recipe for style

Artist and food blogger julia sherman’s true-to-its-era restoration has created an amazing homeworkspace in a Brooklyn brownstone

'This was definitely the worst house on the block; it had squatters and crazy things had been happening here. Fortunately, the neighbourhood’s changed a lot,’ laughs Julia Sherman about her 1880s Brooklyn brownstone. ‘Inside, it was in really bad shape, very hodgepodge, with black mould on the walls and rat droppings in the closets. But the fact that it was untouched meant all the original mouldings and fireplaces were still in place.’

Julia, an artist and food blogger, and her husband Adam, a brand strategist, moved in six years ago and spent a year turning the house into a home and workspace, splitting the building into two apartments. They live in the downstairs one, which covers the lower-ground and ground floors. Julia creates the recipes for her blog, Salad for President, in the kitchen, while Adam runs his company from the apartment on the top two floors. ‘I’m restless and can never sit still, so this house suits me,’ says Julia. ‘I spend all day running up and down the stairs, picking home-grown ingredients from the backyard, cooking in the kitchen and photographing and writing the recipes in my office downstairs.’

The apartment has a topsy-turvy arrangement, with the kitchen and living areas on the brighter ‘parlour level’ and the bedrooms and bathroom below. ‘Taking on this house was ambitious, especially as we were both pretty young at the time,’ admits Julia, ‘but my background is as an artist and I felt confident I could figure it out.’ No surface or structure was left untouched. The roof was repaired and windows were replaced; floors were sanded and stained a rich brown; walls were painted art-gallery white.

‘I don’t read design blogs and I’d never renovated before, so I didn’t have a mood board and had no idea even where to buy a sink,’ says Julia. ‘Adam and I are definitely scavengers. Virtually everything in the house is from reclamation yards; every door

has been salvaged and each doorknob was bought individually. We like to find furnishings in thrift stores and on our travels, and buy artworks from fairs and friends.’ The only furniture bought new for the apartment is the pink Muuto sofa. ‘It took eight years of living together for us to decide on a sofa,’ says Julia laughing. ‘We joke that it’s ruining our life because we worry so much about anything getting spilled on it!’ Despite sofa stresses, the living room’s finished look has a lightness of touch. Strip away the colours, patterns and porcelain boots sculpture swinging from the chandelier and the apartment is a true-to-its-era restoration. With them, it’s quintessential New-yorkart-scene cool.

The kitchen, the creative hub of this apartment, sits at the rear of the house with a view of the backyard, separated from the living and dining space by pocket doors. ‘Designing the layout was a puzzle as we were putting it into a place a kitchen wasn’t meant to be,’ says Julia. ‘There are so many doors and windows, a fireplace and very little wall space. We decided to make the most of the room’s height by installing cupboards just beneath the ceiling, which we reach using a library ladder reclaimed from a bookstore. I also wanted a big, luxurious island with a hob facing the living space, so I can be part of the party while I’m cooking.’

And there are plenty of parties… In the summer, the garden is filled with friends while Julia finesses her hosting skills and guests try out her latest salad creations. ‘I’m discovering the joy of small gatherings, with just a couple of guests, but I still host regular ladies’ nights, with 30 women hanging out in the kitchen and drinking wine from coffee mugs. It’s a mess but it’s always great fun.’

After writing a book about art and salads (actually, artists making salads), it’s no surprise that Julia’s new book is about entertaining. ‘It’s the flexibility of this house that’s allowed me to develop those ideas.’

Kitchen detailJulia has created storage space in every available nook and cranny.This shelving provides a home for the couple’s eclectic mix of rustic ceramics. Get the look Try Such & Such for similar tableware.

Kitchen detailThis empty original fireplace makes the perfect cosy hideaway for Lucy.Get the look Find original Victorian and Edwardian fireplaces like this at Ryan & Smith. The company also offers restoration services.

Living room detailsThe decor has been kept relatively simple so as not to detract from the apartment’s period features, such as original fireplaces, wood floors and ornate plasterwork.Get the look This is the Rest three-seater sofa by Muuto at Heal’s. The artwork above is by Sister Corita Kent, a nun who became a prominent pop artist in the Sixties.