In our apartment, I want the kids to feel they can be themselves,” says Holly Waterfield, an interior designer based in Brooklyn, a stylist for The Brooklyn Home, and mother to 16-year-old Amy and 9-year-old Bodhi. “I’m a busy single mom, so I want it to be easy. Our home is a mix of cozy fabrics and kids’ art.” Here, Holly takes us on a tour…
Living/Dining Area
Cloud Painting: Paul Marot Les Nuages. English Garden Painting: Mary Maguire. Whale Painting: Mary Maguire. Pink Pillow: Ingere. White Pillow and Bench Skirt: Made by Holly.
About creating a special place for individuality: I found this apartment in 2017, when I was going through a divorce and looking for a new place to live. It was a large open studio with a loft bed. But my friend, who owns the building, gave me complete freedom to make changes. So, I added two new walls and pocket doors to create three bedrooms. My goal was to make this place comfortable and fun for the kids. We all went through a tough transitional period, but at the end of the day, everyone is really happy. That’s all that matters.
Sofa: ABC Home. Throw Pillows: Custom, in Jean Shelton fabric. Wicker Chair: Vintage, similar. Sheepskin: Roman + Williams Guild. Coffee Table: MOS. Mushroom-Shaped Side Table: Peek + Pap. Floor Lamp: IKEA, similar. Curtains: Matchstick. Shelves: CB2.
About that swing: In 2012, my kids and I went to an exhibition by artist Ann Hamilton at the Armory – it was a room filled with 42 swings. We stayed there for hours. It felt amazing to be on a swing as an adult. After that, I said, “We’re going to have a swing one day.” So, when we moved into this apartment, I made this swing, and everyone uses it all the time. My son loves to use it as a lookout. It brings a lot of joy.
Side Table: Etsy, similar. Lamp: Crate & Barrel. Chair Cushions: Custom, in Jean Shelton fabric.
About finding your style: If you’re struggling to decorate your home, look at your closet. What do you feel comfortable wearing? Are there primarily neutral colors, or is it a loud pattern, or a lot of white? Start from there. Sometimes I look at my closet and say, “This feels just like my home!”
Kitchen
Chairs: Serena & Lily. Lamp: World Market with “Shade from my Grandma’s House.”
About the joy of community living: I love the spontaneous nature of Brooklyn, where you can tell a friend, “Oh, you’re cooking dinner, and I’m cooking dinner, let’s get together!” We love hosting people and keeping our door open for big and small events, like watching the World Cup. We just sit on the floor and eat around the coffee table.
Kitchen Rug: The Citizenry. Chair: Clic Gallery, similar. Wooden Frames: Artist + Craftsman Supply.
About the self-portraits of the kids: The kids started making these portraits in kindergarten, which is amazing because the drawings show how their features have changed over the years. When Amy was in middle school, she suddenly realized she had very long eyelashes and high cheekbones. And when Bodhi was a toddler, he had enamel deficiency, which made his baby teeth come in yellow and brown. So, in his kindergarten self-portrait, he drew those yellow, decayed teeth! He wasn’t shy about it at all.
Wicker Ceiling Lights: Serena & Lily. Artwork: Vintage. Candle Holders: The Society, similar. Wooden Bowl: “Made by my Grandpa.” Lamp: Schoolhouse.
About creating a simple home: I love incorporating natural materials, like wicker rugs, wicker chairs, and woven curtains. Earthy materials make the place look unfussy because they are strong and last a long time. You don’t have to worry about things breaking, and you can feel grounded.
Room
Bodhi
Decor: Etsy, similar. Crab: London, similar. Rug: Doing Goods.
About the reuse hack: When Bodhi was younger, I made him a toddler-sized bed frame. Once he grew, we kept it and realized it slides perfectly under his twin bed. Now we use it as a drawer for his clothes – I just added some small wooden handles.
Striped square pillow: Injiri. Blanket: Injiri. Book shelves: Ikea, similar.
About having a cluttered kid: Bodhi is a collector. He still has his Valentine’s cards from kindergarten and still refuses to get rid of them! He’s a true maximalist.
Pink kite: Haptic Lab. White lamp: Ikea, similar. Floor pillows: made by Bodhi and Amy. Yellow lamp: World Market. Wooden home shelves: “a display set for a holiday from a store that was going out of business.”
About the sibling bond: Bodhi is seven years younger than Amy and really looks up to her. He even sleeps in her old T-shirts! So when she gets rid of something, Bodhi collects it. When she was ready to toss the pink kite, he said, “I want this in my room!” He’s a little kid, so I love that he wants to have a bright pink ship in his room.
Amy’s Room
Floor pillows: Injiri and Inti Earth. Desk chair: secondhand. Sheepskin: Ikea. Curtains: Matchstick Blinds.
About weekend rituals: Amy does something called “Sunday Reset” where she gives herself a facial, folds all her clothes in the closet, and organizes things for the week. She’s like me, needing things to be organized so she can think clearly.
Desk: “I made it from an Ikea butcher block and a filing cabinet.”
About timeless decor: As kids grow up, they discover favorite things, like colors and characters. But I wouldn’t decorate their rooms around those themes because they will change. Amy was obsessed with purple for a long time and now she can’t stand it.
About mother and daughter: With little kids, you usually do what they like to do. Luckily, Amy and I love doing the same things, like biking and shopping. She’s a big reader, so sometimes I climb into her bed with a cup of tea at night and chat with her. She’s great company.
Main Bedroom
Quilt: Chelsea Textiles, similar. Throw pillow: Maison De Vacances. Rattan lamps: World Market. Chair: Ikea. Sailboat paintings: vintage. Table lamp: Schoolhouse. Curtains: Matchstick Blinds.
About the cat: During the pandemic, we adopted our cat, Bilo [behind the yellow pillow!] and it just ended up that we got her. She’s basically a teenager – sleeps all day and is awake all night running around the house.
Chair: vintage. Sheepskin: Overland. Beach picture: “a gift from a friend.”
About creating a retreat: I like to keep my bedroom very calm – with just a few pieces of art. I think bedrooms are their own sanctuaries. Keeping things simple helps me relax at night. Sometimes I feel the urge to add more, but even adding another rug or a decorative pillow feels like too much.
Square rattan baskets: Muji. Curved rattan baskets: Ikea, similar.
About why a home is never complete: When I work on projects, people always ask, “Are you done?” and I think I’m never really done. My personal home is a continuous evolution. And I don’t think a place should be completely finished because life isn’t complete. I hope you travel and find wonderful pieces of driftwood or shells that inspire you, and there’s so much joy in the hunt.
Thank you so much, Holly. We love your home!
Note: More home tours, including a Connecticut home that knows comfort and a colorful brown farm for black joy.
(Photos by Kate Jordan.)
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