- Name:
- Andrea
- Location:
- Brooklyn, NY
- Square Feet:
- 738
- Division:
- Little
- What I Love About My Small Home:
- Last year I rented this urban cottage in Brooklyn to be in the same neighborhood as my (grown) kids. Now they drop by all the time and it makes me very happy.
I love having two floors. For the downstairs I used bright colors to create a vibrant atmosphere, while the upstairs is very quiet and serene. The light throughout the house is strong and beautiful.
I had to start from scratch on a shoestring budget (I left my Manhattan apartment intact and put it to work as a guest rental), so my little cottage is filled with thrift shop and consignment store finds, hand-me-downs, and a few modestly priced new pieces. I did treat myself to a few special things for the living room, including the striped fold-down desk.
- Biggest Challenge of Living in a Small Space
- It's challenging to find pieces that fit into a small space, yet look substantial and make a statement. I chose very carefully and everything in the house has to be earning its keep, so to speak, or out it goes.
For example, a full size coffee table would have made the room feel crowded. I found a set of nesting tables that make a strong color statement without taking up too much space, plus they can be moved around as needed.
The incredibly crooked floors in this house present another big challenge. They don't just slant, they practically undulate! I did the best I could with the furniture, aided by a big canister of plastic shims.
Categories:
Style,
Main,
2012,
New York,
Small Cool,
Small Spaces
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Great, sunny space, but is that ladder how you get up and down?
I absolutely love what you've done with your home! Could you please share your source for those colorful nesting tables?
Love the white bedroom with pops of color! Very fresh and bright!
So charming! I love the inviting warm, vibrant colors of the downstairs rooms, and the restful calm of the upstairs. Truly inspiring.
I would loooove to see the cottage from the outside! Super cute!
Nice space. I also wonder about the ladder. I looked at a place on two levels, but the stairs (which were basically a ladder) made me nervous. I felt I'd constantly be one drink or clumsy moment away from disaster.
Second the question about the ladder. And your home is lovely.
I totally understand your comment about crooked floors - ours are the same. It's a challenge.
Hello All,
I figured I should get on here quick, to tell you that the cottage has regular wooden steps between the first and second floor!
The ladder is on the second floor and leads to the roof. NY state mandates a second exit for any dwelling, so that's my second exit. I've never used it except to hang my damp laundry.
Also, Eileena: the nesting tables are vintage, from eBay.
Skylarkmelody: the color is Crushed Oregano from Valspar (Lowes)
And thanks for the kind words.
House tour, please! :)
So fun! Who wouldn't want to drop by?
i have crooked floors in brooklyn too! where did you get the canister of clear shims?
Wow your wall colours are nice!
I love the shade of green and the lively lamp shade in the dining area.
I love the bedroom!
Love this SOOO much! That bedroom is perfection. Love the artworks. Adore the whole thing, in fact.
Brilliant.
Wow - I doubt you'll ever go back to Manhattan. What a lovely space you have created.
my favorite favorite! would love a house tour.
Gorgeous! You've done it again..and so beautifully. I love it. You've transformed your space into a warm and inviting home.
I had the dresser with the green panels growing. now I have to figure out how to get it from my parents house. so cute.
A modern Vermeer in the making.
wanted to see the kitchen!
House tour please, I want to see more. This is the first apartment in this year's contest that I could just move in to, just as it is.
Wow, your place is über-cozy! Fabulous use of the nesting tables (since we usually see them in the nesting stack as one piece -- boring!). And that lighted rolling locker thingy, placed between the two windows, is genius...you've GOT to do more of this -- and get paid, lol... I agree with other posters, I'm ready to move right in!