming with elevated statement pieces, from an Ettore Sottsass mirror and a Boffi Giò light to perhaps the most eccentric item, a vaulting horse that Ocean had shared a photo of seemingly prior to purchase, captioning it “This represents me.”
As a whole, Ocean’s home aligns strongly with the creativity and innovation he’s shown in his music, and his design taste captures one of his longest-lasting themes: the desire to capture something special and almost transcendent in even the most ordinary of situations.
Take a look at these shots of Ocean’s apartment below and follow him @blonded.
This brutalist (The Flintstones–like, as Ocean notes) chair makes an unexpected yet complementary sidekick to a Wurli keyboard.
Sleek, contemporary lines set against floor-to-ceiling windows don’t fail to impress.
Ocean may not, in fact, own “The Boy With the Pipe”—the Picasso painting that famously sold for $104 million, as he references in “Slide”—but he does own photographer Robert Heinecken’s 1986 work, “Newswomen Corresponding.”
The aforementioned vaulting horse: a surprising design element that somehow… works.
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It’s up for debate whether this corner is actually in Ocean’s apartment, but the Pierre Paulin shelves and couch are inspiring regardless.
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Fact: There’s no greater selfie mirror than an Ettore Sottsass mirror.
Major Twin Peaks vibes happening here.
Even more impressive than this dome pendant light: the fact that Ocean seemingly installed it himself.
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