Brooklyn, NY

One of my goals with these interviews is to bring together many different lifestyles in the city. Caitlin’s home is the perfect Brooklyn brownstone. It’s the kind of the apartment that feels out of New York. It’s warm, romantic, welcoming, earthy, calm and peaceful. The classic architectural details such as crown mouldings, high ceilings, the fireplace and wooden window panels make it very special. I was very excited to hear her process of decorating as she works in the field of interior design as a buyer. I hope you enjoy :)

You can find her on @caitlinkoller :)

For me, living in a Brooklyn brownstone has a very nostalgic energy. When I look at your home, it really has a unique layout with high ceilings, beatiful mouldings… How did you end up deciding this home is the one? How did you start decorating your space? Did you have a mood board in mind, did it happen organically?

My dream to live in a brownstone really came from my love of old homes, historical details and architecture. In a lot of ways, I’ve felt like this space is my New York version of that! I was lucky to have found the apartment during a time where the market was very low. Having rented in New York for many years, I knew right away that it was a rare opportunity to live in a space that might otherwise be pretty unattainable at my budget. Timing is everything!

Before moving here, I lived in a small studio and had already begun curating pieces that I knew I would have forever, such as a vintage tiger oak dresser and a coffee table my mom actually picked up from a yard sale and refinished for me. Those pieces came with me, and I filled in the rest over time. The process does happen organically when you have a solid idea of what aesthetics you’re drawn to and how you want your home to look and feel. But getting to that point definitely takes a lot of time and research! Mostly, I’ve used Instagram as a source of inspiration - I've found it helpful to curate saves into specific folders to go back and reference when making design choices.

Do you have a dream piece of furniture you have in mind?

Eventually, I would love to invest in a marble top dining table. The dream piece would be a Knoll Saarinen!

What made you decide on your particular neighborhood? Can you also share some of your go-to places, coffeeshops, shops that you frequent often?

I've lived in a number of neighborhoods in both Brooklyn and Manhattan, but the southern area of Brooklyn spanning Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and Brooklyn Heights has always felt like home to me. Park Slope is a very family dense neighborhood, which I love because it gives me the sense of longevity, and of people really putting down roots in New York. Park Slope not only has beautiful brownstone lined streets, but a plethora of charming coffee shops, restaurants and bars. My favorite spots are Koss Cafe and Cafe Regular, which feels like a little slice of Paris in Brooklyn. Restaurant staples include Hyeno and Al Di La which are both on 5th!

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Tell us a bit about you, who are you? How did your interest in interior design begin?

I am a buyer for a furniture company based in Brooklyn and have called New York City home for about 7 years, but I’m originally from a small, rural town in central Maine! My interest in interiors has grown over the past few years after making a transition from luxury fashion to furniture, but I think that there's a true overlap between the two parts of the industry. To me, interiors and fashion go hand in hand. At the start of my career, I was really drawn to store concepts and how the design of a space is key to how a brand comes to life and tells a story. Now that I have my own space, I’ve been able to pull a lot of inspiration from that concept in creating a home that feels uniquely mine.

As someone working in the field as a furniture buyer, how does your career affect your choices and style?

I’ve learned a lot in terms of design history, iconic forms and how a room really comes together through working in the industry. While my role is mainly focused on trends, It's inspiring to work closely with creative teams that are really focused on being ahead of the curve.

Your home has beautiful vintage furniture, lots of wooden warm, earthy tones and dark features. What was your strategy while decorating, how did you start picking certain pieces for your layout? Was there any important element, piece of furniture you really wanted? What was your intention behind your choices?

Furnishing this space was a huge shift in terms of scale, and really allowed for my style to evolve into what it is now. The space itself feels grand because of the high ceilings and mouldings, so it really called for some larger scale pieces that felt just as elegant and refined as the architecture. I like the idea of mixing a number of complimentary aesthetics, which avoids making a space feel too calculated or too much of one thing. My favorite way to do that is through mixing a warmer or rustic texture or material with something very modern. For example, my dining area is anchored with these modern pieces such as a white tulip table and black leather Mart Stam chairs, but the jute rug layered underneath balances out the coolness of the white, chrome and leather. This is a strategy that takes a bit of trial and error, but to me is really important in giving a home character and a unique point of view!

Can you tell us some of your favorite pieces in your home?

My sofa & console are definitely my two favorites. For the sofa, I wanted something with a timeless & classic silhouette that would balance out some of the more modern pieces in the room. The weave on the upholstery adds texture and is the perfect canvas for swapping out contrasting textiles such as my checkered throw blanket or linen pillows. While shopping for a console, my only rule was that it had to be vintage! So it took several months to come across the right one, but it was worth the wait for a piece that felt special & would live in my home forever, wherever I move next. In addition to these two things, lighting is key to making a space feel cozy and lived in & can really pull a room together through the added element of color or texture. I have a mix of new and vintage table lamps, but my favorites are a vintage ceramic lamp with a tonal base & shade I picked up at an antique store and my accent lamps from Tala, a UK brand specializing in eco-friendly light bulbs and fixtures. I also really love my vintage rug (also sourced from an antique shop), that lives in the bedroom. The weave is a really subtle shade of pink that's faded beautifully over the years, and it's truly one of a kind!

And the information we all wonder…

Some of my favorite items: