A Dutch Church Becomes a Family Home By: Amy Azzarito

Some homes have such a special history that living in them feels like both a great honor and responsibility. Maaike and Onno Goldbach discovered just that when they moved into an over 100-year old church in the Netherlands. After discovering that they were expecting their first daughter, Amelie, Maaike and Onno decided to hunt for a home that was closer to their parents and further away from the city. They wanted their daughter to grow up in a small town, so they searched until they found this beautiful converted church that was built in 1908. Maaike is an interior designer so she felt up for the challenge, but was surprised to find that the high ceilings (22 feet tall!) were a challenge for their existing furniture. The extreme height lead Maaike to invest in larger pieces that suited the home’s cathedral-like scale. She enjoyed finding a balance between the church’s original architecture and her affinity for modern patterns and wallpaper. The final result is a home that combines the family’s shared passion for open spaces and bright white walls with Maaike’s love of pattern and Onno’s love of nature. It’s a home full of love, light and character – something I think the original architects and congregation would surely appreciate. Thank you to Maaike, Onno and Amelie for opening their home to us. xo, grace

All photographs by Maaike Goldbach

Images above: The top image is Maaike and Onno’s living room. Maaike made the room divider herself, to highlight the home’s tall ceilings, by attaching colorful yarn to a rod hanging from the ceiling. The second image is a full view of the dining room from the first floor. Onno’s favorite chair is in the center of the room; it’s his favorite place to listen to old vinyl records and relax. The third photo above is the family’s kitchen, filled with vintage items Maaike has collected over the years.

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via Design*Sponge http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/designspongeonline/njjl/~3/RqmX4QZ2El8/story01.htm From Amy Azzarito

A Multifunctional Apartment in Brooklyn By: Amy Azzarito

Furniture designer Katy Skelton Acuff and her husband Drew Acuff – who’s in the process of completing a graduate degree in publishing – have called Brooklyn’s neighborhood of Crown Heights home for the last three years, but they just transitioned to this two-bedroom apartment in May. For Katy, it’s more than just home, it’s also her furniture workshop. So it was important they find a place with a second bedroom so she could shut the door and contain the mess at the end of the workday. Luckily, they found this apartment, in a building built in the 1800s, right around the corner from their old apartment, which certainly made moving a simple prospect. With great light, high ceilings and an open-plan living space, they were smitten right away. And when they saw the balcony, they were sold, put down a deposit on the spot and got the keys just one week later. The apartment had been recently renovated so there wasn’t much to do other than change out some of the light fixtures. Now they have a space that functions equally well as a workshop, home office, study space for Drew and, with the open-plan living room/kitchen, entertaining space for friends. -Amy

Photography by Maxwell Tielman

Image above: “Our living room is my favorite room in the house,” says Katy. “We get so much light and have huge windows and a glass door that we keep open almost all the time. Drew is a grad student and while he has a desk in the office, he often works on the sofa with his laptop. The sconce is from One Forty Three, and the vintage kilim pillow is from Etsy. The sofa is actually from IKEA. We bought a cover from Knesting and legs from Uncle Bob’s Workshop to make it look a little nicer. The coffee table and tray are from my line.”

Image above: “In the bedroom, I made custom Round Zelda Tables from my furniture line. Since they don’t have drawers, I use a candy dish from my grandmother’s house to hold lotion and Chapstick. The cleat on the wall reminds me of my dad, who took me sailing all the time when I was growing up. The light is a prototype for my line, and the art is a tiny embroidered textile that I got this last summer when I took my sister to San Jose del Cabo for her bachelorette weekend.”

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Behind the Bar: Raspberry Gin Cocktail By: Amy Azzarito

This is our second cocktail from the creative duo of photographer Kathryn McCrary and designer Jenn Gietzen (see their first collaboration, a Peach Margarita, right here.). Technically, this is the last weekend of summer so we wanted to squeeze in one last toast to summer’s bounty. (You can always substitute frozen, thawed berries if you can’t find fresh ones.) Kathryn and Jenn dubbed this light, refreshing drink “Ooh, Berry Berry.” It’s light and sweet with a refreshing hint of mint and is pretty much the perfect way to end summer. -Amy

*Hand lettering by Jenn Gietzen, Photography by Kathryn McCrary

See all the steps and additional recipe details after the jump!

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