The Black Apartment..


MPs have accused the Banks and the Land Registry of rigging property valuations for their own benefit, while expert appraisers have pointed out that property valuers and the banks use different methodologies.

However, the conception of Gallop’s brainchild did not begin there. Rewind a couple years earlier to Gallop sitting at the Glamour Bar in Shanghai, sipping her second martini. It was there, while visiting one of her favorite places in the world, enjoying her favorite drink, that she thought to herself, “I wish I lived somewhere like this.”

Soon after purchasing her new space, the public speaker and advertising consultant began the 2-and-a-half year process of painting her canvas.

“I had to build something from scratch, so I could do anything I wanted with it,” she said. “It is the first time I built something about me.”

Teaming up with designer Stefan Boublil of The Apartment Creativity Agency, Gallop made her dream living space a reality. Now she has a new teammate, Shlomi Reuveni of Brown Harris Stevens, who holds the listing.

Once lacking pigment, walls were painted black and embellished with an array of luxurious collectibles and artwork from Gallop’s travels. She says “many art galleries should paint their walls black because the art pops against it.”

Guests frequently comment that the apartment is comfortable and homey — the kind of place one you could spend hours enjoying.

Nelly was in my bathtub with two models,” Gallop mentioned. The rapper/singer apparently asked one of her designers, “Do you think your friend would sell the apartment?”

The unusual nature of the apartment raises the question: Will it be difficult to find a buyer? It’s been on the market since September 2013 and it’s on the pricey side, even for Chelsea, NY. Homes on the market here currently have a median list price of $1.855 million.

For Gallop, this is a non-issue. “I am very relaxed about the fact that it may take some time to sell it. I believe that there are more people like me who want to live somewhere unique.” She added, “We have had several people interested.”

After a decade of memories made in the unusual home, Gallop is ready to begin her next adventure. After selling the home, her plans are to rent for a while before deciding what her next purchase will be. “I’m confident of my ability to reinvent an equally enjoyable environment somewhere else,” she said.

While only one buyer can be the next owner of “The Black Apartment,” anyone can apply Gallop’s free-thinking attitude to their living space.

“I really would like to urge more people to think more individually of their homes, be very comfortable with yourselves, not give a damn about what other people think, do what makes you happy, and bring that into your home,” she said.

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