The space is an electric mix inspired by her boyfriend and her father, both design enthusiasts. It feels like a collection, youthful and personal, and everything seems to have a story.
Her couch is from Craigslist, the art is from friends, her mantel was found on the side of the road, and she built the Donald Judd–inspired platform bed herself.
It’s a quiet, light-filled sanctuary for her to log ideas and catalog inspiration as well as a gathering place for her inner circle of creative friends. She shares some of the best concepts for decorating without trying too hard:
Nineteen-year-old Georgia-born fashion photographer Chloe Horseman has taken her time furnishing her apartment in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill neighborhood.
Love the Space
You’ll be more motivated to decorate a place that you can really call home. “I grew up in small-town Georgia, so living in a quaint community in NYC is vital to me,” says Chloe. “I need some reminder of home. Also, I lived in a room with no windows or A/C in Bushwick before, so I saw the natural light in the apartment in Clinton Hill and signed my name as fast as I could on the lease! Whoops! ”
Shop. Everywhere.
When sifting through second-hand stores or resources, always keep in mind how scraps can be turned in to real furniture. For the desk in her apartment, Chloe found a quality panel at a furniture warehouse in Bushwick, Brooklyn. “It’s a Herman Miller Nelson bench knockoff,” she explains. “It didn’t have the legs attached, so my father helped me rig it to the wall with brackets! ”
Phone a Friend
Chloe’s favorite part about this room is the custom oversize artwork. “This ‘wall’ is actually an art piece by my dear friend Jesse Shannon. He was one of the first artists I met in New York City,” says Chloe. “My father purchased this piece from him for my Christmas present a year ago.
My first piece of artwork I’ve ever owned. It is plywood, sanded down to different layers creating contrasting nude colors, and stands about eight feet tall. ” The other framed pieces are by Evan Boutte and Ana Kras, for whom Chloe had once interned. “Having friends’ artwork in my home is the most important thing to me – not only does it support them but it supports me emotionally. ”
Or Just DIY It
Beds can be expensive, but when going for a minimal look you can also just cobble one together from some building materials. “The inspiration for the bed is 100 percent Donald Judd,” says Chloe. “I went to Home Depot and bought five cinder blocks and a 4’x8′ piece of birch plywood. My mattress lays on top. ”
The DIY bed is strong enough to hold a jumping session.
Stock Up on Stools
In a small space, stools are your best friend. They fit in tiny corners or between doorways, as Chloe has done here, and shelve those little things that are helpful to have around.
Employ the Power of Color
Though it is a mostly neutral home, Chloe displayed vibrant orange and yellow objects to pop off the white and blond wood surfaces.
Plenty of hanging plants and books also add to the color scheme.
