Transitioning from a Victorian-style two-bedroom in San Francisco to a sleek, modern one-bedroom in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, social media strategist Rosie D’Argenzio and husband Ambi had to rethink just about everything. “The first thing we did was to edit,” says Rosie. “Many pieces were donated or gifted if we hadn’t used them in the last year. It was such a freeing feeling once it was done.”
Once their West Coast home was packed up and shipped across the country, the couple set about infusing a vibrant style into their nest.
While the New York apartment lacked original molding and quirky character, it was an intriguing blank canvas. “We lived on an air mattress with just our clothes—and cats—for about two weeks,” says Rosie. “That time really allowed us to plan for the smaller space.”
And after years of living in apartments that felt “half-finished,” the couple was excited to get it right. “Because we had a clean slate to start from and less square footage, I wanted to get all the details in place,” Rosie says. Those details include an alluring mix of distinctive vintage pieces, handmade furniture, vibrant textiles, and well-worn accents, from cutting boards to candlesticks.
Social media strategist Rosie D’Argenzio made the leap from a Victorian-style two-bedroom in San Francisco to a Brooklyn one-bedroom, a move that meant lots of careful editing and serious donating and gifting of unused pieces.
The result is a space Rosie describes as “colorful, functional, industrial with a global flair—is that a thing?” Indeed, a very stylish thing. See how this unique space came together in record time.
The apartment’s living room illustrates the home’s colorful, collected aesthetic, with a German teaching scroll, lush layered rugs, mud-cloth pillows, and a pair of midcentury swivel chairs.
Rosie and Ambi, both big entertainers, found a perfect recessed corner in the living room for a salvaged étagère that holds their collection of vintage glassware and barware.
Because we had a clean slate to start from and less square footage, I wanted to get all the details in place.
The dining room reflects the couple’s personal design ethos. The table was built by Ambi, and the rug is cast in Rosie’s favorite hue, cobalt blue. A mix of character-rich chairs suits the space’s diverse roles. “It’s for breakfast, work, games, wine and cheese—you name it,” says Rosie.
The dining area often doubles as work space for Rosie, as her nonstop, on-the-go schedule means days that sometimes start at 7 a.m.
Along one wall of the dining area are reclaimed-wood shelves—a transplant from their San Francisco pad. “They have such beautiful wear on them,” says Rosie. “I could not bear to give them up.”
A mod black-and-white kitchen needed some organic ingredients. Enter an array of vintage cutting boards. Rosie approached the project as if it were a gallery wall. A hanging pot rack was practical (they cook a lot) and looks great.
Rosie and Ambi love hosting a big crowd, so the compact kitchen sees its fair share of use and traffic—and is always at the ready for an impromptu wine-and-cheese night or an intimate dinner with family and friends.
We both love to entertain, so thinking through the flow of the space with guests, family was a big part of the consideration.
For the bedroom (aka “a square white box”), the couple went minimalist. “If you are going to keep it minimal, invest in really nice linens,” says Rosie. A DIY fabric-and-leather headboard (read the how-to here) is unique and provides all the polish and warmth of a traditional headboard while taking up just three inches of depth.
“I love the tapered legs on these nightstands,” says Rosie. “They mimic the lines of the dining table. It’s subtle, but consistency helps in a small space.”
Follow Rosie (who has since moved back to California) on Instagram at @rosiedargenzio.
We worked hard at making the space feel warm and intimate... like we were both represented in a real home.
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