It’s almost that time of year where I watch “The Holiday,” renew my crush on Jack Black, and wonder if I should try to do a house swap. As much as I’d love a stint in an adorable English cottage, swapping my lovely one-bedroom apartment for another feels like a more attainable daydream. And I could easily see myself happily calling this top-floor apartment home.
Situated in the idyllic Brooklyn neighborhood of Park Slope, the unit is part of an Art Deco building that dates back to 1928. Up the elevator to the sixth floor, you enter through a foyer wallpapered in a bold yellow pattern, and then flow into the large, open living room and kitchen. Given how bright and sunny the space is, I love the modern look of the rows of cantilevered shelves on a simple gray tile backsplash that stretches up to the ceiling. I’m a sucker for a Smeg appliance, so the dark gray fridge is the cherry on top for me — I particularly appreciate how the retro rounded edges echo the rounded doorway that leads out of the kitchen.
Around the corner, the bedroom keeps things similarly simple with gray-blue walls and an industrial Serge Mouille-style light fixture branching across the ceiling. The bathroom plays on the power of neutrality, too, with all white fixtures and white tiled walls — and then funky floral tiled floors and a pretty pink wallpapered ceiling with a barely-there paisley pattern. The whole home is proof that you can subtly fill a space with personality, even if you’re not a maximalist or able to commit to painting entire rooms.
And the final feature that would really woo me to pick up my life and move here, à la Kate Winslet? If the building’s landscaped courtyard wasn’t enough, beautiful Prospect Park is literally steps away.
Are you on the house hunt, or just the type of person who loves browsing real estate listings, even when you’re not in the market for a new home? Property Crush is a column where we feature actual real estate listings that get the Apartment Therapy seal of approval in regards to style (we haven’t done home inspections or anything, so don’t sue us). Know of a great house on the market? Email the listing to repitches@apartmenttherapy.com.
Kelly Dawson is a media consultant based in Los Angeles. She is a prolific writer for notable publications including Cup of Jo, Vox, AFAR, Dwell, Martha Stewart Living, McSweeney’s and Architectural Digest. Kelly is the three-time guest editor for Refinery29’s “Voices of Disability” series, two-time guest host of “Call Your Girlfriend,” and deputy editor at Apartment Therapy.
Olivia Harvey is a freelance writer and award-winning scriptwriter from outside Boston, Massachusetts. She’s a big fan of scented candles, getting dressed up, and the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley. You can make sure she’s doing okay via Instagram and/or Twitter.
Step aside, subtlety. This 1887-built Bed-Stuy brownstone is living proof of how glorious a home can be when you embrace everything you love. While the exterior is pretty demure, save a burst of bright pink roses, one step into the foyer leaves no question about the homeowners’ sense of style. Currently owned by Queenie and Ruby, the disco-loving musical duo known as Sateen, the rooms are filled with fluffy poodles (real and decorative), stunning floral chandeliers, and the color pink (that is to say, the finer things!).
It’s hard to say what the best spot in the house is. It could definitely be in the bathtub with golden claw feet, filled to the brim with bubbles. Any of the eleven (!) closets are certainly in the running, where I’m imagining getting dressed montage-style each day, backed by a Donna Summer soundtrack. Sitting out in the lovely, grassy back garden or perched on the front stoop overlooking the tree and brownstone-lined street sounds pretty sweet, too.
But honestly, if I’m picking just one view to pin to my mood board, it’s gotta be the kitchen: The cabinetry is painted in pale bubble gum shade of pink that is truly eye candy, and grounded by a bold black-and-white checkerboard floor, it looks like a page pulled from a retro ad for Barbie’s Dreamhouse (right in time for the reboot) or a tea party-worthy scene from “Alice in Wonderland.” Either way, I am moony over this extremely pretty in pink kitchen and thinking of ways to tell my landlord I’m doing a little repainting…
Are you on the house hunt, or just the type of person who loves browsing real estate listings, even when you’re not in the market for a new home? Property Crush is a column where we feature actual real estate listings that get the Apartment Therapy seal of approval in regards to style (we haven’t done home inspections or anything, so don’t sue us). Know of a great house on the market? Email the listing to repitches@apartmenttherapy.com.
If you’re daydreaming of having a conversation pit — as I am ever since reading this story about how to create one in your own home — this Brooklyn co-op’s sunken living room will be a mood board come true. A stone floor, bench seating, and built-in bookshelves round out the lounge, illuminated by a triple bay window that peeks out onto the front garden.
Adjacent and elevated is the combination kitchen and dining room, where light wood floors, stainless appliances, and all-white walls and cabinets give the space a clean, Scandinavian look.
The bedroom maintains that breezy vibe with a whitewashed brick wall and easy access to the shared garden at the back of the building. Given that the now-11-unit co-op was built as a grand single-family home back in the 1890s, it’s not hard to imagine an opulent soiree taking place in the cloistered garden. Even today, looking at the stone patio shaded by flowering trees and ivy-covered buildings, it’s looking like an idyllic spot for a springtime garden party with your neighbors.
Are you on the house hunt, or just the type of person who loves browsing real estate listings, even when you’re not in the market for a new home? Property Crush is a column where we feature actual real estate listings that get the Apartment Therapy seal of approval in regards to style (we haven’t done home inspections or anything, so don’t sue us). Know of a great house on the market? Email the listing to repitches@apartmenttherapy.com.
