Ridgewood Queens Home Tour with James | June 2019

Summer finally made an appearance in NYC and I kicked it off with a home tour of James Kivior's pre-war apartment in the heart of Ridgewood, Queens that he shares with his cats Otis and Faisca. Walking through his apartment was jaw dropping as his home is well curated and filled with years of collected treasures. Please check out Jame's live Home Tour on my IGTV.

Jame's Take on living in Ridgewood, Queens

How many square feet is your apartment?

600 square feet

Is your home pre-war or post war?

Pre-war Railroad style apartment

How long have you lived in Ridgewood, Queens?

7 years

What do you love most about living in NYC?

I’m born and raised in NYC and I can say that I’m totally over it and I want to move down south.

Why do you prefer maximilism over minimalism styling?

I love beautiful things and I love to have all the beautiful things I own on display like a jewel box. I want people to come in and see something pretty in every corner they look. I also hate empty spaces.

Do you own or rent? I rent

Why did you choose to live in Ridgewood, Queens?

It’s actually very easy to get into Manhattan, just 12 minutes on the L train. It’s a neighborhood that is vastly changing. There’s always a new bar or restaurant opening up here. The rent is slightly less than other neighborhoods which allows me to buy more expensive things for my home (a wall of framed Hermès scarves is pretty expensive).

What are your favorite items in your home and why?

My cats would be favorite items. But as far non-living I would say EVERYTHING. Everything I own has been carefully selected or collected over time and I love everything that I own. I’m really at a point in my home where I’m happy with everything. I didn’t love my sofa for a long time because it is a mass produced sofa from Safavieh, I recently had it reupholstered in a beautiful scarlet red mohair velvet from Kravet and it gave the sofa a new look that nobody else will have.

If there’s anywhere else in the world you would live where would that be? I love Georgetown, DC and I love Chattanooga, Savannah, Greenville, and Charleston. I love the south! But I hate heat and humidity.

How would you describe your design aesthetic?

I am a maximalist that is very inspired by Tony Duquette. I love Neoclassical, glammy Hollywood Regency, Chinoiserie. I’m very traditional at heart but I love an eclectic mix of things and can really appreciate all styles of design.

How did you come up with your IG name?

A friend of mine suggested that I start an Instagram account and call it The Pretentious Home after I told her about the Gucci ice cube trays I bought. I’m very pretentious when it comes to my home. I don’t shop at IKEA and Pottery Barn, I spend a lot of money on sheets (Frette, Yvette Delorme) but the funny thing is I buy my clothes at Banana Reoublic and even Target. I don’t care about labels when it comes to fashion. That’s why people are always surprised when they meet me, they expect me to be pretentious and stuck up and I’m not.

What will be your next project for your home? New chandeliers!