Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Stylist’s Eye for Detail Shows in His Brooklyn Condo
Creative thinking on a shoestring budget is on display in an apartment with a midcentury-meets-industrial aesthetic
A wall of windows was the big selling point for Max Aboody when he bought a condo in a new building in Brooklyn, New York. Knowing he wanted the city view to be the first thing he saw when walking in, he began to draw up floor plans for his furniture arrangement. His creation of vignettes became a launching pad for a career as an interior stylist.
Raw wood works its way into the dining area with a live-edge table commissioned by local furniture maker Joel Voisard, and the bookcase, which Aboody made himself.
To make the bookcase, Aboody painted stripes on top of a large sheet of plywood that he had found. After bolting it to the wall, he added shelves from The Home Depot to give it a floating look. “I originally came up with the concept to help separate the dining room from the living room,” he says. “Now it speaks as a piece of artwork and gives height to the space.”
Artwork: Ida Badal
To make the bookcase, Aboody painted stripes on top of a large sheet of plywood that he had found. After bolting it to the wall, he added shelves from The Home Depot to give it a floating look. “I originally came up with the concept to help separate the dining room from the living room,” he says. “Now it speaks as a piece of artwork and gives height to the space.”
Artwork: Ida Badal
Without any overhead lighting in the apartment, Aboody had to get creative. A striking pendant light hangs above the dining table, its wires hidden behind the bookcase. A supplemental dimmer allows the chandelier to give off ambient and direct lighting.
To accessorize and add an architectural element to the existing gray kitchen, Aboody installed wood floating shelves for barware.
Light: Urban Chandy; bulbs: West Elm; bar stools and shelves: Crate & Barrel
To accessorize and add an architectural element to the existing gray kitchen, Aboody installed wood floating shelves for barware.
Light: Urban Chandy; bulbs: West Elm; bar stools and shelves: Crate & Barrel
Photo by Max Aboody
In the bathroom, built-in wood and slate grays fit nicely with Aboody’s look.
Greenery in a vase echoes the quirky tree in the living room, adding a living element the stylist says is very necessary. “Plants are key in design,” he says. “We need nature in our lives, especially with modern design, where it can lack warmth. It brings so much life to the space.”
In the bathroom, built-in wood and slate grays fit nicely with Aboody’s look.
Greenery in a vase echoes the quirky tree in the living room, adding a living element the stylist says is very necessary. “Plants are key in design,” he says. “We need nature in our lives, especially with modern design, where it can lack warmth. It brings so much life to the space.”
The color palette stays cohesive throughout the apartment. The bedroom is done in grays and faux furs, which provide texture. The side tables add a warm wood element and are paired with midcentury Blenko Glass Co. blown-glass lamps that belonged to Aboody’s grandparents.
“Besides their sentimental value, I just love the shape and color of these lamps. I will have these forever,” he says.
Coverlet, nightstands, bed and dresser: West Elm; faux fur blanket: Pottery Barn; pillows: Restoration Hardware; artwork: Ida Badal
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“Besides their sentimental value, I just love the shape and color of these lamps. I will have these forever,” he says.
Coverlet, nightstands, bed and dresser: West Elm; faux fur blanket: Pottery Barn; pillows: Restoration Hardware; artwork: Ida Badal
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
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Designer Max Aboody of Clean Slate
Location: Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York
Size: 733 square feet (68 square meters); one bedroom, one bathroom
After studying fashion at the Parsons School of Design, Aboody made a shift to interior design. Using his one-bedroom apartment as a design lab gave him the confidence and inspiration to make such a career change and start his own company, Clean Slate.
Here, he worked with woods and grays for an “industrial modern” look that lends both warm and cooling effects. Modular wood shelving frames the TV, which sits on a media unit from Houzz and offers a space for knickknacks. Indonesian wood forms the coffee table and the chair, Aboody’s favorite piece. It can convert into a lounger. “I was definitely inspired by midcentury modern designs from the ’50s and ’60s, but also loved the warmth of industrial design,” he says.
Although he wanted to splurge on custom drapes on a track, he instead got resourceful and opted for curtains from JCPenney that he secured with an Ikea wire system.
Accessorizing is where Aboody says he has the most fun. “I change up my accessories and the placement of them often. It’s therapeutic. I like to play with size and height. It’s all about the right proportions,” he says.
Paramount sectional: Blu Dot; chair: Neelima Narayanan; shelves and drapery system: Ikea; coffee table: From the Source; Rex media unit: Pangea Home via Houzz