Homes

Maryanne and Aaron Moodie

Following on from our recent story featuring stylist Glen Proebstel’s New York apartment, today we’re back in the Big Apple, with another very special home to share.

The two bedroom apartment of Australian textile artist Maryanne Moodie, her partner Aaron Moodie (a designer for Etsy) and their two young children couldn’t be more quintessentially ‘Brooklyn’! It’s a truly beautiful, relaxed space for this busy young family.

We’ll learn more about Maryanne’s business and her creative life in Brooklyn next week via VIDEO (!), but for now, we’re snooping into her beautiful home.

Written
by
Lucy Feagins
Supported by Dulux

Living room details including vintage dresser, plants and artwork by Australian painter Oscar Perry. ‘We love Oscar’s wild and free style,’ says Maryanne. Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

The Brooklyn, New York home of maker and textile artist Maryanne Moodie, and her husband Aaron Moodie who is a designer for Etsy.  Above, master bedroom – Blue Eames rocker (a gift from all of Maryanne’s friends when she first had Murray) and RanRan design macrame piece. ‘The window shutters tugged at our hearts when we first saw them. All the little original details are amazing!’ Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Bedroom details. The bed is a custom made futon made by Maryanne and Aaron’s friend, the linen is by Club of Odd Volumes, and tool holder by Potheads ceramics. ‘I am currently on maternity leave from my studio and I have been able to set up my looms at home and still keep up my weaving while Rudi sleeps’ says Maryanne. Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files

Bedroom mantle with indoor plants, vintage mirror and more art trades including the glass terrarium by ABJ Glassworks and footed planter by Australian maker Katia Carletti. Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Bedroom mantle with indoor plants, vintage mirror and more art trades including the glass terrarium by ABJ Glassworks and footed planter by Australian ceramicist Katia Carletti. Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Kitchen, with various collected ceramics and indoor plants. ‘We have a nice little collection of ceramics from Bridget Bodneham, small spells and Arro Home. We are in the process of phasing out our commercially made dinner set. It feels like love to dish up a meal on a hand made plate or drink your morning coffee out of a mug with little imperfections,’ says Maryanne. Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Kitchen details. ‘The subway tiles, the checkerboard floor, the enormous farmhouse sink and the little soap holders won us over when we first saw this apartment,’ admits Maryanne. Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Chair and plants in the living room. Woven cushion by Maryanne. ‘When we first moved in we had no furniture for three months while ours was being freighted. We slept on a blow up mattress, but the first things we bought were plants, beautiful linens and two of these beautiful mid century chairs.’ says Maryanne. Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Living room details. Weaving by Maryanne Moodie, art on table by Jake Walker, and vintage rugs and cushions. Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Dining area. ‘I bought the Carla Fletcher Kangaroo and Koala prints for Aaron for his Birthday last year. Winter is harsh in NYC and we were missing Melbourne Summer. This was a way to reconnect with home’ says Maryanne. The table was custom built by an Etsy seller called Hedgehouse. Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Looking into the hallway from the dining room. Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Aaron, Maryanne and their sons Murray and Rudi on their Park Slope stoop! Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Writer
Lucy Feagins
18th of August 2015

OK if you’ve ever dreamt of a movie-inspired life living in some gorgeous light-filled Brooklyn brownstone, today’s home is for you! This sweet family pad belongs to textile artist Maryanne Moodie, her partner Aaron Moodie and their two young kids, Murray (3 yrs) and Rudi (very fresh!). The family have been here just two years, after Aaron was offered the opportunity to relocate by his employer, Etsy.

Maryanne and Aaron’s apartment occupies the top floor of a tall brownstone building in Park Slope. The building itself is over 100 years old, and sits proudly amongst a long row of similar homes in an obscenely pretty, tree-lined street complete with ubiquitous Brooklyn ‘stoops’ for perching on and watching the world go by. Maryanne says the lady who owns the building is 96 years old and lives on the ground floor. ‘Her daughter (our landlady) lives in the first floor apartment, her son lives in the basement and we live on the top floor’ says Maryanne. ‘It used to be one big house and our landlady regales us with tales of how she would toddle from floor to floor as a child and how she would sneak out as a teen. Brooklyn was pretty rough back then in the 70s and 80s, but her Italian Dad was apparently the ‘King of the Block’. Other neighbours confirm this!’.

Maryanne and Aaron were lucky to find this apartment relatively quickly. ‘In NYC, you have to hire a broker to show you apartments for hire. After being shown two shoe boxes, we realised what was important – we didn’t mind a walk up (even with a toddler), but needed space and light’. The next place Maryanne and Aaron saw was this one, and before the tour was finished, they knew it was the one.

‘This apartment was on a beautiful street where kids played outdoors, it still had the original fixtures including a huge window that let in lots of natural light, space to separate home and work life, and the thing that sealed the deal? A huge farm sink!’ says Maryanne.

After waiting for their furniture to arrive from Melbourne, Maryanne wasted no time in bringing her unique aesthetic to this bright and airy apartment. She notes that it’s a very ‘Melbourne’ sort of style, with a mix of sweet mid century and vintage pieces, the odd custom built piece and lots of lush indoor plant life. The home is also filled with beautiful handcrafted treasures and artworks from familiar Melbourne makers, ensuring home never feels too far away. ‘I feel like all of our friends’ homes back in Melbourne have a similar aesthetic to this, but in NYC, ours is quite different to any other home we have visited!’ says Maryanne.

Next week we’ll share the next video in our ‘Outlanders’ series, featuring Maryanne – we are VERY EXCITED, it’s a beauty.

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