Inside an Unapologetically Playful Brooklyn Apartment

Lindsey Mather
Updated

Moving in with a significant other typically elicits lots of "good lucks" and grimaces from well-meaning friends—combining lives isn't for the faint of heart. This was not the case for Jenny Kaplan and Chris Corrado when they reached the major relationship milestone six years ago. "We thought it would’ve been harder, but it wasn’t," recalls Jenny. "He was so open and good about it. I didn’t expect that. He was like, 'Whatever you want.'" It certainly helped that the couple, now husband and wife and cofounders of the uber-fresh design brand Pieces, thrives on change. When Jenny, also the owner of creative agency An Aesthetic Pursuit, moved into Chris's two-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn, it was tasteful but super masculine—and she had always favored bright, white spaces. But rather than argue over which aesthetic was better, they started from scratch. "It's become more of a blend of both of our styles. As a result of redoing out apartment, we started doing a lot of DIY projects around the house and realized we had a lot of fun decorating," Jenny says. Since then, they've transformed the place twice more.

We first saw its current iteration on West Elm's blog, Front + Main, which sells some of the Pieces collection, and it was love at first click. Jenny and Chris's home manages to be clean and modern without the cold, clinical quality that usually comes with those things. This is thanks to heavy doses of whimsy, which take a slew of forms: A tall, squiggly plant stand, a stretch of pastel ombré wallpaper, a boxy coffee table with an eternally cheerful sky blue base. It's not an accident than many of these standout items are Pieces works, which are always coming in and out of the apartment. "Basically everything that is Pieces has stemmed from what I wanted for my apartment," says Jenny. "Chris and I decided to do Pieces because I would spend hours sourcing things and not finding what I wanted." We don't all design amazing furniture for a living, but there's still much to be learned from the couple's apartment. Follow us . . .

The master bedroom:

Two holdovers from before Jenny moved in: The master bedroom's navy walls and low-slung, slatted-wood bed frame, which Chris had built years before. For a while the bed was simply painted, but then the couple decided to give it a more luxurious upgrade. "We ended up covering it in a velour-type fabric maybe six months ago or so," says Jenny. "We were able to take the slats apart and staple the fabric to the wood. It was pretty easy, but it was pretty time-consuming."
The fact that the shades of yellow, green, and blush in the room don't look weird next to the bed's new blue upholstery isn't serendipitous. All of those shades can be found mingling happily in the artwork hanging above the bed. "I buy one piece that sets the tone for a room," she explains. "The print is by Takeshi Hara. I’ll go into a weird internet hole—I’ll find one thing and be obsessed and stay up 'til two in the morning looking at everything they’ve done."
She goes on, "I definitely love a strong color story, but I don’t like it to look too perfect. Keeping the navy walls made it feel like us rather than cookie cutter." (The Zig Zag planter is one of Pieces' latest creations.)

The living/dining room

Here, too, art plays a big role. Right now, various samples from the Pieces' Court Series dot the living area, perhaps most notably a snapshot by photographer Karl Hab, who the brand collaborated with to offer four never-before-seen prints. The image's muted hues have inspired a forthcoming change to the space: swapping their charcoal sectional for a powder blue one.
Jenny names the room's hunter green quarter-wall as their "first compromise." When she moved in, the entire space was that color, a no-go for someone who adores white walls. "We decided to keep the green has an accent trim," she says, and any A/C units along the way got the same paint treatment to disguise them as much as possible.

The guest room

Calico's arresting Aurora wallpaper was the starting point for the guest room's design, leading to a space awash in the shades you'd find in a sunset. One place you won't find much color: the bed linens. "I tend to prefer a more neutral bedding situation," says Jenny. "I like my bed to feel clean and not too fussy and complicated."

The terrace:

"We love plants, especially Chris, and it’s his little oasis," Jenny says of their terrace. "Every morning it’s his routine to water and take care of the plants." Chris's short-and-sweet advice for being a good plant parent: "Pay attention and don't overwater them." They snagged the lime green chairs from Design Within Reach, but hope to one day expand Pieces to include outdoor furniture.

Learn more about Jenny and Chris's life as small-business owners at West Elm.

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