By Dana Schulz, Thu, August 27, 2020 Photos by Katherine Marks
When 6sqft took a tour of model Summer Rayne Oakes‘ apartment in 2016, her home was filled with more than 500 plants. Today, that collection has grown to 1,100 and Summer has written a book on how to “cultivate green space in your home and heart.” Most recently, she took this idea and applied her style to a studio apartment at the new Crown Heights condo 111 Montgomery Sreet (h/t NY Post). Listed for $499,000, the apartment is a cool mix of contemporary finishes, boho decor, and, of course, plants galore.
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By Diane Pham, Tue, June 21, 2016 Our ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of 6sqft’s friends, family and fellow New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to Summer Rayne Oakes’ plant-filled Williamsburg loft. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!
As far as multi-hyphenate models go, Summer Rayne Oakes may be the most impressive we’ve come across. More than being a cover beauty, Summer is also a writer, businesswoman, activist, chef (she’s working on her first cookbook), and an ecologist by training (she graduated from Cornell with degrees in Environmental Science and Entomology). Unsurprisingly, this overachiever’s multifaceted talents touch ever corner of her life, including the space she’s called home for the past 11 years.
On the top floor of an unassuming Williamsburg building is a 1200-square-foot loft that’s been transformed into a veritable jungle with over 500 plants (and 150 species) and a handful of exotic insects, including African millipedes and Madagascar hissing cockroaches (they’re confined to a terrarium, if you’re wondering). While her home at first glance appears to be dominated by plants, Summer’s space is also decorated with dreamy touches, carefully curated vignettes, and furniture she’s built with her father using wood found on the street. Ahead Summer takes us through her unique loft and gives us some insight into the work she’s done, her perspective on her changing neighborhood, as well as some tips for raising plants in the city.
Inside Summer’s unbelievable home this way