A 600-Square-Foot Brooklyn Rental Proves the Power of Slow Furnishing
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Name: Miranda Shapiro
Location: Prospect Heights — Brooklyn, New York
Type of home: Apartment
Size: 600 square feet
Years lived in: 3 years, renting
Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I live above a family of artists who have grown and built this home together over the last 20 years. As a woman living alone, I feel so safe knowing who comes in and out of the building. They even have chickens in the backyard that have gifted us eggs in the summer!
I love natural light and pops of color. My anxiety requires a tranquil space, but also to feel safe and homey I love what color can do to add warmth.
Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: I have leaned into slow furnishing my apartment over the last few years. Almost everything has been hunted off FB marketplace, or my neighborhood antique shops. This way each piece feels intentional and meaningful and I like to think they each have storied lives to them!
What is your favorite room and why? With only one main room (and a small bedroom), it’s all my favorite! The three windows bring in so much natural light for my plants (and me) to thrive. What are we if not more complicated house plants? We just need some sun, some water, and a little bit of attention.
FB Marketplace Desk
What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? I found this desk in another South BK neighborhood off of Facebook Marketplace. She said she was moving that day but if I came to get it it was mine. It was pouring rain, the trains weren’t running, but I walked the 2.5 miles there to grab the desk and she took pity on me and drove it back in her car. I love the community that comes with furniture re-gifting and Brooklyn in general!
Any advice for creating a home you love? Buy everything with intention and don’t follow trends unless you love them! Slowing down the furnishing process really helped me understand my space and what it needed to feel like a home.
This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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