A Light and Bright Apartment Refresh in Brooklyn
A designer uses her New York client’s favorite things and replaces other furnishings for a contemporary yet cozy look
The owner of this Brooklyn, New York, apartment was a bit of a hand-me-down magnet. And she realized that some of her belongings — oversize furniture, lots of accessories and heavy pieces — were weighing her down. “My client looked around and realized things felt frumpy and dated. She hired me to help her make her home more of a reflection of who she is,” interior designer Julia Mack says. That meant a bright, cozy and contemporary look that incorporates the owner’s favorite pieces acquired from family, friends and travel.
Photo by Elizabeth Lippman
Mack cleared out heavier pieces such as the armoire that was on the left side of the room. Compare this photo to the previous one and check out how replacing the armoire with a light console table opened up the room to the two windows on that wall, making it feel more open and airy. She also replaced the heavier hand-me-down upholstered pieces with more contemporary ones and moved what’s now the room’s only sofa in front of the windows. The new sofa placement improved the flow into the living room.
Playing off the contemporary look of the windows, Mack helped her client select more streamlined pieces. She anchored the room with an abstract Angela Adams rug in custom colors and pulled furniture out from the walls to meet the rug’s edges.
Mack cleared out heavier pieces such as the armoire that was on the left side of the room. Compare this photo to the previous one and check out how replacing the armoire with a light console table opened up the room to the two windows on that wall, making it feel more open and airy. She also replaced the heavier hand-me-down upholstered pieces with more contemporary ones and moved what’s now the room’s only sofa in front of the windows. The new sofa placement improved the flow into the living room.
Playing off the contemporary look of the windows, Mack helped her client select more streamlined pieces. She anchored the room with an abstract Angela Adams rug in custom colors and pulled furniture out from the walls to meet the rug’s edges.
The rug brings the most color into the room, so it was a key part of the design. Angela Adams sent them poms, or yarn samples, and the pattern to work with, and Mack used colored pencils to try out different color combinations. “My client and I spent time together working out where each color would go within the pattern,” Mack says.
“Clients have favorite things that they want to keep for many reasons — they have sentimental value, they may have spent a lot on them, or they just plain really love them. And they fear everything will have to go if they hire a designer,” Mack says. “One of my favorite parts of my job is to help them choose carefully and make [the items] work in the new design. It inspires me to get creative.”
The homeowner had recently added the built-ins for her collection of books and mementos. And the cabinet she’d found to house and conceal the TV was a great solution. Other significant items included travel souvenirs, a wonderful corner cabinet from her grandmother, and an art collection she inherited from a dear friend when she passed away. It was important to her to keep and use all of these things.
Mack placed the art collection around the home in a way that worked with the decor. She also brought in pieces such as the wood side tables and the new caned chair that were lighter but picked up on the “keeper” wood pieces. The toile on that chair suits her client’s penchant for preppy things, as well as providing a dollop of color (pink) beyond the blues.
The homeowner had recently added the built-ins for her collection of books and mementos. And the cabinet she’d found to house and conceal the TV was a great solution. Other significant items included travel souvenirs, a wonderful corner cabinet from her grandmother, and an art collection she inherited from a dear friend when she passed away. It was important to her to keep and use all of these things.
Mack placed the art collection around the home in a way that worked with the decor. She also brought in pieces such as the wood side tables and the new caned chair that were lighter but picked up on the “keeper” wood pieces. The toile on that chair suits her client’s penchant for preppy things, as well as providing a dollop of color (pink) beyond the blues.
“My client realized that the sage green paint she had on the walls was pulling the room down because it was not bright enough,” the designer says. “We used my favorite light bright soft gray, Silver Satin by Benjamin Moore.” She complemented it with Benjamin Moore’s Super White on the millwork, ceiling and beams.
The homeowner spends about half her work time at home and the other half on international business travel. “She loves to collect mementos on her trips that are special and have a handcrafted feel,” Mack says. “An important part of the redesign was incorporating items that were special to her.” The client picked up the glass birds on a European trip, and the newly opened space here provided a good spot to set them free.
The homeowner spends about half her work time at home and the other half on international business travel. “She loves to collect mementos on her trips that are special and have a handcrafted feel,” Mack says. “An important part of the redesign was incorporating items that were special to her.” The client picked up the glass birds on a European trip, and the newly opened space here provided a good spot to set them free.
Adding softness with textiles and curves was another important part of the project. These light, soft and textured drapes were one of the first things Mack suggested. “These windows are wonderful during the day when it’s bright out, but at night they became so black and cold,” Mack says. “She didn’t have privacy issues, but pulling them closed when it’s dark out makes everything feel cozy in here.”
The homeowner received the sculptural piece as a gift. It’s a hand-carved Nativity scene from Brazil.
Browse light-colored window treatments in the Houzz Shop
The homeowner received the sculptural piece as a gift. It’s a hand-carved Nativity scene from Brazil.
Browse light-colored window treatments in the Houzz Shop
Photo by Elizabeth Lippman
Creams and grays on the furniture maintain the light look. “The coffee table has just the right amount of texture and light color,” Mack says. “And its angular base makes it look like the top is hovering over the space. With so much effort put into the rug, the last thing we wanted to do was cover it up.”
Because the industrial building lacked overhead lighting, Mack had to make sure the room had the right amount of illumination. The new light fixtures also help lighten up the space — a white pendant lamp floats like a cloud near the corner and provides lots of light for the space as well as reading light for the sofa.
Creams and grays on the furniture maintain the light look. “The coffee table has just the right amount of texture and light color,” Mack says. “And its angular base makes it look like the top is hovering over the space. With so much effort put into the rug, the last thing we wanted to do was cover it up.”
Because the industrial building lacked overhead lighting, Mack had to make sure the room had the right amount of illumination. The new light fixtures also help lighten up the space — a white pendant lamp floats like a cloud near the corner and provides lots of light for the space as well as reading light for the sofa.
A tall floor lamp with a white shade coupled with an armchair and ottoman turns this corner into a cozy reading nook. “This lamp illuminates both above and below, like a torchiere,” Mack says.
The chair and ottoman are great examples of the streamlined contemporary furniture that add curves to the space. “This chair was a big splurge but was worth it. It’s beautifully designed and so comfortable,” Mack says.
The chair and ottoman are great examples of the streamlined contemporary furniture that add curves to the space. “This chair was a big splurge but was worth it. It’s beautifully designed and so comfortable,” Mack says.
Though the homeowner had a ton of storage space in her built-ins and other furniture, culling and corralling things was key to the redesign. “My client worked hard at clearing out things, particularly things that had been given to her that someone else would want or need more than she did,” Mack says. “She’s also learned to say no. We made a deal that for every new thing that comes in, one old thing needs to go out.”
The designer found the right spot for the tall fertility figure seen here, which the homeowner bought in Cape Town, South Africa. It was hand-carved and adorned with shells in Cameroon.
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The designer found the right spot for the tall fertility figure seen here, which the homeowner bought in Cape Town, South Africa. It was hand-carved and adorned with shells in Cameroon.
Hire a cabinetry professional
Before: The homeowner bought this apartment because one of its bedrooms could accommodate the dining set she’d inherited. The challenges Mack faced in redecorating the dining room included mitigating its shoebox-like footprint, making the space cohesive with the rest of the home in a way that worked with the traditional table and chairs, and accommodating three functions.
“My client needed the space to primarily serve as her workspace, but she also wanted it to work as a dining room and as a guest room,” Mack says. The room had become a catchall space. But armed with her new attitude toward hand-me-downs that could better serve someone else, the homeowner dedicated a lot of time to sorting and giving away what she couldn’t use.
“My client needed the space to primarily serve as her workspace, but she also wanted it to work as a dining room and as a guest room,” Mack says. The room had become a catchall space. But armed with her new attitude toward hand-me-downs that could better serve someone else, the homeowner dedicated a lot of time to sorting and giving away what she couldn’t use.
To address the room’s long, narrow dimensions, Mack added a chair rail. The simplicity of the millwork adds architectural detail in a streamlined way. Then she layered in a paisley wallpaper to soften the space. A pair of sconces, the bubble chandelier and a new rug bring in contemporary style that makes the room fit with the rest of the redesigned apartment. The wall seen here provides a nice space for one of the paintings the homeowner inherited.
At the other end of the room Mack found just the right spot for the heavy armoire from the living room. It keeps the owner’s work things organized and out of sight. Mack added a chic daybed that doubles as a guest bed, lighting for reading and another of the client’s friend’s paintings. With all of her work things now in this room, the homeowner can shut the door on it when she’s done for the day and relax at home.
Wall paint: Drop Cloth, Farrow & Ball
Wall paint: Drop Cloth, Farrow & Ball
Before: The bedroom also had heavy pieces and needed lightening up and organizing. Mack found a better spot in the living room for the piece above the headboard.
The designer kept her client’s favorite pieces in the room — the armoire, trunk and side table were special to her, and she’d recently purchased the caned bed. The designer did some rearranging of the furniture for a functional and cozy layout.
Mack had the walls painted a light lilac that adds warmth and coziness. A new rug, light-colored textured drapes and bedding add softness. A new task lamp, floor lamp and shelving bring contemporary style into the room in a way that works with the traditional pieces.
“These shelves are so great,” Mack says. “I told my client that no matter how much stuff she loads that shelving up with, they will still look good.” She also helped her place more pieces of her art to enhance the room.
Wall paint: Touch of Gray, Benjamin Moore
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“These shelves are so great,” Mack says. “I told my client that no matter how much stuff she loads that shelving up with, they will still look good.” She also helped her place more pieces of her art to enhance the room.
Wall paint: Touch of Gray, Benjamin Moore
More on Houzz
How to Decorate a Living Room: 11 Designer Tips
Key Measurements for Your Living Room
Shop for your living room
Apartment at a Glance
Who lives here: A woman who splits her work time between home and international travel
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Size: Two bedrooms, one bath
Designer: Julia Mack
Before: The apartment building had been converted from a factory back in the 1970s. “It had beautiful original wood floors and great windows that let in lots of light and provided views of the street trees outside,” Mack says. “But it was a heavy-duty building — it didn’t have a lot of architectural details beyond that to warm it up or soften it.”
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