Plants Fill This Inspiring and Bright Brooklyn Live/Work Space

Written by

Elaine Musiwa
Elaine Musiwa
Elaine is a writer and photographer in NYC, and when she isn’t exploring decor, she is working on finishing her first fiction novel.
updated Mar 21, 2019

Plants Fill This Inspiring and Bright Brooklyn Live/Work Space

Written by

Elaine Musiwa
Elaine Musiwa
Elaine is a writer and photographer in NYC, and when she isn’t exploring decor, she is working on finishing her first fiction novel.
updated Mar 21, 2019
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Bedrooms
Square feet

900

Sq ft

900

Name: Laura Serventi, husband Filippo Del Vita, and their 5-year-old son
Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant — Brooklyn, New York
Size: 900 square feet
Years Lived In: 10 years, renting

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Artist and photographer Laura Serventi grew up in Argentina, spent some time studying photography in Italy, and in 2007 moved to New York, where she’s been since. The open loft-like space she shares with her fashion photographer partner, Filippo Del Vita, is flooded with natural light, and is both a live-space and work-space. Since the birth of their child, they’ve had to also tackle the challenges of making room for three people in one big open space.

You can see in her work that she loves and is inspired by nature, something that also shows through in her home’s decor. A big plant corner takes up a sizable portion of the loft, and bright colors punctuate the kitchen and living areas. You can tell the creative couple is also inspired by the space’s industrial architecture; the rough building materials, big windows, and tall ceilings are complemented by the furniture and accessories they’ve gathered from local and international sources. You can tell this is an energetic space that’s constantly changing… with three people living in the home and two people working in it, furnishings are light, movable, and adaptable, the loft ready to transform into whatever its inhabitants need.

Find more of Laura’s work on Etsy.

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: I think our style is quite eclectic; we love plants, light, and color, as well as found objects from vintage markets and travel adventures.

Inspiration: Nature, thrift stores, Architectural Digest, Apartamento magazine

Favorite Element: Lots of natural light.

Biggest Challenge: The lack of walls… trying to create defined areas within the open space has been quite a challenge, especially now that we are three.

Biggest Embarrassment: I’m very untidy…

Proudest DIY: I sewed the big cushion’s covers.

Biggest Indulgence: The Sicilian ceramic head. We went to Sicily three years ago and I saw those ceramics displayed at balconies and stairwells containing beautiful plants, and I fell in love with them, but at the moment I didn’t buy one and I totally regretted it afterwards.

Last year we went back, and this time I went with a mission: Come back with my ceramic head… and I did!

Best Advice: Fill your house with things and colors you love.

Dream Sources: Mid-century homes, gardens, and art of all kinds.

Resources:

PAINT & COLORS
Benjamin Moore — Simply White (All the walls are semi-matte, except the kitchen that is painted part semi-matte and part glossy.)

LIVING ROOM
Rolling Bookcase (where we keep the terrariums) — Cb2
Terrarium Domes and Containers — Jamali Garden
Prints— Laura’s artwork, available on Etsy
Cushion Covers — DIY; bought the fabric from Fabric.com
Folding Chairs — Home Depot
Rugs — West Elm

OFFICE/ WORK SPACE
Cabinets — CB2
Desks — CB2

DINING ROOM/KITCHEN
Table — Bought at a flea market; the top wasn’t in great shape, so we added a piece of acrylic to replace it
Kitchen Cabinetry and Drawers — IKEA
Folding Chairs — IKEA’s FRODE collection
Decoration Elements on Top of the Drawers — Bought from vintage stores or flea markets
The Plant Print (partes de la flor) — We got it on a trip to Mexico
Frames — IKEA RIBBA collection
Mint Kitchen Island — Crate & Barrel

Thanks, Laura and Filippo!


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