author Erica Berink She organized her Brooklyn apartment like her own closet. She decorated with quirky pieces (e.g. foot candles and Greek columns) and saved on almost every piece. “I don’t want my house to feel too serious,” she says. Come sightseeing…
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When creating an oasis: I want my home to have a comfortable feeling of breathing in and out. We are located in a quiet area of Brooklyn. It’s nice to be able to have people come from Manhattan and sit face to face all day and say, ‘Okay, I’m here now.’ I always like to light candles before my friends arrive and offer them a spot on the couch rather than our chair.
bench: restoration hardware Via Craigslist. Screens, dining tables, chairs: Craiglist.
Furniture worth fighting for: My husband Christian and I had a huge argument the night we found this room screen on Craigslist. Because we had to wait outside the seller’s apartment for an hour. My husband said, ‘I don’t want to be here.’ And I thought, ‘I’ve been searching for room screens like this.’ 5 years. We are waiting.’ Painted room screens don’t come around often, and this one was only $75. So it’s worth it.
Cloud Picture: Rachel English. Rain picture: Francesca Wade. Dining table picture: Julie Thompson Martin. Brick Wall Photo: Taken by Erika. To Kill a Mockingbird Quote: Drawn by Erika’s sister. Flower painting: “My husband’s grandmother painted this for our wedding.” Italian photo: Taken by Erika’s mother-in-law. Embroidered Wall Hangings and Elvis Bust: Second Hand.
About the DIY shenanigans: While thrifting with my best friend, I found this Elvis bust. ruby In DC, I’m an Elvis fan, and Ruby and I are always bouncing ideas off each other. The bust was originally colorful and shiny, but when we saw it, we thought: You can spray paint! Let’s do it!
Living/dining area
Paint: White Dove benjamin moore. Mirror: Craigslist; similar. bookcase: ikea. chair: reuse usa. Coffee Table and Globe Pendant: Craigslist. Wall clock: Umei. Rug: eBay.
From your favorite books: i have been loving Didion & Babitz Posted by Lili Anolik, I also like flipping through pages. The House BookThis is an old coffee table interior design book by Terence Conran. This is a 90s piece, and I love how intentional each piece is. In the past, assembling a house was typically a slower process. And obviously I’ve read Sarah Manguso’s book. liar Like everyone else.
candlestick: tiffany. Mirror: Craigslist; similar. bookcase: ikea. chair: reuse usa.
About Euro Inspiration: I love how cozy, warm and bright our apartment feels. I am inspired by the coziness of the English countryside. I like the idea that there are no rules when it comes to color. Also all the girls in Copenhagen, their dedication to color and how they boldly tie it all together.
candle: hay. Des Moines Map: domestic.
About soulmates: My best friend Ruby and I met 10 years ago in Iowa while we were both attending school in New York. She is my muse and like a second sister to me. I remember going to her parents’ house for the first time. They had framed photos of their friends and extended family, which I found very touching. There was nothing like that in the house I grew up in. We only had pictures of our nuclear family. So I remember almost immediately framing this photo and proudly displaying it.
Foot candle: My friend made this two years ago, and he said, ‘I’m going to start a foot candle business, too.’ I wanted to support her as she started her business, so I thought, ‘Okay, I’m never going to burn this down.’ She hasn’t started yet but I am waiting.
David Hockney poster: first dip. Table and chairs: Craigslist.
Works you learn to love: Those Greek columns once belonged to my father-in-law. He had it in his bachelor pad. It was one of three pieces of furniture my husband brought into our apartment. At first I thought it was too old-fashioned and tacky, but now I feel that way. so Loved it. Seeing it incorporated into our space makes it so much better. Sometimes you just need some time to warm up to something. Now it means everything to me. So the moral of the story is that people can grow and change.
Couch and Basket: Craigslist. Lamp: Etsy. Side table: vintage. Weighted Blanket: Bearaby.
Family heirlooms: My grandmother made me a blanket. [pictured above, top] When I graduated with an MFA in nonfiction writing. She is a lifelong quilter who lives in Iowa and primarily gives quilts to weddings. It meant a lot to me that she recognized my graduation from graduate school as something to truly celebrate.
Coffee table: Craigslist.
Lucky find: I like to randomly search Craigslist for furniture within a 3 mile radius and one day this coffee table listing came up. This includes screenshots. Chairman’s Award It was valued at $16,000, but the owner was selling it for $350 on Craigslist. When we got to the seller’s apartment, she was reluctant to give up. She was worried it would get to someone who didn’t appreciate it. So when you can’t stop the eruption, ‘don’t worry. There was an amazing moment where I thought, ‘This is going to be a great house.’ It’s one of my favorite fond memories.
kitchen
Star Print: Alex Ry.
Partnership Role: I don’t cook any food in my family. I feel very uncomfortable in that space. And my husband was a personal chef. When I have a dinner party with my girlfriends, he prepares dinner, goes to the bar, reads a book, comes back and does the dishes. He always appears to me like that. He is the kindest person I know and so supportive in every way.
About love languages: I always choose good movies and listen to good podcasts when I travel.
For useful plants: Christian grows herbs in his kitchen in the winter. His salad nicoise and breakfast cappuccino are my favorites.
Race car photo: Erika’s grandfather.
About the amazing photos: This photo is of my grandfather. He used to race cars, and when I saw this picture hanging in his garage, I asked him to give me the picture so I could print it for me and my sister. I love this photo so much.
primary bedroom
OUI Printing: Claire V x Framebridge. Lamp: Craigslist. Yellow Quilt: Pottery Barn; similar. Yellow Pillow: Mexico. Blue pillow: matook. Euro Fake: restoration hardware.
For a monochromatic bedroom: We went to Copenhagen for our winter honeymoon. Because the weather was cold and windy, we spent a lot of time in the design store. Adding to that the romance of my honeymoon gave me confidence in colors that I was previously intimidated by. As soon as I got home, I said, ‘I need a yellow striped blanket right away.’ Then Claire V. Print The picture came and it all came together.
Inside joke: Above the bed was a framed manila envelope that we used to store our marriage license documents. The reason it says ‘Pups Only’ is because ‘Pup’ is a nickname we call each other. I brought it frame bridge And I was ready to tell them the whole backstory. But they said, ‘So what kind of mat do you want?’ At that moment I realized that they see the cutest things in the world every day.
Wardrobe: Facebook Marketplace. Bag: Savings. Eve Babitz Photo: Gift.
About gift traditions: My mother-in-law and I always started the ritual of giving each other candlesticks. Very sweet. She surprised me with things in my closet because she knew I loved red. I’m obsessed with candles and always have a backup. If you are looking for a tapered candle, choose beeswax because it burns more slowly. If you want to smell it, it’s always like that. DS & Durga.
Moving: mobile mobile. chair: reuse usa. Throw Pillow: Salvesen Graham. Heart and Balloon Lamp: Vintage Ikea.
Big realization: For a while, Christian and I wondered where to settle down and raise a family and considered finding a house on a lake in Minnesota. I grew up in Iowa and always imagined raising my children in the Midwest. But after many long conversations, we realized that our lives and people are here in Brooklyn. When I discovered this mobile, I was initially drawn to the colors. But then I found out that it was also called ‘the lake’, and it felt symbolic to me. I realized that even though we were staying in New York, we could still bring the beautiful, calming Midwestern energy into our home.
How to Relive Your Childhood Memories: Growing up, I always had the freedom to be creative at home. I had a theater space in the basement, and if I took charge of the kitchen table and wanted to build a fort or put on a puppet show, my parents’ attitude was, ‘Fine, do it.’ So my hope is to grow that for my kids someday, and for myself now.
Thank you very much, Erica. We like you.
PS There are many more home tours available, including a Minnesota home with a large collection and a very colorful home in Connecticut.
(Photo credit: Christine Han For the Cup of Jo.)
