Cookbook writer Stacey Mei Yan Fong has lived in Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong—and that’s solely naming a number of. Rising up, she moved continually, hopping between residences, neighborhoods, and nations. So when she discovered a rent-stabilized Brooklyn residence on Craigslist in 2011, she knew she was staying put. “I believe that is the rationale why I have not left—it is so good as a result of this house is mine,” she mentioned. Fourteen years later, she’s nonetheless there, and if she has her method, she’s retaining it within the household for so long as attainable.
The recipe developer and design obsessive describes her aesthetic as a contemporary tackle a ’70s basement, balancing classic finds with contemporary, modern touches. Her partitions are an ever-changing gallery of posters, a set she’s constructed over time. “If a live performance has a screen-printed poster, I purchase it,” she mentioned.
Stacey has frequently reinvented her residence, swapping out artwork, furnishings, and decor to match her evolving tastes. Most lately, after a rest room ceiling collapse led to a full renovation, she noticed a chance quite than an inconvenience. She enlisted her good friend Kate Zaremba, a wallpaper designer, and collectively, they lined the brand new partitions in a daring wavy black-and-white sample. A number of easy swaps later, and in lower than every week, her lavatory felt model new.
Curious how she makes a rental really feel like dwelling? We caught up with Stacey to dive into the venture and get her greatest ideas for refreshing an area with out ranging from scratch.
Photograph by Kate Zaremba
The very first thing Stacey did when she moved in was paint the partitions. “Inventory white simply wasn’t for me,” she mentioned. However extra lately, she’s sworn by wallpaper. “It utterly remodeled the house. Usually, you may solely change issues up by portray, however wallpaper felt like the way in which to go.”
Whereas wallpaper may look like a giant endeavor, Stacey insists it’s truly simpler—and far cleaner than grabbing a gallon of eggshell. “I believe individuals are intimidated by it, however you simply must be affected person and set the time apart. And for those who’re renting (like Stacey)? No worries—she notes that wallpaper can at all times be steamed off and even painted over.
Stacey’s strategy to design is straightforward: nothing in your house must be everlasting. “Since I’ve been in my residence so lengthy, I redo the house each few years—simply to maintain it contemporary.” Whether or not it’s wallpaper, paint, or via rearranging furnishings, she believes in altering issues up as usually as you want. “In case you don’t find yourself loving it, take a beat and change it out. It’s a protracted venture, and that’s what’s beautiful about it,” she mentioned.
In case you’re renting, she beneficial retaining unique fixtures saved in labeled luggage for simple swaps as soon as you progress out. As for paint, “Simply don’t go along with black,” she warned.
One other tremendous easy technique to replace your house is altering out mild change covers. “Those in leases are normally painted over a thousand instances,” Stacey mentioned. She discovered distinctive ones on Etsy and has her eye on designs by artist Lorien Stern—particularly, these ghost-like figures that add a playful contact.
She additionally suggests centering a design round a favourite object or piece of artwork. “Pulling colours and inspiration from one standout piece will help create a cohesive look,” she mentioned. Whether or not it’s a live performance poster or a classic print, begin small, and construct from there.
Photograph by Kate Zaremba
Though putting in the wallpaper took just some hours, it was made even simpler—and far more enjoyable—with some further fingers. “When the concept of wallpapering the lavatory felt intimidating, Kate [Zaremba] mentioned she’d assist us set up it,” Stacey mentioned.
Her roommate had labored with Kate earlier than, and was in on the venture from the beginning. “That’s type of the New York, Brooklyn method—you realize somebody who is aware of somebody,” she mentioned. That mentioned, Stacey and her roommate, each design college grads, may have managed on their very own. They mapped all the things out to scale on paper first, arrange reducing and wetting stations, and used an X-Acto knife to get each seam excellent.
Through the years, Stacey has embraced a slower, extra intentional strategy to adorning. “I mull over issues, and I believe that makes the top end result a lot extra satisfying,” she mentioned.
The identical went for selecting wallpaper—she and Kate sifted via totally different prints earlier than discovering the proper one. “We needed one thing enjoyable, daring, and graphic, however not only a typical stripe—so the wiggle design was excellent.”
“Folks attempt to do all the things directly—they grasp all their artwork in at some point,” she mentioned. “However as somebody who’s been in her house a very long time, there are nonetheless issues I haven’t hung as a result of I’m nonetheless eager about them.” However the wallpaper is up—for now at the least.
We need to know: What’s one small change you’ve made that made your house really feel extra like dwelling?
