My Houzz: Cheerful, Cool and Collected in a Brooklyn Loft

Brin Reinhardt and Nathan Ursch of Breuckelen Berber are drawn to things with a rich patina. They appreciate natural, weathered textures that have a story to tell — like the wood ceilings and exposed beams of their Brooklyn, New York, loft or their unique woven vintage Moroccan rugs.

To outfit their 960-square-foot space, set in a converted sandpaper factory, the couple blended classic midcentury pieces with delightful details that are thoughtfully laid out. "This is life in the big city with limited space," Reinhardt says. "You have to think outside the box and figure out how to make things work for you."

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Brin Reinhardt and Nathan Ursch, son Ronan and cats Charles and Ray
Location: Cobble Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York
Size: 960 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
That's interesting: A four-alarm blaze destroyed the 1881 sandpaper factory, H. Behr & Co., in 1903. It was completely rebuilt in 1904.

Reinhardt and Ursch used a low-profile sectional to divide their big, open space into living and dining areas. "We spend more waking time here than anywhere else in the apartment," says Reinhardt. "The space manages to be open, airy and intimate at the same time."


The couple's home is filled with vintage finds, collections from travels and a few of their favorite Berber carpets. The sofa is a Patricia Urquiola design for Moroso. Even though it is rather large, it feels like the right size to the couple because of its low-slung form.

Reinhardt and Ursch love the nails and holes that blemish the original wood ceiling, beams and structural columns, offering evidence of the building's former factory life. They ended up wrapping the central post with rope, since cats Charles and Ray — named after the Eameses — kept scratching it.



Reinhardt found the living room's vintage Lane coffee table at a midcentury shop in Buffalo, New York, and has had it since college. "Every once in a while we get the itch to replace it with something contemporary, but we're still drawn to the organic form, especially against the sharper lines of some of our other pieces," she says.

The swiveling green Arne Jacobsen Swan Chair in the corner is a favorite nap spot for both of the cats.

The vintage Moroccan Berber carpet — an unusual Beni Ouarain devoid of pattern — is what inspired the couple to start their rug shop, Breuckelen Berber. "This is one of those keepers," says Reinhardt. Their brick-and-mortar showroom (open by appointment) is just a block away from their loft.

Floor lamp: Parentesi Suspension Lamp, Flos


The couple thinks of these built-in cabinets as a lifesaver. The shelves are home to most of their books and small collections, and are organized by color because "it just simply made sense," Reinhardt says. "Our collection includes a red Olivetti Valentine typewriter, a cluster of vintage fur taxidermy animals that got a bit out of control, various Japanese ikebana vases and other finds that spoke to us."

The large paper lamp to the far left is a vintage Noguchi Akari lamp.


A yellow vintage toy Vespa from an antiques shop in Maine sits happily next to their desk, which is an unmarked vintage piece the couple found at the Pier Antique Show in New York. "A photo of it was used for marketing of the show that season, and I went there when the doors opened to find it," says Reinhardt.


The EM dining room table is a Jean Prouvé production piece from Vitra. It was a sample-sale score, and a wonderful wedding present from the couple's families.

An Artichoke Lamp by Poul Henningsen hangs over the dining room table, illuminating the travel mementos displayed on a Jean Prouvé Rayonnage Mural bookcase. "We love looking at everyday objects in our travels," says Reinhardt. "Something as simple as the design of a bobby pin, or a manual bare-bones method of spinning embroidery thread, can help you gain a deeper understanding of a culture — and ultimately makes you see things differently."


Adjoining the dining room is a small space (behind the white drapes) that is currently being used as Ronan's nursery. As Reinhardt explains, "It's teensy, but it's still working fine for the little guy." It was formerly an office with a built-in desk, which morphed into Ursch's DJ booth before becoming a nursery for Ronan.


To make the best of the space they had, the couple removed the built-in desk, changed the overhead light fixtures, gave the room a fresh coat of paint, and had sound-absorbing felt drapes sewn for the doorway. "While not an ideal nursery, it's cozy and cocoon-like, and he seems to really like being in there," says Reinhardt.


Above Ronan's room is a small loft space. When Reinhardt and Ursch moved in, they intended to use it as a sleeping place for guests, as it will accommodate a queen-size mattress. However, being tight on space, the couple quickly turned it into a storage area.

Sometimes they combine a few Noguchi lamps with the storage to create more ambience. But for the time being it continues to be a great space in which to stash Ronan's baby gear.

Alongside the ladder is a rack for shoe storage, saving closet space in the couple's bedroom.


Reinhardt and Ursch's favorite part about their kitchen is its functionality. "The layout works well — ample counter and storage space, and a very usable large island," says Reinhardt. "Quality appliances make a huge difference, too. Once you've had a good Sub-Zero, there’s no going back."

The counter stools are vintage K700 stools designed by Philip Salmon and Hugh Hamilton for Kinetics Furniture in Canada in the early 1970s. The couple found the set at the Pier Antique Show. The stools were originally a dated yellow that didn't match the home, so the couple had the stools powder-coated in gray.


"The bones of the kitchen are very good, and the space was thoughtfully designed," says Reinhardt. "We love the open plan. It's very inviting, and everyone gathers here when we have parties." The only change the couple made to the kitchen was installing a new suspension lamp and more minimalist cabinet hardware.


Reinhardt's favorite part of the bedroom is the bedding, "I love bedding," she says. "It can instantly make the bedroom a welcoming and peaceful place to be. When you hit the bed at the end of a long day, the mattress and bedding are the things that really matter."


Reinhardt and Ursch bought the unsigned vintage artwork over the bed for $25 at an auction, along with the vintage papier-mâché taxidermy molds and the graphic art piece on the right. The latter is a Sarah Morris textile (The Firm 465999) from Maharam, stretched like a canvas to mimic a painting.



A vintage Paul McCobb dresser was the perfect size for the narrow space entering the bedroom. "Buy what you love," suggests Reinhardt. "We've never gone looking for things with specific dimensions to fit perfectly in a space. We buy what we're drawn to and find a way to make them work."

The artwork above the dresser is by Frederic Varady, and was purchased at a midcentury shop in Brooklyn.


Reinhardt and Ursch designed their small bedroom to be a comfortable and happy place, even for cats Charles and Ray (shown here).

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