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April 20, 2008

PAGE SIX MAGAZINE

SPACE CADET

One husband, two kids and a dog called Spot. To keep harmony in their one bedroom apartment, chocolate diva Alison Nelson has to be an ergonomics expert.

by Nadine Rubin

"When we moved in, before the kids came along, we thought we had a big house," laughs Alison Nelson, 34, a she walks into the open-plan living room of the 900-square-foot, prewar apartment she shares with her husband, Adam, CEO of Workhouse Publicity, and their children, Lulu, 41/2, and Sailor, 18 months. These days the three-seater from ABC Carpet & Home, and a sleek, blond wood desk from West Elm stands in for a dining room table. "We wanted to make as much space as possible for the kids to run around," says Alison, owner of Chocolate Bar NYC.

The Nelsons have rented a one-bedroom in London Terrace Gardens for the past six years—a long time by New York standards, especially for a family of four. "We know we'll have to move when Sailor needs his own room. The building doesn't have two-bedroom apartments," she says. (Sailor currently occupies a white Offi crib filled with Uglydolls in a corner of his parents' bedroom; Lulu sleeps in a converted walk -in closet.) "Each year we look at what's out there, but we can't find another building with as much charm, not to mention a beautiful, Olympic-size pool, vine covered courtyard and roof deck."

Often referred to as "the downtown Dakota," London Terrace Gardens takes up an entire city block, between 9th and 10th Avenues and 23rd and 24th Streets. It's resplendent with Art Deco fixtures and has played home to Nicole Kidman, Teri Hatcher and Annie Leibovits. "Nicole would swim in the pool every morning when she lived here," says Adam.

Alison and Adam were married in January 2002. Five months later Alison opened her first Chocolate Bar, a coffee shop offering retro-style chocolate for grownups, in the West Village (the store is
relocating to a bigger space in the East Village, at 127 E. Seventh St., on May 3). There's the sophisticated uptown Chocolate Bar café inside Henri Bendel, and a third store on Long Beach Island, N.J., which gives Alison an excuse to go to the beach. Chocolate Bar NYC has become a hit in the Middle East, too: This summer Alison will open two stores in Dubai and Qatar in partnership with a Dubai-based company. "I'm currently working on recipes with dates and figs to appeal to a Middle Eastern palate," she says. "And it's a very real possibility that we'll have to be in Qatar for the summer.

At home, meanwhile, the Nelsons don't live like renters. They've covered one wall in the living room with Cole & Son wallpaper, and in December 2005 they renovated. "The large walk-in closet made a perfect bedroom for Lulu once we built the wall out," says Alison.

In Lulu's room, tulle and sequins spill out of a dress-up box and the doors of an old armoire have been removed so that Lulu can get to her outfits more easily ("She loves to play dress up," says Alison. "She's a bit of performer.").

Purple and green Blik vinyl adorn the pink walls. "Vinyls are so great, especially with kids, because you can take them off if you hate them," Alison says. Fluffy toys are lined up on the bed and an impressive Barbie collection is stored in an over-the-door shoe rack. "We were having a Barbie explosion," she explains. And above the made-to-measure twin bed is a photograph of Lulu-the -performer in action. "Our photographer friend Brian Kennedy did a crying baby series," says Alison. "Lulu heard us talking about it and immediately made her best crying face for him."

Alison and Adam's aesthetic is a mix of modern and nostalgic. In their bedroom, a French Deco chandelier hangs over the white linen-covered antique iron bed that Adam found in a flea market long before he met Alison. "We agreed it was a keeper," she says. "You just don't find heavy pieces like that these days." It's hard to imagine the kids jumping on the pristine bed, but they do. "I don't need things to be too prim and proper," says Alison. "That's how I live my life."

Spot, a black Lab mix, is also welcome on the furniture. As Alison takes a seat on the leather couch, he walks across the old wood floors and climbs up next to her. Alison crosses one slim leg over another (she's blessed with an enviable metabolism for someone who claims to gorge on chocolate every night). "I found Spot in the East Village two days before I met my husband," she says, affectionately scratching the dog behind his ears.

Their living room—presided over by a David LaChapelle photograph of Milla Jovovich standing in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood holding a giant inflatable Oscar—is the family's favorite room in the house. After dinner, there's usually some sort of concert. "Adam will put on a record and Lulu will get her microphone out. Sailor strums on his guitar," says Alison. "I have two New York City kids who don't go to bed until 10 p.m., no matter how hard I try."