here's another article
Coco off the catwalk
Jack Kohane, National Post
Published: Friday, March 26, 2010
Coco Rocha’s bedroom makes her feel like a queen — it’s been treated with gold Venetian plaster.
After finishing her high-energy struts on international haute couture runways, and when long photo shoots under hot lights for magazine covers are done, Canadian supermodel Coco Rocha likes settling in at home with a good book on her custom wrought-iron bed overflowing with fluffy pillows.
Set within a bedroom niche that's been treated with gold Venetian plaster for a rich and sumptuous feel, Ms. Rocha calls this her very favourite spot. "To make it extra comfy, I bought the softest, most luxurious mattress I could find," she coos. "And the large chandelier over my bed gives the whole room a cozier look at night."
Ms. Rocha's residence is a two-bedroom, two-bathroom 1,000-square-foot condo with a 500-sq.-ft. terrace on an upper floor of a New York City highrise in the upscale Gramercy Park neighbourhood. It's a corner unit with floor-to-ceiling banks of windows, facing south and east for maximum daylight. "If you are on the southern balcony, you can see historic Gramercy Theater and clear across Manhattan from the East River all the way to the Hudson," Ms. Rocha says. She loves ambling through the quiet streets of this enclave in the Big Apple's vibrant core.
She herself evokes the classic glam of 1940s film stars, with her long brown tresses, deep blue eyes and perfect cheekbones; this lithe woman is the latest ‘It' girl who most acknowledge as the one who just can't take a bad photo.
Born in 1988 in Toronto and having moved to Vancouver at a young age, Ms. Rocha was in her teens when she was spotted by a modelling scout and was connected with renowned photographer Steven Meisel. That meeting led to a cover of Vogue Italia, igniting a sizzling rise to stardom. In constant demand to walk for designers such as Marc Jacobs, Versace, Prada, Miu Miu and Louis Vuitton, Ms. Rocha recently became the face of Rimmel London alongside Georgia May Jagger.
Still, she's not posh. "I like the simpler things," Ms. Rocha remarks. This bent for basics is reflected in her preference for meaty fare over delicate dinners, and also in the modest collectibles and curios furnishing her apartment.
"I'm getting into nesting," smiles Ms. Rocha, crediting the wanderlust to her mother, Juanita Rocha, a flight attendant. "It's the perfect job for someone who has to move," she says. "Even home is always in flux. [My mother has] been buying, renovating and selling homes for years. But we've both found wonderful places, so it's time to sit still, for now."
On taking ownership of her condo in Gramercy Park two years ago, Ms. Rocha went to work placing her personal stamp on the property. "I wanted my living space to be like a little cottage house," she says. "I have this amazing terrace, a rarity in New York City high-rises, and I wanted a garden - I find the decorating process exciting."
Another exciting outcome was meeting James Conran, a New York-based artist and interior designer. Ms. Rocha contracted Mr. Conran to do most of the design work in her apartment. Teaming for months on the project, Ms. Rocha believes that Mr. Conran captured the essence of who she is. And more. He captured her heart. They're dating and are in "relationship bliss," she declares.
Ms. Rocha commissioned Mr. Conran to paint a Klimt-
inspired mural in her bedroom. "In fact, we treated every wall as a piece of art," she says.
While in the living room describing its design, Peekaboo (her two-year-old Maltese/poodle) skitters across the buffed hardwood floors. Here, an oversize custom-built media cabinet-cum-bookshelf vies for one's eyes with the walls covered in ice-blue Venetian plaster. The paint has been applied in layers and waxed to a shine with iridescent silver wax, giving the walls a glass-like feel.
"Though my apartment looks modern with blue marble countertops and stainless steel appliances in the kitchen and soft sofas and ottomans on the terrace, most of the furniture and ornamentation show my fondness for a bygone age," Mr. Rocha points out.
In the front foyer, the walls are painted a fun eggplant and off-set with a faux silver leaf on the ceiling and doors. The metallic doors are hand-painted in a graphic design inspired by ancient Japanese woodblock prints.
A custom Murphy bed and closet designed and built by the furniture maker Aaron Sommers, who also created the condo's heat radiators hand-painted in metallic, are the centrepieces of the guest bedroom. All the built-ins are painted cream with gold accents. The walls are plastered with a cream Italian plaster with gold mica flakes buried within it and polished.
Many of the lamps and book stands peppered through her living areas were purchased at Film Biz Recycling a local organization that reuses and recycles film props. "The store has some unique items gleaned from major motion picture sets, TV shows and commercials," Ms. Rocha notes. "I purchased some neat pieces from the sets of Mad Men and America's Next Top Model."
Vintage, a non-profit thrift shop on Third Avenue, offers what Ms. Rocha refers to as "a trove of hidden treasures and tchotchkes," selling furniture, antiques and housewares. "It's something of a routine for me to stop by and see what unusual items they have every other week," she chuckles.
It's also routine for Ms. Rocha to interact with her fans. She periodically updates her blog, Oh So Coco, adds new information to an official website (coco-rocha.com), and occasionally tweets about her goings-on in Canada and New York City. Most recently, Ms. Rocha hosted ET Canada's red carpet coverage for the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards. And there's her new fashion line, Rococo. She seems to be everywhere.
"Unfortunately, I don't often get back to Canada," she laments. "But mom does come to New York fairly regularly with the airline so we can be together. We're both glad to have finally found our home bases."
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