Photos of Photography Lyndsay Hannah
Alison Piepmeyer lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Zach, and their two children, Linus and Georgie. They bought their “dilapidated” 19th-century house in 2022, and have spent the last four years fixing it up and filling it with knick-knacks collected during their 15 years of marriage. “I remember seeing love in reality “Like a Young Marriage, a movie I don’t recommend,” he laughs. “But one thing that stuck out to me was that one of the character’s houses had artwork all over the walls. I remember thinking how cool that was.” Take a look around you…
ENTRANCE
Wall paint: Benjamin Moore. Wallpaper: Hackney House. Mirror: Aim. Umbrella stand: Vintage, similar.
In a cross-country dream: I grew up in Portland, Oregon, and we’ve lived all over California, but I always had a dream of moving east. I’ll look back at my childhood diaries and think, ‘I’ll go to New York and be a FASHION designer!’ Ha! Then, six years ago, I got a job offer here. My husband was living in San Francisco at the time, so it was a big decision, but we decided to do it. And it was the best decision we ever made.
Hat: Inside joke. Hooks: West Elm, similar.
When finding a house: We did a ton of research before moving and then checked out several neighborhoods. We look at the Upper West Side (You’ve got mail It’s my favorite movie). We looked all over Brooklyn and finally stumbled upon Boerum Hill, which is this little neighborhood hidden between Cobble Hill and Park Slope. He’s very cute but not “perfect”, and I felt like we just clicked.
LIVING ROOM
Wall paint: Benjamin Moore. Wall sconces: Rejuvenation. String lights: Brighton. Sofa: Vintage, reupholstered in Sunbrella Outdoor Fabric (“Very kid-friendly!”). Striped chair: Vintage, reupholstered in Sunbrella. Pharmacy lamp: Vintage, similar.
When finding the house: This house, built in the 1850s, was another big leap. It had been on the market for a while because it was in very bad condition. My husband was terrified, but I had a vision and he trusted me.
In a work in progress: Once we moved in, it took us about four years to get the house where it is now (we had to reduce lead paint, fix crumbling brick, clean up piles of dead bugs), and there’s still a lot of work to be done. We think of the house as a long-term project that we will continue to work on as long as there is time and money to do so!
Ceiling fixture: School, similar. Curtains: pottery barn. Rug: Custom made, from AfriKesh on Etsy. Throw pillow: Lulu and Georgia. Coffee table: Etsy. White chair: Aim. Tested release: Amazon.
On a beloved and impractical sofa: I found the passed out couch on a used furniture site and they redid it with blue velvet. Our kids are obsessed with that couch and always end up jumping on it or sitting there while drawing with markers. It is also very popular with guests, although it is small. Whenever we have parties, a lot of people always gather there, as if they were sitting on top of each other. It’s just a very cozy place!
About the stacks of books: We are a big family of readers and we try to do things that encourage our children to read as much as possible. We have no reading restrictions and I love having different types of books piled up around the house that they have access to. And I’ve found that having so many books on hand means that if they’re bored or looking for something to do, they might pick one up and flip through it.
television support: Aim.
About the story: There are many imperfections and parts that will need to be updated later. Sometimes I go to friends’ houses and say, ‘Oh, it’s so nice and modern!’ My house is filled with 150 years of people making their own updates, like a bathroom pipe that runs through our hallway. But in a way I like that. It makes me feel connected to the other families who have lived here.
Needlepoint pillow: Renew yourself.
On a rough and sagging sofa: The couch and chair are vintage, but I reupholstered them with outdoor fabric, so now the kids can draw, throw up, or pour something on them, and they’ll still hold up! I can rub any stain with a magic eraser.
DINING ROOM
Wall paint: Benjamin Moore. Dining table: ABC Hogar, similar. Chairs: Vintage, similar. Cabinet: West Elm, similar.
When it gets dark: Some people are scared by the idea of black paint, but, as my husband and I often joke, it hides a lot of sins. In an older house, it helps hide all the little dents and strange beads painted on the wall. When I was a kid, my mom always repainted rooms in different colors, so I’m not scared of dramatic paint colors.
About the commitment: We try to eat at the table, but my kids are still so little that they jump and dance around the room most of the time anyway. I’d say we’re half and half, half eating at the table, half I’ll bring you a plate wherever because I don’t have the energy to make you sit there.
KITCHEN
Rug: Etsy.
When pressing: Zach and I did the cooking ourselves, so don’t look too closely! It’s one of those things that’s fine for now, but will eventually need more work. It’s quite small, so you can’t have more than one person at a time. We make it work by splitting the kitchen duties 50/50. The kids would love to help, but at this point, they’re more of an obstacle!
In framed photographs of friends: I like to post photos of friends and family so my kids can see all the people who are important to them. Joanna and Georgie have a special relationship, so I posted this photo of them on the beach.
BATHROOM
Wall tile: cle. Shower curtain: Amazon. Stool: Amazon.
In a shared bathroom: This is our only bathroom and it’s on the second floor, so friends just go up there when they’re done. It’s the only room we renovated besides the kitchen, so I’m glad we made it fun. Green is my favorite color and this tile makes me very happy when I walk in. So far, we haven’t found anyone fighting over the bathroom: Zach and I just shower after the kids are bathed and in bed. The only problem is when everyone has to urinate at the same time.
Chart: Etsy.
About parenting style: My husband is obsessed with music. She has a Disney playlist to help our kids get out of bed in the morning and a relaxing playlist she plays at night. During bath time, you’ll use a small speaker to play their favorite songs to keep them entertained. It’s not a parenting method that would have occurred to me, but it really works for him!
CHILDREN’S BEDROOM
Bed: Ikea. Rug: resistant. Ceiling light shade: HAY. Curtains: paradise. Pavilion: Ferm Living. Bed curtain: DKNY.
About sharing: My children are eight and four years old and have always shared a room. They like it! They help make decorating decisions, like where books go and what art we should hang. Georgie, my four-year-old daughter, chose the curtain for her bottom bunk; We call it their bear den. I also discovered that kids LOVE character bedding, like Linus’s. minecraft sheets. He love them.
Duvet cover: HAY.
About sleep books: Linus, my son, is eight years old and can read quite well. Bedtime is 8 pm, but you are allowed to stay up in bed and read as long as you like (you usually fall asleep by 9 pm). I will always find on his bed the funniest books he has collected throughout the house. It will be like a David Shrigley art book and a cookbook. It’s so cute!
About children’s art: I find a lot of art for kids on Etsy. And if we love a certain children’s book, I’ll seek out the illustrator, who often sells copies. We have a great impression of Last stop on Market Street. I love too our washable mat – we just throw it in the bigger machines at the laundromat down the street.
MASTER BEDROOM
Mirror: Zara Home, similar. Appliques: Etsy. Litter: piglet in bed.
About priorities: Our bedroom is very small, but we still have a king size bed. My husband and I sleep very differently – Zach is very hot and if I’m near him I want to cuddle – so sleeping is MUCH better if we each have enough space to ourselves. The counterpart is that we have a bed that takes up the entire room.
Rug: Amazon.
About top storage: One thing we overlooked when we bought the house is the fact that it had no storage. We added some closets and cabinets ourselves, but this room was tricky because it’s so small. One night I went to an event at someone’s house and saw that she had built a unit like this over her bed, which hadn’t even occurred to me! I had never seen anything like it. I liked it so much that I designed one for our room and found a local carpenter who made it. It’s surprising how much stuff fits in there.
OFFICE
Curtains: Ikea, similar. Desktop: Blu Dot, similar.
About the mess: My husband sometimes uses the office, but technically it’s mine, so there’s stuff everywhere. Honestly, I like the aesthetic of a cluttered office, filled with art supplies, tape, and glue sticks. The more mess, the better!
Pegboard: District layout.
About disorder versus memory: One thing I love about my house is that I can walk around it and yes, there are many things, but everything holds a memory. They’re things that remind me of different times in my life and my marriage: a trinket we bought at the Paris flea market, or ‘Oh yeah, we were living in San Francisco when we found that.’
Wall Planner: Etsy.
About nostalgia: Some people would say it’s complicated to have all these things, but for me, it all relates to the time we spend together.
Thank you so much, alison! We love your cozy home!
PS: Lots more house tours, including an empty nester’s apartment in Copenhagen and a very colorful house in Connecticut. Also, Alison’s outfit week, and Alison’s problem in Big Salad with her before and after photos on the wallpaper (gift link).
(Photos by Photography Lyndsay Hannah for the Cup of Jo.)
