NEW YORK OASIS
In an idyllic neighbourhood of the big city, one couple have created their dream apartment
Just 15 minutes from the hustle and bustle and high-rise buildings of New York’s Tribeca district, on the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge, is Brooklyn Heights. This idyllic area with its small streets, plentiful trees and elegant brownstones, is where Chilean-Swedish-born Babba Rivera lives with her husband Carl, baby Alma, and Blue, their Boston terrier. Their stunning flat is on the top floor of a property that’s more than a century old, and it includes a roof terrace with spectacular views.
Babba runs her own marketing agency, Bybabba, and works with many famous brands, including Lexington, which specialises in New England-inspired luxury home textiles and fashion, as well as the women’s networking community, Her USA.
‘When I come back from Manhattan and walk across the Bridge, I immediately begin to relax,’ says Babba. ‘It’s more quiet and peaceful here. Brooklyn Heights reminds me of Djurgården in central Stockholm. It has the same kind of houses with two or three flats inside that are charming and cosy.’ Babba describes the couple’s interior style as ‘colourful Scandinavian with a mix of old and new’. While their home
‘It’s important to us that our home feels lived in. We can’t be anywhere that’s too sterile’
Making people feel welcome has always been important to Babba
is designed to be a calm and peaceful retreat where they can both relax, it has also been carefully planned to optimise space for guests. Making people feel welcome has always been important to Babba:
‘In my mother’s home, there was always room for an extra person or unexpected guest at dinner, and if they stayed over, I would let them have my room,’ she explains. ‘We always shared and though we didn’t have much, I knew we had more than our family in Chile.’
Some of the renovation work in this apartment involved knocking down two walls to create a kitchen-dining space. The new kitchen was custom-made by architect Aron Heinemann, and this area now houses a generous 12-seater dining table positioned beneath the skylight, where Babba and Carl host lively dinners. ‘We love to cook and still be with our guests,’ says Babba. Souvenirs from the couple’s travels are dotted around the flat. There is no TV – instead they pull down a huge canvas from the ceiling and watch a movie with a projector.
In the bedroom and bathroom, Babba was keen to create a luxury hotel feel and has used beautiful textiles from Lexington, including
bedding, towels and bath robes, along with skincare products from Aesop. ‘My favourite thing to do in the morning is to take a long shower then wrap one of our giant bath sheets around me - it’s like a loving hug! I also like to come home and jump into a soft bathrobe.’ As well as running her own her own company, Babba is a popular Instagram influencer. Her followers will be familiar with another glorious feature of the flat - a walk-in closet, which houses Babba’s colourful dresses and her shoe collection. ‘The dressing room in our previous home was just a storage place and I didn’t invite anyone in there. Here, my walk-in closet is neat and tidy, and has almost become like a still life.
It’s my favourite room,’ says Babba. Carl has even installed a sound system in there so she can listen to her favourite playlists.
The renovation work took a little longer than anticipated but the couple are definitely pleased with the results: ‘It’s important to us that our home feels lived in. We can’t be anywhere that’s too sterile, with straight lines,’ laughs Babba. Now that it’s finished, more projects are planned. ‘We love our new home, but one day would like to own a house in order to have enough space for the whole family to come and stay with us for long periods!’
Follow Babba on Instagram at @babba