Name: Karmella Fiebke
Location: Clinton Hill, Brooklyn
Size: 750 sq.ft.
Years lived in: 3
Karmella is a friend of ours from the Old Country (Seattle). In her quiet and charming three-bedroom in Clinton Hill, she's managed to impart a little bit of that feeling our old home: peaceful, relaxed and completely itself...
Karmella works, in addition to her position as a buyer at Beacon's Closet, sourcing period costumes for private clients — a trade reflected in her choice of decor. Found objects, Deco prints and dresses from the 20s and 30s are used as accents, while old paperbacks and broken statuettes are layered and stacked around them. The feeling one gets inside this apartment is that of being completely removed from the usual chaos of Brooklyn outside and is a welcome respite.
A few interesting touches: The working jukebox in the living room (left by a previous tenant), the overlong Lucite dining table, and her use of metallic gold paint in one of the bedrooms. We love the way she's used old step-ladders as bedside tables, able to hold plants, books and lamps.
AT Survey:
Name: Karmella Fiebke
Location: (neighborhood? city?) Clinton Washington
Size: 3 bedrooms
Years lived in: 3 years
Rented or Owned: Rented
Who else lives here? Two others. And Fatty the cat
How would you define your style? Lord Byron and Anais Nin's love child
What is your greatest inspiration? Aubrey Beardsley
What is your favorite element of your home? The transparent kitchen table
What is the biggest challenge of your home? Ghosts
What do friends say about your home? Comments vary: it's been called a tree house, a castle or vampire's den.
What is your home's biggest embarrassment? The hallway.
What DIY project are you most proud of? Once made a greenhouse out of a shaftway window
What is your Biggest Indulgence, when furnishing your home? The mirrors... they break constantly and I always want fancy new ones.
Best Advice: PAINT!
Dream Source: The Brooklyn Botanical Garden
Other Inspiration: Fatty, my cat.
Resources: Dollar stores, thrift stores, Beacons Closet.
Furniture: Hand-me-downs, retrieved from the streets (before major outbreak of bed bugs), things broken then fixed.
Accessories: plants, pillows, books, throws, scarves, gowns
Artwork: Ryan Ketchum
Paint: Lots of it, as dramatic as possible
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
Ick.
view sierraberra42's profile
I LOVE IT!!
What is the paint color, please? I like the affect of the blanket (affcan?) against the wall color.
I have that SAME Alice Coltrane album! ;)
I really LOVE how you made this place your own. Wish I could either come visit you, or you could come visit me (and help w/my place).
Again... I LOVE IT!!
view Sleek's profile
Nothing really struck me with this tour. Sorry.
view Kimber's profile
Full of charm. Very NY apartment, reminds me of my first one. And with a violinist playing, a nice cuppa tea, it would be a wonderful place to hang out in on a crisp, Fall day.
view AT4H's profile
Actually that's a lie, the bedspread is pretty. I cringe at how off-center it is, but it's lovely nonetheless.
view Kimber's profile
You have some interesting pieces, but it doesn't really look designed.
view bobloblaw's profile
I love the photo of the resident, but the apartment isn't my cuppa.
view Shilo's profile
This so reminds me of my first NY apt too. I was subletting a room with a very boho atsy girl and there's alot of the same aesthetic. It is nice to see a house tour that looks like someone lives there.
view EastVillageAmy's profile
unremarkable, even for a pied-a-terre.
view amt230's profile
I love this! It shows lots of personality! Definitely a fun place to hang out!
view suzy8track's profile
PS... I love the pic of you.
Looks like some strapping younger man should pull you otta that chair, set you on the counter, splash you w/water and make love to you~! All while you are still holding the violin.
view Sleek's profile
I love how complete artfully undesigned it is. And I love the idea of using ladders as shelves and tables. Very cool!
view katarose's profile
Like it. It's relaxed and has lots of books and found objects and plants crammed everywhere, which is after my own heart. I'm happy to see AT feature some places where it looks like you can actually curl up on the sofa with your feet up, make a mess in the kitchen, repot your shamrocks, etc.
I would love to see better pictures. But since I'm utterly crappy with flash photography myself, I understand the lighting issue.
view whytephoenix's profile
I couldnt finish this tour- it was making me itchy or sneezy like when I walk into a really good but super dusty thrift store. While she has lots of great items they are stacked on top of each other like its a vintage store or the home of 82 year old lady. Some judicious editing would let this home shine more. This comes across as TOO MUCH STUFF.
view Trumystique's profile
I love this home. Totally personal and original. I feel like I could spend hours just poking around in here. And all the plants are wonderful -- so humanizing. We don't see enough of them in most urban homes.
view TammyE's profile
Was this supposed to be a satire or something? This tour screams tacky and thrift shop, and not even a good thrift shop. I imagine this house to be located in a run down neighborhood next to an abandoned warehouse. I swear, you just throw a jukebox and an old mannequin in an apartment and poof, your apartments is now "cool" enough to be featured.
Thanks but no thanks. I think we can find better homes to display than this one.
view Ericasj22's profile
WOW! harsher comments than usual.
view *heather leaf*'s profile
& this is why nobody ever submits pictures unless the place looks extremely expensive or professionally decorated. people are so harsh. it's not my style at all, but it reminds me of a really cool house i used to visit when i was a little girl. i admire the freedom of style. it looks very inviting & personal. thanks for sharing!
view mariegael's profile
So full of life! Reminds me of my first few places, where every little thing meant something and mattered.
(I just viewed another house tour, and it was lifeless at best and elitist and shallow at worst. )
Enjoy, you will always look back on this as some of the sweetest of times.
view omordah's profile