As with clothes, the way you decorate a room expresses your personality. In its most ideal form, it signals to guests how you interpret yourself. In this round of Real Cool People, Real Cool Apartments, we check out the Boerum Hill home of Lisa Bubbers, VP of Marketing at Homepolish. Our intentions behind the creeping: to — what else? — learn what she’s all about.
Neighborhood, # of rooms:
Boerum Hill, one-bedroom apartment
What do you do?
VP of Marketing at Homepolish
How long have you lived here?
One year
Who do you live with, animals included?
Just me
What do you like about your hood?
Boerum Hill, with its tree-lined streets and old brownstones from the 1800s, is so charming. I just celebrated my birthday at two favorite neighborhood spots: dinner at Rucola and a party at The Brooklyn Inn, which is one of the oldest bars in NYC. It’s been operating for 100 years. I recently introduced myself to a 94-year-old neighbor — the artist Albert Kresch — who’s lived here for 46 years.
What about this apartment?
I saw it and instantly fell in love. It has so much character — original wide-plank flooring from 1870, a tiny retro kitchen from the ’60s with sea green formica and an old-fashioned party line phone left over from the previous owner in the ’40s.
What’s the worst thing about the apartment?
The old floors warp, so all the furniture tilts about 45 degrees.
What’s the best?
The interior design, which I worked on with my bestie — Homepolish designer Louisa Roeder. I also love the great natural light and the peace and quiet you get when you live in a small building (this one is only three units). You can’t beat breakfast in the sunny nook.
What did you think about when decorating? What was the process like?
As one of the first employees of Homepolish, I’ve been waiting for the day when I’d have my own apartment and the budget to properly decorate it. I worked with Louisa (one of the first Homepolish designers and my friend of 15 years) to bring my vision for this space to life. I wanted it to have both Brooklyn and California vibes (I’m from LA, but have been in Brooklyn for 10 years) and to fit the historic and cozy vibes of the old brownstone. We began with floor plan options, because I had to combine the living room and dining room in one room, and I ran all my purchases by her. Once we finalized the floor plan, I started searching for big, key pieces. I hunted through Craigslist for an almost-new couch, plus a small, circular breakfast table and a large jute rug. I had a couple great pieces from my previous job at Jonathan Adler and some amazing vintage and Moroccan finds.
What are your favorite apt “scores” and where are they from?
The small rug in the living room was a housewarming gift from a friend who deals vintage New Mexican antiques. Target has great affordable marble side tables — I love the one I bought for my apartment. I also adore my lamp from Jonathan Adler and mirror from West Elm. They class up the joint.
Tell a story about one thing in your apartment – couch, photo, plant, anything (how you came across it, if you upholstered it, etc)
Louisa and I took a trip to Morocco in 2015, and she dragged me around to every rug vendor in every medina across Marrakech, Fez and Essaouira. The colorful rug in the kitchen and the Moroccan wedding blanket on the couch are two of the finds we hauled back. We met a young guy who was modernizing his dad’s centuries-old souk, and he turned out to be one of our favorite vendors we met on the trip.
For someone young and broke and trying to nest, what are your tips in finding /buying for the home?
Craigslist! So many New Yorkers buy brand-new stuff and then end up moving within a year. That’s where I got my breakfast table chairs, plus a West Elm sofa. I paid $750 for the sofa, but it retails for $1,500. I would recommend investing in key pieces and art, not “accessories.” Spend some time putting your vision together; there’s no need to rush. Homepolish’s Instagram is a great source of inspiration for people my age with similar budgets. And here’s a hot tip: check out Design Within Reach’s outlet in Industry City.
What does your dream room look like?
I love this home we just did in the Hamptons, it’s very cool and has a great mix of vintage/Moroccan influence with mid-century modern and brass. Definitely my aesthetic. This soho loft is also fantastic — same idea but more masculine and hip.
What’s the one thing every apartment should have?
Great art books! I just bought a small Ed Ruscha volume, and I’m eyeing another on Georgia O’Keefe.
Photos by Nicole Cohen; check out her work on Instagram @sketchfortytwo.
