Mememolly & Mike’s Flea Market-Style Funhouse in Brooklyn

Name: Mike Rugnetta & Molly Templeton
Location: Bed Stuy, Brooklyn NY
Size: 1,350 square feet
Years lived in: 2.5 years; rented

Molly Templeton is better known as her internet personality Mememolly, and Mike Rugnetta is a composer, programmer and performer who hosts PBS’s web series Idea Channel. This ultra media-savvy duo are often busy at work (so busy that Mike had to miss the portrait shot), so when they retreat back home they want their place to feel playful and fun.

Sometimes as a renter you’re given the extra challenge of working around what you cannot change, like an outdoor deck banister installed on an inside staircase. Many items in the couple’s home are from flea markets, thrifted, Etsy or painted by Molly herself – and they plan on recycling a tree trunk slice, leftover from a downed tree in the neighborhood, into a small side table. Their sweet dog “Jack Cousteau”, a rescue lab-mix, even sports a vintage piece with his red bandana collar. Though their home may not mimic a catalog, and some things are still a work-in-progress (ie. kitchen tiles), this 2-floor Bed Stuy apartment is whimsical and charming.

With a limited budget, this young couple have many found objects and art collections that give their space character. At every turn there is something surprising – be it a taxidermy jackalope hanging out on the brick wall, a tiny hot air balloon hovering above the staircase, or the Steve Martin photo that greets you at the top of the stairs. The turquoise cow skull was a leftover prop from work; this bright pop of color draws your eye to where it hangs over the harpsichord, as well as when it reflects in the mirror above Molly’s desk. The apartment is filled with inside jokes, every item means something to the couple and makes them laugh. On a nostalgic note, the wooden coffee table has little knobs on it just like Mike’s Mother’s hope chest, and Molly’s tin trunk has been with her since childhood back in the UK.

They plan to change paint colors and upgrade furniture pieces for extra storage in the future. It would be nice to revisit the couple again and see what revisions they’ve made.

Thanks Mike & Molly for a peek into your home, and best of luck with your future decor projects! For further sharing, you can find Mike on rugnetta.com, and Molly on twitter @mememolly & Tumblr mememolly.tumblr.com.

My Style: Whimsical Eclectic Flea Market.

Inspiration: Internet culture, Rookie Magazine, Apartment Therapy.

Favorite Element: Element: Staircase of art, affectionately documented on Instagram with #lilgallery

Biggest Challenge: Lack of storage – there isn’t even a rail in the bedroom closet so we had to buy a rack that freestands. I’m on a mission to hide things.

What Friends Say: It’s cozy and fun and we always have good scotch. And “whoa you have 2 floors?” We’re approaching a critical mass of apartment jokes.

Biggest Embarrassment: I’m constantly putting things in piles. Also, the apartment was DIY renovated by the owner so there are some things like the kitchen tiles falling down & an outdoor deck style stair banister that aren’t great.

Proudest DIY: Mike made his record station in his dad’s basement wood shop.

Biggest Indulgence: Slowly upgrading all of our old Ikea furniture. We just got a new bed frame from West Elm & a new mattress this Monday (not pictured).

Best Advice: Slowly build a collection of objects you like, but remember to cull it every few months. Never tell anyone you have a snow globe collection if you only own one snow globe – it’ll grow.

Dream Sources: We admire a lot of handmade and custom furniture at flea markets, on Etsy & made by friends. Curiosity shops and antique stores. We also like West Elm and CB2. Molly loves ABC carpet and home, secretly covets tufted leather couches and has spent a lot of time recently thinking about storage ottomans. Mike wants an Eames chair.

• Not sure – We need to redo the purple bedroom wall. Molly has ambitions of a dark grey. Summer 2014!

• Downstairs there’s a Yeti from Skymall, an old Urban Outfitters coat rack and Molly’s BEAUTIFUL BIKE from Linus Bikes.

• Sofa – CB2
• Chair – West Elm
• Coffee table – made by Mike’s dad as a gift
• TV stand – Ikea
• Bar – Molly’s old Ikea nightstand.
• Record stand – Mike made from Plywood
• Speakers – inherited from Mike’s Grandfather
• Molly’s desk – Craiglist
• Molly’s chair – CB2
• Bookcase – Ikea
• Harpsichord – Mike received it as part of his payment for a job.
• Skull – Inherited from an old job.. originally Ebay + DIY for a studio
• Jackalope – from an Antique Tobacco Barn in New Hampshire
• Hipster Kitty – Etsy
• Locker – Trailer Park
• Rug – CB2

• PopChartLab
• Urban Outfitters
• Wirrow
• OneKingsLane,
• DFTBA.com
• Uncommon Objects
• Paxton Gate
• Jason Sho Green
• Lots of things Molly made herself
• Molly’s mother knitted the tiny wool Jack
• Emoji embroidery
• Audrey Malo
• Caitlin Shearer
• Maddie On Things
• The Cricket Gallery
• Jeffrey Brown
• ZaPow
• Olivia Gulin
• Ali Bruce
• Eleni Nikoletsos
• Art-o-mat machines
• For more artist names, ask Molly on twitter @mememolly

• Table – CB2
• 2 chairs – Ikea
• 2 chairs – CB2
• 4 chairs – Estate sale in the Catskills
• Coat hook rack – Etsy

• Island – Brooklyn Flea
• Pot rack – a gift from Mike’s parents, custom
• Rug – Flor

• Bedframe – West Elm
• Molly’s dresser – Ikea
• Mike’s orange dresser (next to be replaced!) – Cubitec
• Rug – Fab.com

Thanks, Mike & Molly!

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