Evelyn Lee’s Sustainable Starter Apartment

We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.

Name: Evelyn Lee
Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
Size: 1,185 square feet
Years lived in: 2 years; Owned

Meet Evelyn and her cat, Sam. Evelyn’s Williamsburg apartment was her first project directly out of Parsons’ Interior Design program (yes, she’s LEED accredited); and where she was able, she used sustainable materials to create a relaxing haven she calls home.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Though Evelyn’s apartment is a project in progress, she has made sustainable choices not only in the materials selected but also in the sense that her pieces will last as she grows in to the space. She is highly selective and will only collect things she knows she truly loves, oftentimes during her travels. The apartment itself is large by New York City standards (1,185 square feet), and one her of her biggest challenges was arranging the great room. She opted to not use rugs in an effort to keep costs down. (Sam would have destroyed them anyway). She hosts more cocktail hours than dinner parties so the small dining room and large living area suits her quite well.

I fell in love with her window treatments in the way they diffused the light quite perfectly without drawing attention. In total, Evelyn has succeeded in building a serene space while interjecting her love of bold graphics throughout with subtle monochromatic punches in her choices of wall coverings in her bedroom and office.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Apartment Therapy Survey:

MY Style: Modern, organic, urban with a touch of glam.

Inspiration: Traveling, New York City itself where visual stimuli lies around every corner every day, design blogs, nature.

Favorite Element: The southern exposure and my built-ins.

Biggest Challenge: How to arrange the great room, which is architecturally quite busy. I filled a large niche with the bookcase and decided to leave the ceiling alone. The apartment was a big, bright white box when I moved in so I really wanted to warm it up a bit.

What Friends Say: You have a nice place, did it come painted and with the bookcase?

Biggest Embarrassment: I made a few newbie lighting mistakes

Proudest DIY: I didn’t really do anything DIY!

Biggest Indulgence: My built-ins and my natural latex mattress, which is super comfy and doesn’t have any squeaky springs.

Best Advice: You can never have enough storage. Buy things you love and won’t get tired of looking at every day. Also, furniture that serves more than one function (such as my coffee table, which opens up to store tons of unread books and magazines) is a bonus in a city like NY where space is a premium.

Dream Sources: ABC Home is one of my favorite stores, furniture and accessory shopping anywhere in Scandinavia.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Resources of Note:
(Sustainable items that came with the apartment-kitchen countertops are Ice Stone, flooring is sustainable Ipe. Toilets are lo-flow Totos and all faucets came with aerators on them).

PAINT & COLORS
All Benjamin Moore Natura

ENTRY

LIVING ROOM

DINING ROOM

KITCHEN

• Pendants: Niche Modern

BEDROOM

BATHROOM

OFFICE

Joel di Giacomo

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

If you’d like to contact Evelyn, she can be reached at: Evelyn Lee Interiors

Thanks, Evelyn!

Images: Beth Bates

• HOUSE TOUR ARCHIVE Check out past house tours here
• Interested in sharing your home with Apartment Therapy? Contact the editors through our House Tour Submission Form.
• Are you a designer/architect/decorator interested in sharing a residential project with Apartment Therapy readers? Contact the editors through our Professional Submission Form.