When New York and the rest of the world found themselves in the middle of a COVID-stricken 2020, many were left turning their gaze inward, examining their interior spaces, and rethinking what home might look like. For many city dwellers, this meant reconsidering the flow of their apartments or houses, relocating to a location with a more appealing square foot-to-cost ratio, or even moving forward with longstanding plans to depart the city for greener pastures.

For Mat Cullen , a freelance set designer, and Colby Whitlock , a designer at Calvin Klein, this meant taking the leap and moving forward with longstanding plans to find a little place outside of their apartment in Brooklyn where they could escape the pressure of city life, particularly in the pandemic era.

BEFORE : A sloping ceiling and antique furnace gave the space a dated feel.

AFTER : Instead of fighting upstream with the unique room structure, Mat and Colby embraced it, echoing the antique furnace in the sleek black Wassily chair, and letting in as much light as possible with a low sofa.

While they had a general direction in mind ( upstate ), the process of buying their first home was no simple task for these long-term renters. The couple advises others house-hunting for the first time to be prepared to self-educate. “Every step of the process was, ‘You aren’t going to get this,’” shares Colby. That’s not to discourage, but rather to encourage future homeowners to keep on it. “Stay persistent; there were so many points where it just seemed like it wasn’t meant to be, but we kept pushing it,” advises Mat.

BEFORE : A narrow dining space left little room to decorate or set up a large table, but ample sunlight was readily available.

AFTER : Their unique half-circle table leaves plenty of room to sit, while the delicate yet sturdy Mario Botta chairs avoid feeling too heavy in the limited space. Records serve a dual function as art pieces, maximizing wall space.