ever since dutch designer marianne van ooij and her husband moved to new york, they’ve called this brooklyn apartment home. marianne is not a fan of too much color or clutter (and would have their home emptier if possible), but it’s about striking a balance with her husband, who is the opposite and prefers bright colors and accessories. but they’re very happy with the result of some level of austerity, and also color in a limited form. click here for additional images, and more of marianne’s work here and (etsy shop) here! {thanks, marianne!} -anne
[above: It was only after a year that we got proper dining chairs, first we used boxes, a beanbag and discarded school chairs. The chairs are from CB2 and were originally turquoise. I have re-upholstered them many times, but like how they match the green chair now, so will keep them like this for a while now.]
I like living in old houses and the French doors remind me of that. The idea for these Slim Shelves came from my habit of piling books up on the floor in groups op 8, in order not to forget them. Every now and then we put other books the shelves in and that changes the look of the room in an instant.
In summer this side of the house is like green park and many birds. It is also very quiet. I like working there as there is not much that reminds me I am in NYC (except for the fire escape), therefore it is perfect to work. This corner doubles both as ‘garden’ and studio. The birds on the table are gift of friends in the Netherlands, the owners of the company Inke that makes wallpaper silhouettes of vintage wallpaper.
CLICK HERE for the rest of Marianne’s sneak peek after the jump!
This vase is also chemistry equipment that was left behind as well at one of my brother’s labs. Guess is that they are between 25-40 years old.
Our house is constantly evolving. This wall decoration I painted on the wall some time ago, inspired by plates I saw online somewhere. When we later got the painting I thought I should remove it, but actually the unexpected combo. At one point we were thinking of moving back to Europe, but just the idea made us homesick for NY right away. During a visit upstate to Ithaca we found this painting, called Overpass by Erica Pollock of traffic around the Lincoln tunnel.
When my husband bought this chair from DWR , he also introduced this color in our apartment. First I did not know what to think of it, but have come to see it as a more elegant version of grey, and it is gradually making way in our apartment. Other chairs and accessories and one wall are now also in that color.
My brother is a scientist and found these large volume bottles discarded in his lab in Chicago. I always liked them and when he moved he gave them to me.
This sign we picked up in a second hand store on 5th ave in Park Slope.
his little statue was picked up at an auction in Ohio by my mother. It is a museum replica of ‘Wallflower’ by Gertrude Vanderbilt-Whitney in 1913 and depicts her daughter Barbara. My mother put it up for auction in NYC, as both she and the auction house thought it was the original. Once the mistake was discovered, I went to pick it up and it now lives in our house.
