Dark Colors, Cute Patterns, and Tons of Secondhand Finds Transform This Cool Brooklyn Apartment

Name: Matthew DeRosier and partner, Casey Gorrell, with cat, Cordelia
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Type of home: Apartment
Size: 900 square feet
Years lived in: 3 years, owned

Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: We have lived in our apartment for three years but it feels much longer since our place has gone through several stages of editing and transforming to what it is today. Most of the pieces in our apartment are vintage or secondhand, which I think is important in this climate to not always buy “new” or the “latest.” Because of this, each piece has taken months to find and the items that weren’t secondhand, a lot of consideration was put in to see if there was a need/purpose for the piece since I didn’t want it to feel like it would need to be switched out in a year or five years from now. Every piece has been considered for its longevity and overall aesthetic/style.

There have been times when I’m ready to pull my hair out and just purchase something “new” but then I look around and remember how much in our place is “used.” For me this is important because I think similar to fast fashion, the world of interiors and design have a lot of great ideas, but the quality and overall impact to get cheaper pieces to consumers is unfortunate, since many times the life span for these is maybe a year or two (if it makes it that long!). I’ve grown up around secondhand furniture since we didn’t have a lot of income and really appreciate the value of older pieces because the quality and craftsmanship is incomparable to many pieces that can be bought at the standard furniture/chain stores.

What is your favorite room and why? My favorite room is our kitchen nook and kitchen. I feel as if I’m transported into a bistro or another country and can get away from life in NYC even though it’s the smallest part of our apartment! This corner speaks the most since it’s one of the first rooms that I really transformed into a space for us.

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Eclectic, considered, vintage, comfortable, and moody.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? The last thing purchased is a cedar chest for the bedroom. I’ve been on the hunt for a chest for months and nothing has stood out like this one. It’s vintage and purchased on AptDeco.

Any advice for creating a home you love? Don’t be afraid to dive into things that speak to you if they don’t fit any trends or what’s being sold in stores. And also consider the object/item’s purpose. It’s always better to wait than to make decisions if you can’t say you truly love an item.

This submission’s responses were edited for length and clarity.