Curated Style in a Brooklyn Brownstone

Curated Style in a Brooklyn Brownstone

I think one of the biggest highs for me as a prop and interior stylist is coming across an object that is wonderfully fitting for my set. In these moments I think, “something else would have been fine or good enough, but this glorious object is perfect.” Those finds are rare, but when they happen, it feels like magic or fate was somehow involved. Alyssa and Paul also have a knack for looking for things that will just do, and have instead ended up with the pieces and home of their dreams.

Alyssa, floral designer/owner at Bracken and freelance prop stylist, and Paul Hoppe, Art Director at Local Projects, moved from Los Angeles to Brooklyn a year and a half ago. They wanted to find a brownstone and were lucky enough to find one on a tree-lined street in a great location. “The apartment had just been remodeled when we moved in, so it was great to find something that felt new and clean in a building full of the character of old homes that we love,” Alyssa says. “We didn’t bring much with us when we moved here from Los Angeles. Just a few boxes of clothes and some of the special knick-knacks from places we traveled. All of the furniture and decor pieces we collected here.”

The Hoppes’ great discoveries didn’t stop with their apartment: “One of our best finds was our matching dressers from a salvage store in Brooklyn. We were only looking for one dresser when we came across these two. We liked the design and they were priced at $40 so we decided to take one home. Just before we bought it we noticed the Herman Miller seal on the inside of the top drawer. When we got home we Googled it and found they were designed by George Nelson and retail at $1,700 apiece. We immediately went back and bought the other one and made it work in our living room.”

This home is balanced with neutrals and color, things old and new, purchased and made. The Hoppes have made it into a space that reflects both of them in a beautiful combination. “We always want our home to feel like it’s a part of both of us,” says Alyssa. “We tend to like a lot of the same things but my aesthetic can be a little more rustic and raw while Paul’s is clean-lined and more modern.” Of course, the home of an art director and stylist is this incredibly well done while looking effortless at the same time. The items they have found to bring into their home are as incredible as the space itself. —Lauren

Photography by Kathleen Bly

SOURCE LIST

Living Room

– Grey chair/IKEA

– Shelving System/ We designed and got all the parts from Lowes

– Pillows/ West Elm

– Orange chair/ Brooklyn Flea

– Side table/ found the base at a salvage yard and the marble top is a lazy Susan I found at a thrift store

– Couch/ Macy’s

– Rug/ IKEA

– Dresser/ George Nelson steel frame dresser thrifted at Build it Green in Brooklyn

Dining Area

– Wishbone Chair/ Craigslist

– Industrial Art Chairs/ Craigslist

– Wood Block Tables/ Craigslist

– Lamp/ IKEA

– Large Print/ Photo we took, printed at Kinkos, and attached to a vintage school room map

– Bike Rack/ Barrecrafters

Bedroom

– Bed/ Stockholm Collection at IKEA

– Bedding/ West Elm

– Knotted Wool Pillow- TJ Maxx

– Reading light/ thrift store

– Rug/ thrift store

– Wall hanging/ My work I did for a DIY for Design Love Fest

– Black Dresser/ IKEA

– Wishbone Chair/ Craigslist

– Large standing mirror/ Salvage yard

– Basket/ Jamali

– Curtains/ IKEA

Kitchen

– Hanging system/ IKEA

– Baskets/ Thrifted

1/19 Alyssa and Paul's styles blend seamlessly together for a modern look that isn't too cold or vintage, and a rustic feel that isn't too unfinished.

2/19 "The small square picture is a photo of my parents' ranch in Montana where we got married," Alyssa says. "My mom planted daisies there and they bloom in June, which is the month we got married."

3/19 Paul and Alyssa's apartment is 800 square feet without much storage. "Being a prop stylist and florist, I knew I needed space to house props and vases without it being too messy," says Alyssa. "We decided to design and build the shelving system in our living room and it's been great."

4/19 "We started collecting clocks when we travel," says Alyssa. "They are laid out geographically based on a world map and set to the time zone where they are from."

5/19 "The Dala horse is from my Swedish grandmother and I’ve been collecting the shells and rocks over the last 15 years," Alyssa says.

6/19 "Our kitchen is the most challenging part of our home," Alyssa says. "It's really tiny and narrow. We still cook a lot, but I find myself constantly saying, 'I can't wait for the day I have room to move in my kitchen,' especially after we've dropped a glass, or bowl, or French press full of boiling coffee down Paul's leg."

7/19 They found the drawing above the bar cart at an estate sale in San Fransisco.

8/19 The perfect mix of styles in the furniture and details in Alyssa and Paul's dining area is completely them.

9/19 "We got the plates while we were in Thailand and the large print on the wall is a photo we took of Mount Cook in New Zealand," says Alyssa.

10/19 "This is a view looking into our bedroom. The first thing I do when I wake up is pull back the curtains to let the morning light in," Alyssa says.

11/19 The bedroom uses texture and subtle patterns to make an impact more than it uses color. The monochromatic palette creates an inviting and calm space.

12/19 There is something so fitting about the scale and shape of this wall hanging above the bed. Alyssa uses white linens and bedding to allow the other pieces in the room to stand out.

13/19 "We found this IKEA dresser on Craigslist and replaced the knobs with antique wooden ones. We got the large print from the night market in Thailand," says Alyssa.

14/19 "I am most thankful for all the light our apartment gets. We are on the top floor, which is really nice and all of our plants have been doing really well. I love having plants in a room to help it feel alive," Alyssa says.

15/19 "I am a big scavenger when it comes to putting together our home," Alyssa says. "I try to find a balanced aesthetic of both Paul and me, as well as old and new."

16/19 "Anyone that’s traveled with me knows that I can’t help but take home specimens," says Alyssa. "I have journals filled with pressed plants and have recently started framing them."

17/19 Layers of loved items can be found throughout their space. In this prop stylist and art director's home, every detail is placed in a spot that will make it stand out and look beautiful with the objects around it.

18/19 "This is our half bedroom off the bedroom," says Alyssa. " I used to use it as a studio space, but I recently moved to a real studio and that has been much better. Now it serves as an office and guest room with a desk and a queen size air mattress. Our downstairs neighbors turned theirs into a walk-in closet."

19/19

Original article and pictures take www.designsponge.com site