Author Erica Vurink has organized her Brooklyn apartment like her wardrobe. Sprinkled with whimsical items (like foot candles and Greek columns), almost every item was recycled. “I don’t want our house to feel too serious,” she says. Would you like to take a tour…
entrance
About creating an oasis: We want our homes to be a comfortable space where you can breathe in and breathe out. We’re in a quiet part of Brooklyn, and it’s great that people who come from Manhattan and spend their day can just sit down and be like, “Okay, here we are.” I always like to light candles before my friends arrive and invite them to sit on the couch instead of a chair.
Bench: Restoration Hardware via Craigslist. Screen, dining table, and chairs: Craiglist.
About furniture worth fighting over: My husband Christian and I had a big fight the night we found this room screen on Craigslist. Because I had to wait for an hour outside the seller’s apartment. My husband said, “I don’t want to be here.” And I thought, “I’ve been looking for a room screen like this for five years.” I’ll be waiting. ” Painted room screens don’t come around very often, but this one was only $75. It’s worth it.
Cloud painting: Rachel English. Rain painting: Francesca Wade. Dining table illustration: Julie Thomson Martin. Brick wall photo: Photographed by Erica. Quote from A Tale of Alabama: Drawn by Erica’s sister. Flower painting: “My husband’s grandmother painted it for our wedding.” Italy photo: Taken by Erika’s mother-in-law. Embroidered wall hanging and bust of Elvis: Recycled.
About the DIY prank: I found this bust of Elvis while thrifting with my best friend Ruby in Washington, DC. I’m a huge Elvis fan and Ruby and I are always bouncing ideas off each other. It was originally a colorful and sparkly bust, but when I saw it I thought, “I can spray paint it!” Let’s do it!
living/dining area
Paint: White Dove by Benjamin Moore. Miller: Craigslist, similar. Bookshelf: IKEA. Chair: Reused America. Coffee table and globe pendant: Craigslist. Wall clock: Umei. Rug: eBay.
About my favorite books to read: I love Didion and Babitz by Lili Anolik, and I also love flipping through Terence Conran’s old coffee table decor book, The House Book. This is from the 90s, when putting a house together was generally a slow process, and I love how each piece feels purposeful. And obviously, I read Liars by Sarah Manguso like everyone else.
Candelabra: Tiffany. Miller: Craigslist, similar. Bookshelf: IKEA. Chair: Reuse America.
About Euro Inspiration: I love how cozy, warm and bright our apartment feels. I was inspired by the cosiness of the English countryside. I like the idea that there are no rules when it comes to color. Also, all the girls in Copenhagen, their obsession with color and how they boldly mix things up.
Candle: Hey. Des Moines Map: Domestic.
About Soulmates: My best friend Ruby and I met in Iowa 10 years ago and we both went to school in New York. She is my muse and is like a second sister to me. I remember the first time I went to her parents’ house. There were framed photos of friends and relatives there, and I was very moved. The house I grew up in didn’t have anything like that, just pictures of nuclear families. So I remember immediately having this photo framed and displayed proudly.
About foot candles: A friend of mine made this two years ago and said, “I’m going to start a foot candle business.” I wanted to support her as she started her business, so I was like, “Okay, I’m never going to burn this down.” She hasn’t started yet, but I’m just waiting.
David Hockney poster: First Dibs. Dining table and chairs: Craigslist.
About the piece you’ll love: The Greek columns once belonged to my father-in-law. He kept it in his bachelor pad. It was one of three pieces of furniture my husband brought into the apartment. At first I thought it was very ugly and lame, but now I love it. Seeing it integrated into our space made me love it even more. Sometimes you just need a little time to warm up to something. Now it means everything to me. So the moral of this story is that people can grow and change.
Sofa and Basket: Craigslist. Lamp: Etsy. Side table: Vintage. Weighted Blanket: Bear Rabbit.
About heirlooms: When I graduated with my master’s degree in nonfiction writing, my grandmother made me a quilt (pictured above, top). She is a lifelong quilter who lives in Iowa and typically provides quilts for weddings. It meant so much that she recognized my graduate school graduation as something truly worth celebrating.
Coffee table: Craigslist.
About a lucky find: I like to search Craigslist for random furniture within a three-mile radius, and one day this coffee table listing popped up. It included a screenshot of a Chairish listing listed for $16,000, but the owner was selling it on Craigslist for $350. When we went to the seller’s apartment, she was reluctant to let it go. She was worried that it would end up in the hands of someone who wouldn’t appreciate it. So when I couldn’t stop gushing, I had a great moment where I was like, “Don’t worry, this is going to a good home.” It’s one of my favorite thrifting memories.
kitchen
Starprint: Alex Lai.
About the partnership role: I don’t cook any of the food for my family. I feel very uncomfortable in that space. My husband used to be a private chef. When I have dinner parties with my girlfriends, he makes dinner, goes out to read at the bar, and comes back and does the dishes. He always shows up to me like that. He is the kindest person I know and supportive in every sense of the word.
About love languages: For me, I always choose a good movie and find a good podcast to listen to while on the road.
About useful plants: Christian grows herbs in his kitchen during the winter. Salad Niçoise and morning cappuccino are my favorites.
Race car photo: Erica’s grandfather.
About the amazing photo: This photo is of my grandfather. He used to race cars, so when I saw this photo hanging in his garage, I gave it to him to make prints for my sister and I. I love this picture very much.
master bedroom
Oui print: Clare V x Framebridge. Lamp: Craigslist. Yellow Duvet: Pottery Barn, similar. Yellow cushion: Mexico. Blue cushion: Matouk. Euro Fake: Restoration Hardware.
In the black and white bedroom: We went to Copenhagen for our winter honeymoon. It was freezing cold and windy so I spent a lot of time in the design store. In addition to that, I also had the romance of going on a honeymoon, which gave me confidence in colors that I had previously been afraid of. When he got home, he said, “I needed a yellow striped duvet right away.” Then the Clare V. print came along and it all came together.
About the inside joke: We framed the manila envelope we used to transport our marriage license documents above our bed. It says “puppies only” because “puppy” is our nickname for each other. I took it to Framebridge and was ready to tell the whole backstory. But then they said, “Okay, what kind of mat do you want?” At that moment, they realized that they were seeing the cutest thing in the world every day.
Dresser: Facebook Marketplace. Bag: Used item. Photo by Eve Babitz: Gift.
About gift-giving traditions: My mother-in-law and I started a ritual where we always gave each other candlesticks. It’s very sweet. She knew I liked a pop of red, so she surprised me with what she saw on my dresser. I’m obsessed with candles and always have extras on hand. If you’re looking for a taper candle, choose slow-burning beeswax. When it comes to scented products, I always use DS and Durga.
Mobile: Mobile, mobile. Chair: Reuse America. Cushion: Salvesen Graham. Heart and balloon lamp: vintage IKEA.
About the big revelation: Christian and I were on the fence for a while about where to settle and start a family, and considered finding a home on a lake in Minnesota. I grew up in Iowa and always imagined raising my children in the Midwest. But after many long conversations, we realized that our lives and people are right here in Brooklyn. When I found this phone, the first thing that attracted me was the color. But then I realized that it was also called “The Lake” and I felt that it was symbolic to me. I realized that even though I was in New York, I could still bring that beautiful, gentle Midwestern energy into my home.
On recreating childhood memories: As a child, I always had the freedom to be creative at my parents’ house. We had a space in our basement where we could produce plays, and when we would take over the dinner table and build forts and put on puppet shows, my parents’ attitude would be, “Okay, go ahead.” So my hope is to cultivate that for my children someday, and now for myself.
Thank you so much, Erica. we respect you
PS There are even more home tours, including a home in Minnesota with a large collection and a very colorful home in Connecticut.
(Photo by Christine Han of Cup of Jo)
34 comment
