Penelope & Zack’s Minimal, Moody & Modern in Brooklyn

Name: Penelope, Zack and pup Milli
Location: Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York

When my boyfriend and I decided to take the plunge last summer and apartment hunt together, our only absolutes were that we find a two bedroom (Zack is a photographer, and needed the extra room to use as his studio) with subway proximity. After a week of searching, our dream apartment — two bedroom, spacious, rooftop access, modern, airy — popped up on Craigslist. The only catch? It’s located in Red Hook, an amazing, artsy neighborhood along the Buttermilk Channel and Gowanus Bay with breathtaking views of the Statue of Liberty and the South Manhattan skyline… and NO subways. We couldn’t resist the space, though, and have become happy biking, bus-taking pioneers.

We’re both transplants from NYC and recent college graduates, so we didn’t bring any furniture with us when we moved, and started with a dauntingly clean slate. I tend to draw design inspiration from the tone of the space I’m in, and the open, airy quality of the space spoke to me, and begged for some Mid-century modern minimalism.

We both wanted a space we’d be comfortable in, and one that, with the commute we were taking on, we’d be eager to come home to. Obsessive scrutinizing of Apartment Therapy gave us a lot of ideas for how to maximize what we had to work with!

I’m proud of all of the beautiful greenery we’ve accumulated- I have a black thumb, but Zack has managed to keep the many plants in our apartment very happy, and I love the feeling that living things evoke.

My favorite elements in the apartment are the couch we splurged on— an Apartment Therapy tip I do NOT regret— our chalkboard wall, which we use for grocery lists and weekly “art” exhibits, and the amazing DIY shelf Zack put together using spray-painted plumbing pipe and stained lumber from the local hardware store. I’m also a big fan of our three-legged puppy, Milli, who is not necessarily a piece of our apartment but definitely makes her mark on the space.

Thanks, Penelope!

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