Lisa & Adam’s French Country Style in Cobble Hill
Name: Lisa and Adam
Location: Cobble Hill; Brooklyn, New York
Size: 600 square feet
Years lived in: 10 years; Rented
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Everyone who knows Lisa knows she likes an organized and clean space! So she’s extra challenged in a small pre-war apartment with a husband and a new baby, but she makes it work, and with a very nice feel.
There is something about this apartment that all people who visit this charming home love. It’s sunny, and open, and although it’s a railroad layout, you want to live here. Lisa needed to do some clever storage arrangements, but it definitely never feels cluttered. And somehow they managed to get a full dining room out of a Brooklyn apartment, which is a miracle in itself! It’s true that the “walk-in” closet is now a baby’s room, but don’t let that fool you—it is a mansion of a closet…with a window with original built-in shutters!
One of the things that really brings the space together is that its prewar details, like high, tiled ceilings, TWO marble fireplaces, and french doors, are all beautifully paired with her large, vintage statement pieces that contain her stuff. Her taste fits the space, and the space fits her taste.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: I like a clean, organized look with a bit of a rustic/country feel.
Inspiration: French Country – vintage feeling with feminine touches.
Favorite Element: The openness of the apartment allows the sunlight to pass through and the high ceilings make it appear larger than it is (I think!).
Biggest Challenge: Storage. There is one closet that is in my baby’s room. Her room used to be my closet/storage. That is why everywhere you look is a storage vehicle – baskets everywhere!
What Friends Say: Feels like a home.
Biggest Embarrassment: TINY bathroom (and kitchen). But the tiny bathroom is tough for tall visitors.
Proudest DIY: I hung wallpaper on the closet doors in the baby’s room. That was a big deal for me. I know how I like things to look, but I’m usually not willing to do the DIY work to make it happen.
Biggest Indulgence: I want to buy a million more throw pillows…”But there’s nowhere for them to go” say throw pillow critics (aka, my husband).
Best Advice: Don’t be afraid of a little color.
Dream Sources: Antique Stores. A place called Brownstone Treasures in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn – many pieces of furniture are from there. Anthropologie (bedding, wallpaper, lighting). John Robshaw (throw pillows and prints).
Resources of Note:
LIVING ROOM
- Print over couch – John Robshaw
DINING ROOM
- Dining room chairs – World Market
- Wooden chest – One Kings Lane
- Colorful print above wooden chest – John Robshaw
- Mirror over mantel – Chelsea Flea Market
BEDROOM
- Headboard – West Elm
- Armoire – Brownstone Treasures
- Throw Pillows – John Robshaw
- 3 Framed photographs on mantel in bedroom – Erin Derby Photography
BABY ROOM
- Baby Crib – Stokke
- Baby Room Print – John Robshaw
Thanks, Lisa & Adam!
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