Apartment tour: 2BR in the East Village

Elliot Zulver runs a lumberyard in Baltimore during the week and retreats to...

Elliot Zulver runs a lumberyard in Baltimore during the week and retreats to this psychedelic penthouse on the weekends. He and his wife, Sally Gold, spent a year gut-renovating the once-rundown 1,100-square-foot pad they purchased in 2008. "We love the neighborhood because our daughter is nearby, but what really sold us on the place is the [400-square-foot] deck," says Zulver.

Zulver had the floor plan of the place, originally a one-bedroom, reconfigured...

Zulver had the floor plan of the place, originally a one-bedroom, reconfigured to optimize the space for entertaining. "The flow was very important to us," he says. "We wanted one big open space." The couple expanded the living area to include a guest bedroom, which doubles as a den with sliding glass doors that can be closed for privacy.

Suspended ceiling lights from Luceplan (49 Greene St between Broome and Grand...

Suspended ceiling lights from Luceplan (49 Greene St between Broome and Grand Sts; 212-966-1399, luceplan.com) hang above a leather sofabed from Room & Board (105 Wooster St between Prince and Spring Sts; 212-334-4343, roomandboard.com). A custom-cut rug from ABC Carpet & Home (888 Broadway at 19th St; 212-473-3000, abchome.com), throw pillows handcrafted by Gold and a framed painting of the NYC cityscape done by their daughter, Alissa, when she was six years old add splashes of color to the room.

Zulver originally spotted this lion at a craft fair in Boca Raton, Florida. The...

Zulver originally spotted this lion at a craft fair in Boca Raton, Florida. The artist, Anne Andersson (anneandersson.com), creates lifelike animals using sisal fibers extracted from the agave plant. He special-ordered this neon stunner as a gift for his wife.

The light-filled living room is furnished with a hodgepodge of mod pieces,...

The light-filled living room is furnished with a hodgepodge of mod pieces, including glass side tables from Jensen-Lewis (89 Seventh Ave at 15th St; 212-929-4880, jensen-lewis.com) and lounging chairs from France, which Zulver proclaims "are a lot more comfortable than they look."

Zulver had to special-order this bubblegum-pink couch from Dune (156 Wooster St...

Zulver had to special-order this bubblegum-pink couch from Dune (156 Wooster St at Houston St; 212-925-6171, dune-ny.com) in order to have it fit in the building's compact elevator. "My wife picked the color, but I don't mind it," he admits. The yellow plastic ottoman was also purchased from Dune.

Graphic pillows from artist Tim Harding (timharding.com) and throw blankets...

Graphic pillows from artist Tim Harding (timharding.com) and throw blankets hand knit by Gold are added to the couch to complement its shocking hue. The piece of framed artwork is actually a close-up photograph of a flower that has been multiplied many times on a computer, cleverly created by Rita Mattia (mattia.com), a family friend.

Instead of having traditional parquet wood floors, the duo decided to replace...

Instead of having traditional parquet wood floors, the duo decided to replace the apartment's preexisting surface with a glistening white epoxy finish. They picked the high-gloss material in an orange shade for the kitchen's center island to offset the seamless floors, and had it custom-made in Zulver's lumberyard. They found the matching stools at Jensen-Lewis.

The kitchen shelves are stocked with rainbow-colored tumblers from MoMA Design...

"My wife always has a hat on; this is just one of the ones she wears---its not...

"My wife always has a hat on; this is just one of the ones she wears---its not just a decoration," Zulver notes of the flashy topper. An orange magnetic clock from the MoMA Design Store adds their signature pop of color to the fridge.

Like everything else in the apartment, the couple's bedroom is customized to...

Like everything else in the apartment, the couple's bedroom is customized to fit their funky aesthetic. "I designed the built-ins to utilize the most amount of space I could," Zulver points out. That includes the base of the bed, which offers hidden drawers.

After seeing a headboard in Soho that was "exorbitantly expensive," Zulver had...

After seeing a headboard in Soho that was "exorbitantly expensive," Zulver had his lumberyard cut a similar shape out of plywood and had it upholstered in ultrasuede. Marimekko (1262 Third Ave between 72nd and 73rd Sts; 212-628-8400, marimekko.com) bedding finishes off the look.

"It's very hard to find a good-looking [ceiling] fan---they are usually so ugly,...

"It's very hard to find a good-looking [ceiling] fan---they are usually so ugly, so once I found this one, I bought a few of them," Zulver says of the sleek Artemis (minkagroup.net) design fixture.

Artist Rochelle Weber (subwayart.com) creates original acrylic and resin trompe...

Artist Rochelle Weber (subwayart.com) creates original acrylic and resin trompe l'oeil paintings inspired by famous subway stops. Zulver's wife commissioned this custom piece of the 23rd Street N, R, W stop to reflect her love of hats.

The couple collects blown-glass pieces, many of which are from family friend...

The couple collects blown-glass pieces, many of which are from family friend James Nowak (james-nowak.com).

"This was definitely a splurge," Zulver says of the show-stopping...

"This was definitely a splurge," Zulver says of the show-stopping Crayola-colored mosaic in the bathroom. The design was inspired by the colors in the Taschen bookstore (107 Greene St between Prince and Spring Sts; 212-226-2212, taschen.com).

The bathroom tile work was done by Bisazza (43 Greene St between Broome and...

The bathroom tile work was done by Bisazza (43 Greene St between Broome and Grand Sts; 212-334-7130, bisazzausa.com) and took three months to complete.

Zulver created this one-of-a-kind coatrack using a wood body made at his...

Zulver created this one-of-a-kind coatrack using a wood body made at his lumberyard and bronzed arms and legs, which were bought at a craft fair.

The view from the terrace

The view from the terrace.

SPIN THEIR STYLEAnthropologie Sari throw blanket, $198, at Anthropologie, 75...

SPIN THEIR STYLE

Anthropologie Sari throw blanket, $198, at Anthropologie, 75 Ninth Ave at 15th St (212-620-3116, anthropologie.com)

SPIN THEIR STYLEMarimekko Sukat Makkaralla stemware, $35, at Marimekko, 1262...

SPIN THEIR STYLE

Marimekko Sukat Makkaralla stemware, $35, at Marimekko, 1262 Third Ave between 72nd and 73rd Sts (212-628-8400, marimekko.com)

SPIN THEIR STYLETussore multistripe silk pillow, $19, at ABC Carpet & Home, 888...

SPIN THEIR STYLE

Tussore multistripe silk pillow, $19, at ABC Carpet & Home, 888 Broadway at 19th St (212-473-3000, abchome.com)

SPIN THEIR STYLECB2 Max orange ottoman, $499, at CB2, 451 Broadway between...

SPIN THEIR STYLE

CB2 Max orange ottoman, $499, at CB2, 451 Broadway between Grand and Howard Sts (212-219-1454, cb2.com)

SPIN THEIR STYLEThomas Buchheim Ultra-Flat multicolor wall clock, $40, at MoMA...

SPIN THEIR STYLE

Thomas Buchheim Ultra-Flat multicolor wall clock, $40, at MoMA Design Store, 81 Spring St at Crosby St (646-613-1367, momastore.org)

SPIN THEIR STYLE

Laguiole steak knives, set of six for $78, at anthropologie.com

SPIN THEIR STYLEMarimekko Ruuturouva pillowcase, $59, at Marimekko, 1262 Third...

SPIN THEIR STYLE

Marimekko Ruuturouva pillowcase, $59, at Marimekko, 1262 Third Ave between 72nd and 73rd Sts (212-628-8400, marimekko.com)

SPIN THEIR STYLE

Crate & Barrel Ziggy White vase, $15, at crateandbarrel.com

SPIN THEIR STYLELeonardo Design Team curved glasses, set of six for $70, at...

SPIN THEIR STYLE

Leonardo Design Team curved glasses, set of six for $70, at MoMA Design Store, 81 Spring St at Crosby St (646-613-1367, momastore.org)

SPIN THEIR STYLEMarimekko Ruuturouva canvas basket, $29, at Marimekko, 1262...

SPIN THEIR STYLE

Marimekko Ruuturouva canvas basket, $29, at Marimekko, 1262 Third Ave between 72nd and 73rd Sts (212-628-8400, marimekko.com)