I am so thrilled to be revealing my apartment today – at long last! While this is the grand reveal, I also have forthcoming posts scheduled to give you a closer look and more details around my furniture, the art collection I built out (and a look at how I commissioned a piece) and more. It feels so exciting to finally be sharing everything I’ve been working on with you all!

As a bit of background, my last apartment was a sublet and the owner decided to sell it just before the pandemic set in. I was initially set to move in May of 2020 but thankfully was able to ride out more of the pandemic before the new owners started their renovation. But, come summer, I was on the hunt for a new apartment and I looked high and low – with a few key priorities in mind. 

When it came to my apartment search, I ideally wanted to stay in Brooklyn Heights. I was looking for a (rare) doorman rental building and the unit had to have good natural light, decent closet space and a dishwasher. I decided to sacrifice overall square footage in order to continue to save for buying an apartment. Do I now wish I had gotten a one bedroom? Yes. But apartment hunting during a pandemic was less than ideal and I was most worried about getting a spot that would fit my criteria with a move in date of August. 

Once I signed a lease, I began concepting the place and I decided to really go all-in on design unlike past apartments of mine. With all the time I’ve spent at my apartment in the last year, I wanted a space I loved – not just lived in. But interior design is so not my forte. I can put together lots of outfits but when it comes to designing a space I have a hard time making decisions and determining a cohesive aesthetic.

Through this process, I ended up selling and giving away a lot of my other furniture, I put a variety of items in storage and I hired Havenly to help me begin to plan out my Parisian-inspired apartment and floorplan. 

After Havenly’s initial design was submitted, I began working more closely with Proper Shoppe who specialize in art curation and styling but they also are interior designers by trade and therefore helped me with furniture selection, the floor plan and the overall look and feel.

Proper Shoppe was absolutely instrumental in making my apartment what it is you see in today’s reveal. Their guidance, expertise, art curation, design choices and styling were of more value than I can ever express. 

My home today evokes a Brooklyn Parisienne aesthetic. I love how it marries my modern Parisian influences and inspirations (clean lines and contrast) with my maximalist cozy tendencies (textured pillows and blankets and touches of gold).

The more structured pieces evoke Brooklyn minimalism and will stand the test of time and the mantel that I searched high and low for serves as a focal point in the apartment that brings me joy day in and day out. I have always wanted a Paris apartment with a mantel and now I can imagine I am in Paris every morning when I wake up at home in New York City.

Sourcing this mantel was no small feat. I looked high and low for weeks and then ordered one that showed up and I was told I’d have to get all 400lbs of it into my home by myself. I had to refuse the delivery and go back to square one. I was heartbroken but I was determined.

It took several more months of searching and asking around and emailing junk yards and antique stores and going upstate to look in warehouses full to the brim. But I just couldn’t find “the one.” The vibe had to be European and – toughest of all – under 50 inches wide. (Oh and not to mention I needed the cost to be less than the several thousands of dollars many reclaimed French mantels go for!)

I am so glad I was patient though as this beauty came into my life in February and I absolutely love it. I am eternally grateful to Molly at Mantel House DC for sourcing it and getting it to New York for me.

I love how the mantel ended up being styled. Ally Sheppard was kind enough to reach out to commission a piece for my new place and I absolutely love her painting. She worked with Proper Shoppe and the colors are so spot on and I love that one component of the painting looks like a little Eiffel Tower at sunset in the middle.

Next to Ally’s piece is my Grammatical Paris Print which I was so excited to buy after following the artist for several years. A wit & whimsy Instagram follower actually first shared Frederick’s work with me and I’ve been wanting a piece in my home ever since. This piece symbolizes to me looking ahead and waiting to see what life holds.

The rest of the mantel is styled with candles that I love lighting at night now and vintage books from Paris that my friend Landen of La Porte Bonheur sourced straight from the booksellers on the banks of the Seine. 

Proper Shoppe helped guide this direction by culling through my blog and personal style photos and worked to identify my tailored, feminine style. They then helped achieve this same type of feel in my apartment by mixing geometric prints with texture and purposeful pops of color in small ways (pillows, plants, etc.).

Since my apartment is a studio and since I’ve largely spent the majority of the last year at home, Proper Shoppe guided me on keeping a neutral backdrop that could be changed up simply by moving a couple pieces when it came to updating the feel or re-styling the space for a shoot. I love that my home has plenty of interest to the eye but it isn’t distracting or overly busy.

I learned so much from Proper Shoppe through this process but two of the most important lessons were:

• The power of art in a space to draw the eye around. I had never owned any paintings before and having true art – and not just prints – in my space has been such a game changer.
• Less is more. I own too much and often allow spaces to gather clutter. Proper Shoppe opened my eyes to the beauty when surfaces are kept more clean and “visual noise” is eliminated.

As this apartment is not my forever home, the art selected and commissioned will easily translate to whatever home I move to next. I also love that Proper Shoppe found largely Brooklyn artists to feature in my home. It means a lot to me to support small businesses and female founders and I appreciate that Proper Shoppe translated that into emerging female artist selections for my apartments.

I never shot and shared my last apartment but believe me when I say, this space’s style feels like an upgrade. I had a lot of mirrored pieces and more “glam” elements in my last place and not only had I outgrown them, I also don’t think they reflect my true aesthetic and rather were more representative of trends. I don’t tend to follow trends when it comes to how I dress and I am glad my home now no longer does either.

Prior to all my furniture arriving, I was starting to regret my apartment selection – it was feeling small and cramped but now that it’s done? It feels right. While I sacrificed space for location, we made the work a space that feels functional for my work and my life but also feels cozy, elevated and refined.

When I saw the foyer in this apartment I knew I wanted this vignette. I have long wanted the Anthropologie Parisian inspired Primrose mirror and I love how it pairs with this gorgeous Room & Board Kenwood Cabinet with Ceramic Top. The cabinet holds so much and is the perfect mix of functional and stylish that studio apartments often require. I brought the light fixture from my last apartment and also installed one in my main living space.

The wallpaper is removable by Chasing Paper. I’m not one for a lot of print but I absolutely love how this turned out! It’s a statement maker the moment you open the door and I think it looks so eye-catching against the mirror and the black closets nearby.

Proper Shoppe recommended this beautiful Crate and Barrel Cane Room Divider that both serves as a way of separating the bedroom and living areas but also will be used for shoots for me in the future. I love the warmth and texture it adds to the space.

The focal point of my living space is without a doubt this Alex Soffer commission. I had such a pleasure working with Alex on this piece and I absolutely love how it elevates and brings together the entire space. You can read more about Alex and the process of the comission here.

The windows in this apartment were a huge selling point. They are not only beautiful but they let in loads of light and I love the windowsills. The Everhem custom drapes and shades pull the entire room together.

This little nook is my favorite and turned out exactly as I had imagined it. The Room & Board Aria Table with Quartz Top and June Chairs serve as both a dining set and a work space for me and is where you can often find me enjoying my space. I love the bistro-style feel and being able to sit next to the open windows as a breeze and sun spills in.

Another selling point was the recently renovated bathroom. I shoot a lot of content in my bathroom for beauty campaigns and I am a huge bath person so having an elevated bathroom has been wonderful.

The kitchen in this apartment is less than ideal, but I make it work. So few apartments have a dishwasher in NYC and I have to have one so I prioritized that over counter and storage space. I also appreciate the look and feel of it and the upgraded appliances.

There was so much work, so many decisions and so much thoughtful care put into this space and once it was done I was blown away at how the space transformed. In every other apartment I’ve moved into (I’ve lived in 7 apartments in the last 10 years!), I’ve raced to get everything “done” – not giving certain decisions the time and care they deserved to be happy with the end product. 

Working with Proper Shoppe and having access to their wealth of knowledge when it came to sourcing product for the space made me realize you really have to be patient with the process. More so, it made me realize that taking the time and money to invest in the space you call home is 100% worth the effort. I now come home and truly do feel at home. 

. . .

Shop the Space

I have done my best to link everything possible however some items I’ve had for so long I can’t recall where they were from or who made them so if you don’t see an object linked this is why.

Entry Way

Room & Board Kenwood Bar Cabinet with Ceramic Top // Anthropologie Primrose Mirror // Chasing Paper Wallpaper

Jonathan Adler Paradox Vase // Jonathan Adler Ceramic Box // Paris Chic Book // Parisian Interiors Book // Pressed Mimosa Print framed via Simply Framed // Paris and New York City Prints (purchased in Paris) framed via Simply Framed

Bedroom

The Inside Headboard // Brooklinen Bedding // Anthropologie Textured Pillow // Annie Selke Shams 

West Elm Nightstand // Crate and Barrel Lamp // CB2 Marble Tray // Rebecca Plotnick Paris Print framed via Simply Framed // Ilana Greenberg Original (Charish Shop) // UGG Shearling Bedside Rug // Studio Marcette Bedroom Rug // Chanel Book // Hotel Chic at Home Book // In Vogue Book

Room & Board Hudson Dresser with Wood Base // Dresser Mirror // Williams Sonoma Black Lacquer Gallery Frame // Kara Mann for CB2 Black Eclipse Table Lamp // Jonathan Adler Brass Hand // Jonathan Adler Vase // CB2 Standing Mirror // Crate and Barrel Vase // Crate and Barrel Artificial Pampas Grass Plumes and Dried Grass // Garment Rack // Floating Bookshelf

Living Room

Alex Soffer Commissioned Diptych Painting // Interior Define Caitlin Sofa // Pottery Barn Coffee Table // CB2 Decorative Concrete Box // CB2 Acrylic Tray // Maison: Parisian Chic at Home Book // Vogue and The Metropolitan Museum of Art Book // Kate Spade SHE Book

Crate and Barrel Cane Room Divider // Room & Board Bree Chair // Restoration Hardware Suede Band Pillow // Restoration Hardware Luxe Faux Fur Lumbar Pillow // CB2 Alpaca Copper Pillow // Jayson Home Graphic Pillow // Jenni Kayne Throw // Annie Selke Crosshatch Rug

Mantel sourced via Mantle House DC // Ally Sheppard Painting // Grammatical Paris Print framed via Simply Framed // Jayson Home Relic Bowl // Vintage French Books sourced via La Porte Bonheur // Vintage Brass Candlesticks via Etsy // Crate and Barrel Birch Logs // Crate and Barrel Pillar Candles and Candle Coasters

Room & Board Case Study Ceramic Planter // Studio McGee x Threshold Ottoman // CB2 Crystal Spheres // Havenly Books

Dining

Room & Board Aria 27″ Table with Quartz Top and June Chairs // Pier 1 Bar Cart // Nespresso Machine // Everhem Window Treatments

CB2 Scallop Marble Hurricane // Jenni Kayne Cedar Candle // Candle Cloche // Chanel Catwalk Book // New York Coffee Table Book // Tom Ford Book // Target Floor Lamp

Kitchen

Rebecca Plotnick Framed Print // La Cuisine Brass Sign // Food52 Expandable Counter Top Shelf // Ceramic Canisters // Marble Utensil Holder // Staub Dutch Oven // Marble Salt Cellar // Mirrored Cocktail Tray

Bathroom

Ikea Storage Cabinet // Brooklinen Towels // Command Shelf // Acrylic Shower Shelves // Room and Board Case Study Ceramic Planter 

I want to thank Proper Shoppe, Havenly, Alex Soffer, Ally Sheppard, Ilana Greenberg, Handy Andy, Simply Framed, Everhem and Room & Board for their partnership in making this space what it is. I’m extremely grateful for their time and talent!

And a special thanks to Urbanstems for the florals.

p.s inside my closets and some favorites from Amazon Home.

[Pret a Provost Photography]