Nutritionist Keri Glassman’s Manhattan Apartment Offers Lessons for Pandemic Living
The founder of Nutritious Life invites us into her Upper East Side home and shares how healthy habits have helped relieve stress.
"When I first saw this apartment, it felt like this place knew exactly what we needed," Keri Glassman says of her New York City residence. "The previous owners had two young kids—also a boy and a girl—so moving my kids in felt like a continuation of what this home could do."
"I never want to make healthy living feel like this unattainable thing," says Keri. "I think it comes down to small steps people can take that eventually turn into a big-picture lifestyle. Eating whole foods, staying hydrated, getting enough sleep, and reducing stress all begin from square one." She designed her kitchen with help from Scavolini.
Photo by Carley Summers
As the founder of Nutritious Life, Keri has long been advising others on how to cultivate and sustain healthy habits in all of their daily concerns—from work and relationships to sleep and exercise. She’s a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in nutrition from New York University, and she’s written four bestselling books on the subject. Not only does her home embody her lifestyle, but it’s also a case study in how thoughtful living can help families weather a pandemic.
"My approach to healthy living focuses on eight pillars, and the one I really wanted to focus on in my home was ‘live consciously.’ It was important for me to be at peace with my surroundings, and to have them nurture my mental health," she says. "I was looking for an apartment with enough room to be separate but together."
"I try to make use of storage as much as possible to keep my home clutter-free," Keri says. "Clutter tends to make us feel stressed—our cortisol levels go up and our heart rate increases—whether we realize it or not." She uses the built-ins along the living and dining spaces of her home, and creates "designated areas" for things like exercise equipment. A West Elm sectional is accompanied by side tables and a chair from Blu Dot.
Photo by Carley Summers
Get the Renovations Newsletter
From warehouse conversions to rehabbed midcentury gems, to expert advice and budget breakdowns, the renovation newsletter serves up the inspiration you need to tackle your next project.
The one she found on the Upper East Side seemed to fit that mold. It’s in the same neighborhood where her teenagers Rex and Maizy had gone to school when they were younger, and offers enough space for Keri and her boyfriend Ken Slotnick to stay out of their way. "The previous owners had already done the hard work of combining two apartments to create three bedrooms," she says. "It was laid out in a way that was best for Rex and Maizy’s privacy, too: The kitchen and living room are down the hall from the bedrooms."
The 1,950-square-foot apartment’s biggest selling point, however, was the large den that Keri recognized as a rare flexible space. "In New York City, apartments typically only have bedrooms for sleeping, kitchens for eating, and living spaces where everyone goes to relax," she says. "I saw the den as a place that didn’t have a designated label."
"My kids mostly work in their rooms, so I'll work here or in the kitchen. I've also turned my bedroom vanity into a small desk," says Keri of how her family has adapted to COVID-19. "I try to remember to get up every now and then and drink water, which I know is something a lot of people also forget to do." Wishbone chairs from Design Within Reach surround a classic Tulip table that Glassman already owned.
Photo by Carley Summers
Shop the Look
Carl Hansen & Søn Wishbone Chair
Using the best natural materials and refined steam-bent methods, Wishbone is made to last for generations. In 1944, Hans Wegner began a series of chairs that were inspired by portraits of Danish merchants sitting in Ming Chairs. One of these chairs was the Wishbone Chair (1949), also known as the “Y” or “CH-24,” which has been produced by the Danish firm Carl Hansen & Søn since 1950. The son of a shoemaker, Wegner was trained as a cabinetmaker before attending the School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen, after which he began his career as an architect. Just three years later, Wegner started his own design office, and his work soon caught the eye of Carl Hansen. The Wishbone Chair fit what the Hansen company was looking for to supplement the heavier forms popular at the time. Made in Denmark.
ShopKnoll Saarinen Dining Table
Architect Eero Saarinen was a genius at creating expressive sculptural forms. From his TWA Terminal (now the TWA Hotel) at New York’s JFK Airport to the Gateway Arch in St. Louis to his Pedestal Table (1956), there’s a magic in everything he created. The Saarinen Dining Table began with his observation that “the underside of typical tables and chairs makes a confusing, unrestful world,” and as he explained in a 1956 Time magazine cover story, he was designing a new collection to “clear up the slum of legs in the U.S. home.” Later that year, he completed the Pedestal Table, which stands on a gracefully shaped cast-aluminum base inspired by a drop of high-viscosity liquid. This is the authentic Pedestal Table by Knoll; it’s stamped with the KnollStudio logo and Eero Saarinen’s signature.
ShopHollywoodland by Underwood Archives Art Print
Hollywood, Los Angeles: c. 1924 A sign advertises the opening of the Hollywoodland housing development in the hills on Mulholland Drive overlooking Los Angeles. The white building below the sign is the Kanst Art Gallery, which opened on April 1, 1924 Photo Courtesy of Pixels
ShopOnce she got the keys in August 2018, Keri hired longtime friend and designer Margaret Costello to focus on maximizing the den’s potential while also updating the kitchen and primary bedroom over a three-month timeline. "We built a wall with a pocket door to divide the den into two spaces: one for Ken and me, and one for the kids," she says. "After working or gathering in the kitchen or living space, it’s nice to come in here alone and check out with a movie, or a book, or a meditation."
This adults-only den is awash in a moody blue, a departure from the rest of the home’s more neutral palette. Keri wanted the home to be bright, clean, and efficient—which best describes the kitchen where she does a lot of work—but she asked for this space to embrace the fact that it was naturally dark. "The den doesn’t have any windows, so I liked that its palette would be a clear contrast to the rest of the home’s airier feel," she says. "It almost feels like a hiding spot."
While most of her home renovation focused on the den, Keri had floating shelves built in the primary bedroom for streamlined storage. During the pandemic, she's been extra diligent about sticking to a nighttime routine that includes a chance to wind down. "It can be a tough habit to break, but keep electronics out of your bed," she advises. A West Elm bed is accessorized with pillows and a throw from The Citizenry.
Photo by Carley Summers
Since the pandemic began, Keri has been especially in tune with how her home either positively or negatively impacts her mood. For instance, she makes use of the existing storage built-ins in the living room to ensure that the area stays clean, leading to lower stress levels, and does the same with the addition of floating nightstands in the primary bedroom. Aside from keeping spaces mostly clutter-free, she’s also filled her pantry with non-processed food and made healthy items look extra desirable.
"Storing vegetables inside a bin in the fridge makes them easy to forget, so I like placing them in glass bowls on the shelves," she says. "Every vegetable looks tastier in a glass bowl." Lastly, she upholds a sleep schedule that allows her to wind down at least a half-hour before bed, and keeps soy-based candles and diffusers around to set a relaxing mood.
In the den, a matching sofa and ottoman from Article are complemented by a vintage chair reupholstered in Holly Hunt fabric. "My boyfriend comes in here and makes a cocktail, and I stretch out, and it's just a place where we can let the stress of day go," Keri says. "When the pandemic started, I remember feeling really lucky that we had a place to ourselves."
Photo by Carley Summers
"When adults want to put a child to sleep, they don’t get the child all excited and then turn off the lights. We read them a bedtime story, dim the lights, and let the kid slowly get ready for bed," she says. "Adults need the same care."
Keri acknowledges that it’s a privilege to consider her apartment a sanctuary, and to be in the position to offer these healthy living tips in the midst of a pandemic. But she also wants to put her 20 years of experience to good use, especially now when striking a balance seems more difficult than ever.
"Since we're all doing so much cooking, it's understandable to want something convenient that may not be good for you," she says. "But if you can, get in the habit of organizing your fridge in a way that makes you want to reach for healthy foods."
Photo by Carley Summers
"I think the biggest thing to keep in mind is that healthy living comes easier if you think about it throughout the day, rather than as something you tack on to whatever you’re already doing," she says. "Even small steps toward a healthier life can become habits, from keeping your electronics outside of your bed tonight to eating a good breakfast in the morning. Over time, these choices can have big, positive results."
Related Reading:
My House: Two Bay Area Creatives Navigate a New Normal in Their Artist Co-Op
A Former Pro Skier and His Family of Four Embrace the New Normal in Their Airstream
Project Credits:
Interior Designer: Margaret Costello / @whatiisinmyworld
Published
Last Updated