Author Erika Veurink pulled collectively her Brooklyn residence like she did her wardrobe: she peppered it with offbeat items (suppose: a foot candle and Greek column), and nearly each piece was thrifted. “I don’t need our dwelling to ever really feel too severe,” she says. Come take a tour…
ENTRYWAY
On creating an oasis: I would like our dwelling to really feel like a soothing inhale, exhale. We’re in a quieter a part of Brooklyn, and it’s good when individuals come from Manhattan and have their complete day on their face, and may simply sit down and be like, ‘Okay, I’m right here now.’ I all the time wish to gentle candles earlier than pals arrive and provide them a seat on the couch, versus our chairs.
Bench: Restoration {Hardware} by way of Craigslist. Display screen, eating desk and chair: Craiglist.
On furnishings price combating for: My husband, Christian, and I received into a large argument the evening we discovered this room display screen on Craigslist, as a result of we needed to wait exterior of the vendor’s residence for an hour. My husband was like, ‘I don’t wish to be right here.’ And I used to be like, ‘I’ve looked for a room display screen like this for 5 years. We’re ready.’ Painted room screens don’t come up that usually, and this one was solely $75. So, price it.
Cloud portray: Rachel English. Rain portray: Francesca Wade. Eating desk illustration: Julie Thomson Martin. Brick wall {photograph}: taken by Erika. To Kill a Mockingbird quote: painted by Erika’s sister. Flower portray: “my husband’s grandmother painted it for our wedding ceremony.” Italy photograph: taken by Erika’s mother-in-law. Embroidered wall hanging and Elvis bust: thrifted.
On DIY shenanigans: I discovered this Elvis bust whereas thrifting with my finest buddy Ruby in D.C. I’m a giant Elvis fan, and Ruby and I all the time egg one another on with concepts. The bust was initially colourful and sparkly, however once we noticed it, we thought, We are able to spray paint it! Let’s do it!
LIVING/DINING AREA
Paint: White Dove by Benjamin Moore. Mirror: Craigslist, comparable. Bookshelves: Ikea. Chairs: Reuse America. Espresso desk and globe pendant: Craigslist. Wall clock: Umei. Rug: eBay.
On favourite reads: I’ve been loving Didion & Babitz by Lili Anolik, and I additionally like flipping by means of The Home E-book, an previous coffee-table e book of interiors by Terence Conran. It’s from the ’90s, and I like how intentional each bit feels, again when placing collectively a house was a typically slower course of. After which clearly I learn Sarah Manguso’s Liars like everybody else.
Candlesticks: Tiffany. Mirror: Craigslist, comparable. Bookshelves: Ikea. Chair: Reuse America.
On Euro inspiration: I like how our residence feels cozy, heat, and brilliant. I used to be impressed by English countryside coziness; I like the concept that there are not any guidelines on the subject of shade. Additionally, all these women on the market in Copenhagen, their dedication to paint, and the way they boldly mash issues collectively.
Candles: Hay. Des Moines Map: Home.
On soulmates: My finest buddy Ruby and I met 10 years in the past in Iowa, and we had been each going to high school in New York. She’s my muse and like a second sister to me. I bear in mind going to her dad and mom’ home for the primary time, they usually had all these framed pictures of their pals and prolonged household, and I discovered it so touching. I didn’t have that in the home that I grew up in — we simply had photos of our nuclear household. So, I bear in mind framing this image nearly instantly and displaying it with pleasure.
On the foot candle: My buddy made this two years in the past, and she or he was like, ‘I’m going to begin a foot candle enterprise.’ I used to be like, ‘Okay, I’m by no means going to burn this,’ as a result of I needed to help her when she launched her enterprise. She nonetheless hasn’t began it, however I’m simply ready.
David Hockney poster: First Dibs. Eating desk and chairs: Craigslist.
On items you study to like: The Greek-style column was once my father-in-law’s; he had it in his bachelor pad. It was one of many three items of furnishings that my husband introduced into our residence. At first I believed it was so ugly and cheesy, however now I’ve change into so endeared to it. Seeing it built-in into our area made me far more keen on it; typically I simply want slightly time to heat as much as one thing. Now it means the whole lot to me. So, ethical of the story — individuals can develop and alter.
Couch and basket: Craigslist. Lamp: Etsy. Facet desk: classic. Weighted blanket: Bearaby.
On household heirlooms: My grandma made the quilt [pictured above, top] for me after I graduated with my MFA in non-fiction writing. She’s a lifelong quilter dwelling in Iowa, and she or he normally provides quilts for weddings. It meant loads that she acknowledged my grad-school commencement as one thing to essentially have a good time.
Espresso desk: Craigslist.
On fortunate finds: I wish to randomly seek for furnishings on Craigslist inside a three-mile radius, and sooner or later an inventory for this espresso desk got here up. It included a screenshot of its Chairish itemizing that was priced at $16,000, however the proprietor was promoting it on Craigslist for $350. After we went over to the vendor’s residence, she was reluctant to present it up. She was frightened it will go to somebody who didn’t admire it. So, after I couldn’t cease gushing, we had this superb second the place I used to be like, ‘Don’t fear, that is going to a superb dwelling.’ It’s one in all my favourite thrifting recollections.
KITCHEN
Star print: Alex Ry.
On partnership roles: I don’t prepare dinner any of the meals in our household — I really feel very uncomfortable in that area, and my husband was once a personal chef. When I’ve dinner events with my girlfriends, he’ll make the dinner, go away to go learn at a bar, come again after which do the dishes. He reveals up for me in that manner on a regular basis; he’s the kindest particular person I do know and is supportive in each sense of the phrase.
On love languages: As for me, I all the time select good films for us, and discover good podcasts to hearken to once we’re on highway journeys.
On helpful vegetation: Christian grows herbs in our kitchen within the winter. Salade niçoise and our morning cappuccinos are my favourite issues he makes.
Race automotive photograph: of Erika’s grandfather.
On stunning pictures: This photograph is of my grandad. He used to race vehicles, and after I noticed this photograph hanging in his storage, I made him to present it to me so I might make prints for my sister and myself. I like this image a lot.
PRIMARY BEDROOM
Oui print: Clare V x Framebridge. Lamp: Craigslist. Yellow cover: Pottery Barn, comparable. Yellow throw pillow: Mexico. Blue throw pillow: Matouk. Euro shams: Restoration {Hardware}.
On a monochrome bed room: We went to Copenhagen for our winter honeymoon — it was freezing chilly and windy, so we spent a lot of time in design shops. That, plus the romance on being on our honeymoon, type of incited a confidence in colours that I’d beforehand been intimidated by. After we got here dwelling, I mentioned ‘We wanted a striped yellow cover instantly.’ Then the Clare V. print got here into the image, after which all of it got here collectively.
On inside jokes: Above our mattress, we framed the manila envelope we used to hold the papers for our marriage license. It says ‘Pups Solely’ as a result of ‘Pup’ is our nickname for one another. I introduced it to Framebridge and was prepared to inform them the entire backstory. However then they had been like, ‘Okay, what sort of mat would you like?’ In that second, I spotted they see the world’s cutest stuff on daily basis.
Dresser: Fb Market. Bag: thrifted. Eve Babitz photograph: reward.
On reward traditions: My mother-in-law and I began a ritual of all the time giving one another candle sticks; it’s very candy. She stunned me with those on my dresser as a result of she is aware of I like a pop of purple. I’m obsessive about candles and all the time have backups readily available. When you’re on the lookout for taper candles, go together with beeswax as a result of it burns extra slowly. For scented, I all the time do D.S. & Durga.
Cellular: Mobiles Mobiles. Chair: Reuse America. Throw pillow: Salvesen Graham. Coronary heart and balloon lamp: classic Ikea.
On massive realizations: For some time, Christian and I went forwards and backwards over the place to calm down and begin a household, and thought of on the lookout for a home on the lake in Minnesota. I grew up in Iowa and all the time imagined elevating my youngsters within the Midwest. However after many lengthy conversations, we realized that our lives and persons are right here in Brooklyn. When I discovered this cellular, I used to be initially drawn to the colour. However then I observed it’s additionally referred to as ‘Lake’, and it felt symbolic to me. I spotted that though we’re staying in New York, we are able to nonetheless deliver that stunning, calm Midwest vitality to our dwelling.
On recreating childhood recollections: Rising up, I all the time had the liberty to be artistic in my household dwelling. There was an area in my basement the place I produced a play, and if I needed to take over the eating desk to construct a fort or placed on a puppet present, my dad and mom’ perspective was ‘Nice, go forward.’ So, my hope is to domesticate that for my youngsters sometime, and for myself now.
Thanks a lot, Erika. We like you.
P.S. Many extra home excursions, together with a Minnesota dwelling with a lot of collections and a really colourful home in Connecticut.
(Photographs by Christine Han for Cup of Jo.)
