Brooklyn, NY(Ditmas Park) Home Tour with Matthew

Brooklyn is a borough filled with historical apartments that have a magnetic energy and flow. Matthew James aka (brooklynartboy) 's home is filled with eclectic mixes of collected vintage treasures and palatial rooms. Join us for a tour of Matthew's pre-war apartment built in the 1940's who he shares with his cat Cordelia and partner Casey. Check out a live home tour of his apartment on instagram @tanika_nyclifestyle.

Matthew's Take on Living in Brooklyn, NY

1. How long have you lived in Brooklyn, NY? I’ve lived in Brooklyn for 6 years since moving to NYC with my partner.

2. Where are you originally from and what inspired you to pick your apartment? I’m originally from Middlebury, Vermont which is a college town. Coming from our previous apartment which was only 550sq ft, we knew we wanted more space and something in a pre-war building. We were also looking for an apartment with more natural light and with a layout that naturally flowed but also provided some division between the rooms.

3. What's the size of your pad? Our apartment is 900sq ft, one bedroom.

4. Name five elements that are key to a happy space in your home? Natural light, texture, shape, functionality and longevity.

5. Which room is your favorite and why? My favorite room is the kitchen/kitchen nook. If I had to choose a room that felt like me, this would be the space. It’s the room we’ve made the most changes to and it’s the one I’m typically in the most until WFH. I love sitting in the nook on the weekend and enjoying the natural light and the pineapples on the wall!

6. Can you explain your design aesthetic in 4 words? Eclectic, simple, relaxed and functional.

7. Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt? I LOVE strawberry vegan ice cream!

8. Tell us your favorite places to visit in NYC? My favorite two places to visit are the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. I could spend all day at either one! I love to go early in the morning to feel really connected with the nature. I always feel refreshed when I leave.

9. Why did you start an instagram page and how did you choose the name @BrooklynArtBoy? I started my Instagram page just as a place for me to share what was happening in my life when I moved to NYC and the art that I was into at the time. That’s where my handle came from - Brooklyn Art Boy :) But it’s evolved into me mostly sharing our current apartment and the process when we work on projects (which hasn’t been very recently!)

10. List other places in the world you would like to live? I’ve always wanted to live in France - specifically in Côtes d’Armor. It’s a region of France with a great coast and then mostly countryside which I would be very happy to move to!

11. Do you rent or own? We own our apartment. This is our 3rd year in Ditmas Park.