Houzz Tours
My Houzz: Eclectic Treasures Find a Home in a 1910 Victorian
Secondhand furnishings add spirit and soul to a century-old New Jersey house
Joey Meyers and Mark Baehser were instantly drawn to the original grand wood staircase, stained glass windows, moldings, coved ceilings and built-ins of the 1910 Victorian they bought in Jersey City, New Jersey. Meyers, an interior design consultant and owner of online shop Ball and Claw Vintage, and Baehser, a pediatrician, moved from a condo in Brooklyn to their home in a neighborhood with a similar city vibe. “The restaurants, shops, tree-lined streets.… It was everything we loved about living in Brooklyn,” Meyers says.
The previous owners had installed new windows and maintained many of the original architectural details, so the home was already in good condition. Since moving in, decorating the interior has been an ongoing process for the couple. “We have a ton of windows, so we love turning on music, opening all the windows and working on the house on the weekends,” Meyers says. “Whether it be painting, rearranging or cleaning, there is always something to do, and we both enjoy taking care of the home.”
The previous owners had installed new windows and maintained many of the original architectural details, so the home was already in good condition. Since moving in, decorating the interior has been an ongoing process for the couple. “We have a ton of windows, so we love turning on music, opening all the windows and working on the house on the weekends,” Meyers says. “Whether it be painting, rearranging or cleaning, there is always something to do, and we both enjoy taking care of the home.”
The home is filled with early-20th-century portraits, salvaged pieces, medical artifacts and a houseplant in almost every corner. “[Nearly] everything is secondhand.… I stay away from big-box stores,” Meyers says.
He developed his passion for sourcing from estate sales and secondhand shops as a child, when his mother shopped at Goodwill shops and thrift stores to save money. “Estate sales are better than yard sales because they hire an outside agency to sell their stuff,” Meyers says. “With yard sales, people have personal attachments, and they tend to raise the prices.”
Meyers is a fan of styles from all eras but has a preference for midcentury designs. “This house has seen all decades, and every style in here would have been in this house,” he says.
He developed his passion for sourcing from estate sales and secondhand shops as a child, when his mother shopped at Goodwill shops and thrift stores to save money. “Estate sales are better than yard sales because they hire an outside agency to sell their stuff,” Meyers says. “With yard sales, people have personal attachments, and they tend to raise the prices.”
Meyers is a fan of styles from all eras but has a preference for midcentury designs. “This house has seen all decades, and every style in here would have been in this house,” he says.
Also in the reception area is a leather Equipale chair from Mexico, which adds a touch of rustic lounge style. “I like to follow trends, but I also like to mix in pieces that I see and just love. Usually [if it’s] stuff that’s ugly or weird, I’ll pick it up,” Meyers says.
He credits the house itself with being a major source of style inspiration, but he also looks to the social media accounts of other home design enthusiasts, such as Justina Blakeney of The Jungalow, Christina Meneses and Colby Tice Jaimerena.
The 1920s painting is by Italian-Jewish painter Amedeo Modigliani.
He credits the house itself with being a major source of style inspiration, but he also looks to the social media accounts of other home design enthusiasts, such as Justina Blakeney of The Jungalow, Christina Meneses and Colby Tice Jaimerena.
The 1920s painting is by Italian-Jewish painter Amedeo Modigliani.
The living room is where the couple like to eat and relax in front of the television. The overhead chandelier was bought at a thrift store and painted blue. Even with no lightbulbs, it adds a quirky element to the space. “There’s no overhead lighting, but we wanted something that would have been traditionally there,” Meyers says.
Wall paint: Modern Gray, Sherwin-Williams; Moroccan pillows: Ball and Claw Vintage
Wall paint: Modern Gray, Sherwin-Williams; Moroccan pillows: Ball and Claw Vintage
The white TV stand with gold knobs was discovered on Craigslist. The green leather armchair was a thrift store purchase and has been a part of Meyers’ furniture collection for years. The clock is made from a slab of wood. “They were popular in the ’60s,” Meyers says.
This wooden mancala game is from the 1950s. Meyers recalls playing it for hours during his time in the mountains, and Baehser later bought him one from Etsy.
A variety of houseplants perk up this corner of the living room.
The kitchen is the only room in the home that the couple renovated. Meyers and Baehser tried what they could to spruce up and brighten the kitchen’s dark wood cabinets and brown stone flooring, including painting the cabinets white. But when nothing worked, Meyers started tearing down the cabinets, and an impromptu renovation project began.
They gutted the kitchen, leaving only the stove, range and dishwasher, while keeping the total renovation cost at $12,000 or so. “My dad was a tremendous help throughout the entire process, giving us advice and carpenters to help us complete the project,” Meyers says.
The kitchen has since become the couple’s favorite room in the house. “We both love to cook and eat, so we spend a lot of time in the kitchen,” he adds.
Refrigerator: KitchenAid via Craigslist; vent hood: Amazon
They gutted the kitchen, leaving only the stove, range and dishwasher, while keeping the total renovation cost at $12,000 or so. “My dad was a tremendous help throughout the entire process, giving us advice and carpenters to help us complete the project,” Meyers says.
The kitchen has since become the couple’s favorite room in the house. “We both love to cook and eat, so we spend a lot of time in the kitchen,” he adds.
Refrigerator: KitchenAid via Craigslist; vent hood: Amazon
The couple saved money by installing lower cabinets, countertops and a farmhouse-style sink from Ikea. As an alternative to upper cabinets, they used shelves from an architectural salvage yard in Barnegat, New Jersey, that they bought for a total of $100. The shelves are made from old bleacher seats used in a school in Atlantic City, New Jersey, that were stripped to reveal the original coating. “You can see the cool initials carved in,” Meyers says. The brackets came from eBay.
The 1920s doors from a salvage yard in Jersey City fit so well in the space that they could’ve easily been original to the home. “We were able to splurge on the back doors because we got the labor for free — a huge savings,” Meyers says.
The stone floor was ripped up to reveal the original wood flooring. The homeowners filled in some spaces with new wood.
Because of the kitchen’s narrowness, Meyers and Baehser couldn’t go with a traditionally sized island. Instead, they found an island from the 1800s at an estate sale and added legs to lift it up. A 1920s chandelier originally used in an old car lot fits in with the rustic, industrial feel of the room.
The stone floor was ripped up to reveal the original wood flooring. The homeowners filled in some spaces with new wood.
Because of the kitchen’s narrowness, Meyers and Baehser couldn’t go with a traditionally sized island. Instead, they found an island from the 1800s at an estate sale and added legs to lift it up. A 1920s chandelier originally used in an old car lot fits in with the rustic, industrial feel of the room.
The couple found this 1920s butler’s cabinet on Craigslist. The size was just right since they needed something tall but not wide to balance out the other side of the kitchen. They painted it white and changed the hardware.
This large window was part of the renovation. It provides a greenhouse-like area for their plants and further brightens the space.
This powder room attached to the kitchen was likely a pantry when the home was built. The couple kept it dark and moody in contrast to the bright white kitchen. The custom blue wall paint was made to complement the leafy wallpaper.
The 1960s Sputnik chandelier is from an estate sale. “It was in that house for 60 years and filthy,” Meyers says. He cleaned off layers of dirt to reveal the warm gold patina underneath. The small sink is an estate sale find.
Wall paint: custom blend, Sherwin-Williams; wallpaper: Nana (Jungle), Hygge & West
The 1960s Sputnik chandelier is from an estate sale. “It was in that house for 60 years and filthy,” Meyers says. He cleaned off layers of dirt to reveal the warm gold patina underneath. The small sink is an estate sale find.
Wall paint: custom blend, Sherwin-Williams; wallpaper: Nana (Jungle), Hygge & West
The green glass-paned door was inspired by previous owners who had lived in the home during the ’70s. “They said this type of door was in the home, and I wanted to bring it back,” Meyers says.
He found the door on Craigslist, but it needed a bit of work since it was too wide and short for the space. To save money, Meyers sought the help of a carpenter friend, who shaved down the door and made it taller by adding wood. Meyers also scraped off paint to reveal the etched windows.
He found the door on Craigslist, but it needed a bit of work since it was too wide and short for the space. To save money, Meyers sought the help of a carpenter friend, who shaved down the door and made it taller by adding wood. Meyers also scraped off paint to reveal the etched windows.
The eclectic dining room has a vintage vibe. True to the couple’s thrifty roots, the curtains are drop cloths used for painting, and the curtain rods are copper pipes that Meyers bought at a hardware store and cut to size. The total cost was much less than he would’ve paid for traditional hardware and store-bought curtains.
The chandelier is one of the few new pieces they bought when they moved in. The chairs, table, rugs and portraits are from estate sales. The red-orange fireplace is a Craigslist find. “I knew I wanted an electric fireplace or mantel there,” Meyers says.
Wall paint: Cyberspace, Sherwin-Williams; Radial chandelier: CB2
The chandelier is one of the few new pieces they bought when they moved in. The chairs, table, rugs and portraits are from estate sales. The red-orange fireplace is a Craigslist find. “I knew I wanted an electric fireplace or mantel there,” Meyers says.
Wall paint: Cyberspace, Sherwin-Williams; Radial chandelier: CB2
Baehser found the barrister bookcase on Craigslist for Meyers’ birthday. It’s filled with Baehser’s medical books and old drug bottles the couple found at the Brooklyn Flea market.
A collection of woven baskets and a midcentury cabinet enliven the other side of the dining room wall.
Meyers bought this $10 table lamp at a thrift store even though it was in bad shape. ”I had to clean off layers of dirt,” he says. Now with a complementary vintage lampshade, it has become a cool accent to the old school desk, complete with curse words written inside, that sits in the hallway.
Bursts of orange add color to a neutral-toned bedroom. A 1960s orange fireplace is unexpected.
The Ikea headboard, which they found on Craigslist, has the low-key feeling Meyers was looking for. A camel saddle seat from an estate sale sits at the foot of the bed.
The Ikea headboard, which they found on Craigslist, has the low-key feeling Meyers was looking for. A camel saddle seat from an estate sale sits at the foot of the bed.
A midcentury dresser faces the bed. Next to it, a modern-style chair and statement vintage art create a nook.
This home office is a place for Baehser to store his medical books and paperwork. The desk and chair are part of their master bedroom set, which altogether should’ve cost them about $2,000. Instead, Meyers found the set at the Salvation Army for $120.
The vintage anatomy chart is from a shop in Brooklyn, and the vintage cancer chart is from a shop in Jersey City.
The vintage anatomy chart is from a shop in Brooklyn, and the vintage cancer chart is from a shop in Jersey City.
The rattan chair cost $6 at a thrift store. The Moroccan rug is sold at Ball and Claw Vintage. The landscape pictures are paint-by-numbers,” Meyers says. “They were big in the ’60s.”
A 1960s oxblood-red chesterfield sofa from Craigslist sits across the room from the desk.
In addition to his online shop, Meyers also collaborates with Cindy Bokser of Niroma Studio to make and sell macramé home furnishings, and one of their collaborations hangs over the couch. “I source the pieces, and she … creates [them],” Meyers says. Together, they make and sell about one piece every two months, and no two pieces are alike.
In addition to his online shop, Meyers also collaborates with Cindy Bokser of Niroma Studio to make and sell macramé home furnishings, and one of their collaborations hangs over the couch. “I source the pieces, and she … creates [them],” Meyers says. Together, they make and sell about one piece every two months, and no two pieces are alike.
A guest bedroom is filled with midcentury pieces. The bedding, which is from Mexico, was given to Meyers by a friend. The portrait was bought for $4 at Goodwill, and the colorful rya, a classic Scandinavian style of rug, was found on Craigslist.
On the other side of the guest room bed is a 1960s Danish bookcase.
A shell chandelier that holds a potted houseplant graces the guest room window next to the bookcase.
The other guest bedroom has a gypsy vibe. They bought the bed from the previous owner; it was originally teal before the couple painted it black. The bedding is vintage, and Meyers made the pillow from an African textile.
A 1970s swag lamp hangs next to a vintage bookshelf opposite the bed.
Meyers and Baehser turned the third level of the home into a guest suite for visiting family and friends. “It’s the perfect guest suite for moms and friends to relax and enjoy themselves,” Meyers says.
Previously decked out in green walls and blue floors, the suite got a floor-to-ceiling coat of bright white paint, giving it a modern feel that makes the vintage furnishings pop. The vintage hanging swing from Craigslist adds a dose of fun to the space.
Previously decked out in green walls and blue floors, the suite got a floor-to-ceiling coat of bright white paint, giving it a modern feel that makes the vintage furnishings pop. The vintage hanging swing from Craigslist adds a dose of fun to the space.
On the wall is a slab midcentury art piece by Nanno de Groot.
Opposite the bed is a daybed from Craigslist. Meyers covered it with mud cloth, a popular African textile.
Meyers spotted this bookcase left out on the sidewalk. “Brooklyn has the best trash,” he says. Two drawers were missing, so Meyers converted that section into a bookshelf.
Meyers and Baehser’s vintage style extends to their patio, where they enjoy spending time. “A typical day in the house is early-morning coffees in the backyard, admiring the overgrown flower beds and catching up on work email,” Meyers says. The macramé divider is another design collaboration between Meyers and Niroma Studio.
Meyers maintains a growing collection of plants, many of which are from clippings that were shipped to him from a friend in California. “She cuts pieces of her plants and mails them to me,” he says.
Meyers maintains a growing collection of plants, many of which are from clippings that were shipped to him from a friend in California. “She cuts pieces of her plants and mails them to me,” he says.
Baehser, left, and Meyers are pictured on their living room couch, relaxing with their cat, Bridget.
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See more photos of this home
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: Joey Meyers, owner of Ball and Claw Vintage, Mark Baehser and their cat, Bridget
Location: Jersey City, New Jersey
Size: 3,500 square feet (325 square meters); five bedrooms, three bathrooms
Year built: 1910
“This is the reception room. It’s where guests would wait to be greeted,” Meyers says about this entry. The homeowner and stylist considers himself a perpetual decorator and is constantly updating his home. “We changed this room three times,” he says.
The 1960s mustard-colored sofa is from Chairish, and the blue portrait is from an estate sale. A steer skull that Meyers bought at an estate sale sits atop an old bank ledger from the 1930s, while the drum pendant light is a Brooklyn yard sale find. The brown paint completes the eclectic, midcentury-inspired look. “We pulled the color from the stained glass window,” Meyers says.
Wall paint: custom blend, Sherwin-Williams