New York Behind Closed Doors

A look inside the homes of New York’s artists, designers, writers, and social influencers.

Twenty-four homes and stories of real New Yorkers who live in small spaces with art, books, collections, treasures, and fabulous, sometimes funky furniture―each space expressing the resident’s unique personality. Bright, captivating photographs throughout pair dynamically with Polly Devlin’s in-depth interviews with the homeowners. Her critiques of their spaces are at once delightful, bold, and irreverent―and always lively and opinionated.

From architectural grandeur to streamlined modern buildings, see how individuals turn older apartments and historic structures into places for comfortable living. Houses and apartments are sampled from across the city, including Tribeca, Murray Hill, Union Square, Harlem, Midtown, Brooklyn, and more.

This is a visual and literary feast.

Polly Devlin is an author, journalist, broadcaster, art critic. From her roots in northern Ireland, Devlin’s career has taken her into the sophisticated world of arts and letters in London, New York, and Paris. A former features editor at Vogue, and a contributor to key British newspapers and magazines, she is currently adjunct professor at Barnard College, Columbia University, New York.

Photographer Annie Schlechter is a native New Yorker whose clients include New York Magazine, House Beautiful, Travel + Leisure, and The World of Interiors.