A Small Brooklyn Apartment’s Dining Room Is in the Bedroom, But It Works

Name: Kate Matthews, partner, and dog, Cowboy
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Type of home: One-bedroom apartment
Size: 900 square feet
Years lived in: 2.5 years, renting

Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: When we first toured this apartment, the walls were all painted purple, which caught us off guard, but it was impossible not to fall in love with the space.

This was the first time we’ve ever had pre-war details in our own home, so it’s really something special that we appreciate every day. I’m a big collector of “stuff,” which is interesting when you’re working with a New York-sized apartment with limited space, so we got creative with the layout of the apartment. So our dining room is also in our bedroom! That’s not too weird, right?

We’re both creatives who try to balance our love for art, furniture, and knickknacks with organization when we can. We started with a lot of neutrals in the space to hopefully allow some wonky objects to shine. I’m a ceramist, so we have a ton of clay objects in every room!

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Cozy, inviting, quirky

What is your favorite room and why? Our bedroom/dining room. This is the room that made us fall in love with the space. The three large windows, the fireplace mantel (even with a chip of marble missing), and the high ceilings really inspire a positive mood.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? Our vintage glass dining table!

Any advice for creating a home you love? Collect things that catch your eye! It’s taken us 10+ years to discover pieces small and large that were drawn to and really make any space feel like home.

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

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