All products featured on Architectural Digest are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
When Brett Masterson first became acquainted with the creative professional next door, he hardly could have imagined that their neighborly friendship would turn into a steadfast creative collaboration. “She was looking for someone to design her new one-bedroom nest, after having traded in her two-bedroom apartment in the same co-op,” says the architect, who helms Brooklyn-based Masterson Architecture & Interiors. As a recently divorced mother of a seven-year-old girl, and as someone who had lived in Brooklyn for over 17 years, the homeowner knew her priorities. “I was keen on carving out two separate bedrooms so that my daughter and I would each have our own space. Also, because I was starting a new chapter in my life, I wanted the space to very much feel like a reflection of me, my interests, and my personal style,” she shares.
What followed was a Pinterest palooza: Favorite rooms were pinned and unpinned, artworks and design pieces were edited and refined, and boards were created and taken down. It all happened very quickly, until, everything seemingly fell into place. “I actually felt like Brett understood my aesthetic right away, and he helped me understand it as well. He did a lot of sourcing based on those references—fixtures, fabric samples, and hardware, which we met several times to review,” says the homeowner. “She wanted it to feel clean, a little spare even,” says Brett. “It had to be chic without losing out on comfort, warmth, and functionality.”
Given that the space measured only 650 square feet, the pair had to be really strategic about storage. “It was important for [my client] to have a place for everything to avoid clutter.” The solutions, he found, lay in tailored storage devices that could be concealed when not in use. An arts and crafts cabinet was conjured up for the daughter; a shoe cabinet was introduced in the entryway; and an “appliance garage” was brought to life to double as a coffee station.
The minimalist decor makes the home feel like a soothing sanctuary. Big west-facing windows ensure plenty of natural light, while the material palette has a light-as-air quality. Case(s) in point? The floors and walls, which respectively wear a bleached white oak and a Vintage Taupe by Benjamin Moore. But what really sets the home apart is that every piece of furniture, every object, tells a story. The punk-ish jawbone sculpture at the entryway, for example, is by the homeowner’s friend, Krista Louise Smith, and the vintage Maralunga chairs are ones she found and snapped up on Chairish. (Brett had them reupholstered in a chunky bouclé from Pierre Frey). In the archway leading to the bedrooms, a floor-to-ceiling mirror does more than just lend light and depth to the small space. It also functions as a dressing area, an impromptu selfie spot, and a dance stage for the homeowner and her daughter. The chubby custom coffee table by Jack Rabbit Studio, which takes center stage in the living room, is also admittedly a favorite of hers.
Pared-back it might be, but the home is anything but spartan. “We sourced textiles, art, and lighting fixtures that would bring warmth, texture, and color to offset the architectural palette,” says Brett, citing examples like the vintage Moroccan rug in the living room and the rattan pendant crowning the antique dining table. By the homeowner’s own admission, though, it’s the custom daybed in the living room that serves as the centerpiece of the home. “It’s large enough to fit me, my daughter, our Maine Coon cat, and then some,” she chuckles. “It’s where we play, watch, read, and sometimes eat. And most days, it’s also where we wind down to watch the sunset.” After all, perched on the seventeenth floor and facing downtown Brooklyn and lower Manhattan, the views are quite something—both inside and out.
