Alison Piepmeyer’s House Is Filled With Books and “Dramatic” Paint
Photos by Lyndsay Hannah Photography
Alison Piepmeyer lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Zach, and two children, Linus and Georgie. They bought their 19th-century house “in rough shape,” in 2022, and have spent the last four years fixing it up and filling it with knickknacks collected over their 15 years of marriage. “I remember watching Love Actually as a young married couple — a movie I don’t recommend,” she laughs. “But one thing that stuck with me was that one of the character’s houses had art up and down every single wall. I remember thinking how cool that was.” Take a look around…
ENTRYWAY
Wall paint: Benjamin Moore. Wallpaper: House of Hackney. Mirror: Target. Umbrella stand: Vintage, similar.
On a cross-country dream: I grew up in Portland, Oregon, and we’ve lived all over California, but I always had a dream of moving east. I’ll look back at my childhood journals, and it’ll be like, ‘I’m gonna go to New York and be a FASHION designer!’ Ha! Then, six years ago, I got a job offer here. My husband I lived in San Francisco at the time, so it was a big decision, but we decided to go for it. And it was the best decision we ever made.
Hat: Inside Joke. Hooks: West Elm, similar.
On finding home: We did tons of research before moving, then checked out a bunch of neighborhoods. We looked at the Upper West Side (You’ve Got Mail is my favorite movie). We looked all over Brooklyn and eventually stumbled on Boerum Hill, which is this small neighborhood tucked between Cobble Hill and Park Slope. It’s very cute but not ‘perfect,’ and it felt like we just fit.
LIVING ROOM
Wall paint: Benjamin Moore. Wall sconces: Rejuvenation. String lights: Brightown. Couch: Vintage, reupholstered in Sunbrella outdoor fabric (“Very kid-friendly!”). Striped chair: Vintage, reupholstered in Sunbrella. Pharmacy lamp: Vintage, similar.
On finding the house: This house, built in the 1850s, was another big leap. It had been on the market for a while because it was in such rough shape. My husband was terrified, but I had a vision, and he trusted me.
On a work-in-progress: Once we moved in, it took about four years to get the house to where it is now — we had to abate lead paint, fix crumbling bricks, clean out piles of dead bugs — and there’s still a lot of work to do. We think of the house as a long-term project that we’ll just keep working on whenever there’s time and money to do so!
Ceiling fixture: Schoolhouse, similar. Curtains: Pottery Barn. Rug: Custom, from AfriKesh on Etsy. Throw pillow: Lulu and Georgia. Coffee table: Etsy. White chair: Target. Checked throw: Amazon.
On a beloved, impractical couch: I found the fainting couch on a used-furniture site, and had it redone in blue velvet. Our kids are obsessed with that couch and always wind up bouncing on it or sitting there while drawing with markers. It’s also very popular with guests, even though it’s small. Whenever we have parties, a pile of people always congregate there, sort of sitting on each other. It’s just a very cozy spot!
On book piles: We’re a big book family, and we try to do things that encourage our kids to read as much as possible. We have no restrictions on reading, and I love having different kinds of books piled around the house that they have access to. And I’ve noticed, just having so many books around means that if they’re bored or looking for something to do, maybe they’ll pick one up and flip through it.
TV stand: Target.
On history: There are a lot of imperfections and parts that will need updating later. Sometimes I’ll go to friends’ places, and I’ll be like, ‘Ah, it’s so nice and modern!’ My house is layered with 150 years of people doing their own updates, like a bathroom pipe that comes straight through our foyer. But in some ways, I like that. It makes me feel connected to the other families who’ve lived here.
Needlepoint pillow: Furbish.
On a rough-and-tumble sofa: The sofa and chair are vintage, but I had them reupholstered with outdoor fabric, so now the kids can draw, throw up, or pour something on them, and they will still hold up! I can rub any stain out with a Magic Eraser.
DINING ROOM
Wall paint: Benjamin Moore. Dining table: ABC Home, similar. Chairs: Vintage, similar. Cabinet: West Elm, similar.
On going dark: Some people get freaked out by the idea of black paint, but — as my husband and I often joke — it hides a lot of sins. In an old house, it helps obscure all the little dents and weird cords painted into the wall. Growing up, my mom was always repainting rooms in different colors, so I’m not scared of dramatic paint colors.
On compromise: We try to eat at the table, but my kids are still so little that they’re jumping and dancing around the room most of the time anyway. I’d say we’re half-and-half — half eat-at-the-table, half I’ll-bring-you-a-plate-wherever-because-I-don’t-have-the-energy-to-force-you-to-sit-there.
KITCHEN
Rug: Etsy.
On squeezing in: Zach and I did the kitchen ourselves, so don’t look too closely! It’s one of those things that’s fine for now, but eventually will need more work. It’s quite small, so you can’t really have more than one person in there at a time. We make it work by splitting the cooking duties 50-50. The kids would love to help, but at this point, they’re more of a hindrance!
On framed photos of friends: I like putting up photos of friends and family so my kids see all the people who are important to them. Joanna and Georgie have a special relationship, so I hung this photo of them at the beach.
BATHROOM
Wall tile: Clé. Shower curtain: Amazon. Stool: Amazon.
On a shared bathroom: This is our only bathroom, and it’s on the second floor, so friends just head up there when they’re over. It’s the only room we renovated, other than the kitchen, so I’m glad we made it fun. Green is my favorite color, and this tile makes me so happy when I walk in. So far, we haven’t found that anyone’s fighting over the bathroom — Zach and I just shower after the kids are bathed and in bed. The only time it’s a problem is when everyone has to pee at the same time.
Painting: Etsy.
On a parenting style: My husband is obsessed with music. He has a Disney playlist to help our kids get out of bed in the morning, and a calming playlist that he puts on at night. During bath time, he’ll use a little speaker to play their favorite songs and keep them entertained. It’s not a parenting method that would’ve occurred to me, but it really works for him!
KIDS’ BEDROOM
Bed: Ikea. Rug: Ruggable. Ceiling light shade: HAY. Curtains: Havenly. Canopy: Ferm Living. Bed curtain: DKNY.
On sharing: My kids are eight and four, and they’ve always shared a room. They like it! They help make decorating decisions, like where the books go and what art we should hang. Georgie, my four-year-old, chose the curtain for her lower bunk — we call it her bear cave. I’ve also found that kids are DELIGHTED by character bedding, like Linus’s Minecraft sheets. He loves them.
Duvet cover: HAY.
On bedtime books: Linus, my son, is eight, and he can read pretty well. Bedtime is at 8 p.m., but he is allowed to stay up in bed and read as long as he wants (he usually nods off by 9 p.m.). I’ll always find the funniest books in his bed that he’s collected from around the house. It’ll be like, a David Shrigley art book and a cookbook. It’s so cute!
On kids’ art: I find a lot of kid-friendly art on Etsy. And if we love a certain children’s book, I’ll look up the illustrator, who will often sell prints. We have a big print of Last Stop on Market Street. I also love our washable rug — we just throw it into the larger machines at the laundromat down the road.
PRIMARY BEDROOM
Mirror: Zara Home, similar. Sconces: Etsy. Bedding: Piglet in Bed.
On priorities: Our bedroom is very small, but we still got a king bed. My husband and I are very different sleepers — Zach gets super hot, and if I’m close to him I want to cuddle — so sleep is a LOT better if we each have enough space to ourselves. The trade-off is we have a bed that takes up the whole room.
Rug: Amazon.
On overhead storage: One thing we overlooked when we bought the house is the fact that it had no storage. We added some wardrobes and cabinets ourselves, but this room was tricky because it’s so small. One night I went to an event at someone’s house and saw she’d built a unit like this over her bed — which hadn’t even occurred to me! I’d never seen anything like it. I loved it so much I designed one for our room and found a local woodworker, who made it. It’s amazing how much stuff fits in there.
OFFICE
Curtains: Ikea, similar. Desk: Blu Dot, similar.
On clutter: My husband sometimes uses the office, but technically it’s mine — which is why there’s stuff everywhere. I honestly just like the aesthetic of a cluttered office, full of art supplies and ribbons and glue sticks. The more clutter the better!
Peg board: Kreisdesign.
On mess vs. memento: One thing I love about my house is that I can walk through it, and yes, there’s lots of stuff — but everything holds a memory. They’re things that bring me back to different times in my life and marriage: a trinket we bought at the flea market in Paris, or ‘Oh yeah, we lived in San Francisco when we found that.’
Wall planner: Etsy.
On nostalgia: Some people would say it’s messy to have all this stuff, but to me, it all ties back to our time together.
Thank you so much, Alison! We love your cozy home!
P.S. Many more home tours, including an empty-nester’s apartment in Copenhagen and a very colorful Connecticut house. Also, Alison’s week of outfits, and Alison’s Big Salad issue with her wallpaper before-and-after photos (gift link).
(Photos by Lyndsay Hannah Photography for Cup of Jo.)
