My Houzz: Clean, Modern Style for a 615-Square-Foot Brooklyn Apartment
Wood tones, houseplants and comfortable furniture warm up this couple’s urban home
High ceilings, exposed beams and a big kitchen sold Vicki Morton and her boyfriend on the apartment they found in Brooklyn, New York. Its ideal location with beautiful views of the water along with both the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges also helped seal the deal. Even better, they found this perfect 615-square-foot renovated space while on the time crunch that is so often the case for renters in New York. All that was left to do was add their personalized stamp.
Having a photogenic kitchen was especially important for Morton, who works as a digital marketing and brand strategist for food and hospitality companies, and periodically does food styling and photography. “For my job, I sometimes take photos of food here in my apartment, and have very little space to store serveware in my kitchen cupboards,” Morton says. “I end up storing plates and bowls on the bookshelf.” In such a compact space with an open layout, the living room also doubles as Morton’s home office.
Eames Molded Plastic Dowel-Leg chair: Design Within Reach; Stairway white wall-mounted bookcase: CB2; Gold Pig bookends: CB2; Parsons expandable dining table (used as desk): West Elm; Case Study planter with plinth: Horne
Eames Molded Plastic Dowel-Leg chair: Design Within Reach; Stairway white wall-mounted bookcase: CB2; Gold Pig bookends: CB2; Parsons expandable dining table (used as desk): West Elm; Case Study planter with plinth: Horne
The couple places extra chairs for when company comes over wherever they can, to utilize all available space. “We’re always trying to add more little ‘spaces’ within our space,” Morton says.
Acacia bird: Sockerbit
Acacia bird: Sockerbit
Morton has kept this Karlsson clock displayed on one of the exposed wood beams for over five years.
A West Elm wall shelf adds the right amount of storage for some everyday kitchen items. “I love how festive champagne glasses look,” Morton says.
“My boyfriend and I have pretty similar taste, except he chooses darker colors and elements like black and walnut, while I gravitate more towards lighter elements like white, marble and green plants,” Morton says. “They end up balancing well in our space.”
Reality bank in the form of a pig: Areaware; Sorori - L vase and Brass Block hippopotamus: Nousaku
Reality bank in the form of a pig: Areaware; Sorori - L vase and Brass Block hippopotamus: Nousaku
The couple kept their bedroom simple. “The skiing and mountain photos were given to us by my boyfriend’s parents,” Morton says.
Theatre armchair: Design Within Reach
Theatre armchair: Design Within Reach
Opposite their bed are two walnut dressers for extra storage. Also seen here is a view of the Manhattan bridge.
Hudson dressers with steel base: Room & Board
Hudson dressers with steel base: Room & Board
“My plan is to keep this theme and furniture as we carry it over to larger places and spaces in the future,” says Morton, pictured. “I think I’ll always choose homes on the more modern side, so the design will be transferable as we move.”
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
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My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Vicki Morton and her boyfriend
Location: Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York
Size: 615 square feet (57 square meters); one bedroom, one bathroom
“I’ve never really had the chance to design my own space until now,” Morton says. “As renters, we were really looking for a nice finishing in the kitchen and bathroom.” They got both in this rental, which is located in a former envelope factory that was converted into residential units in 2012.
Mermaid coffee table and Agate-4 credenza: Organic Modernism; Saarinen round dining table: Design Within Reach; French Kitchen marble fruit bowl: Crate & Barrel