And adults dream the wildest dreams of ever calling a place like this home. Best Advice: Do it yourself. Go custom. Early Eames fiberglass DAT shell chair: Philly dealer
EAE pillar bookcase in matte white lacquer low credenzas w/ Solid Imbuya tops
KITCHEN
Early cast iron Saarinen dining table with new shop-made phenolic resin Color-Fin top
EAE custom made island cabinetry
Fabric cocktail napkins and throw pillow: xNasozi
Cast iron, Birdseye maple veneer walnut slabs
Vintage stainless steel industrial sink restaurant faucet: Craigslist
Arthur Umanoff stools in EAE turqoise: Estate sale
Bent maple plywood dining chairs: Lujon Philly
EAE Black Gold tripod stools
«The Flirt» (or «Blue Mommy» as my son calls it) 4-color hand-printed silkscreen by Brett Wintle
Walnut Annuit Cœptis Sculpture: Custom by Erickson Aesthetics
MASTER BEDROOM
EAE custom figured Ash slab bed sourced from the Bucks County, PA barns of Wharton Esherick and his last surviving assistant Horace Hartshaw. It is rare that an artist or designer will pour such resources and energy into a masterpiece knowing that they will one day have to walk away from it all. Collect pieces over time. Luckily he doesn’t seem to care, as long as he can trash it to his heart’s content. It was only $15 at a garage sale in Queens. Ben demonstrates his own expert craftsmanship through the custom furniture pieces that embellish his home. During Ben’s formative years, she inadvertently piqued his interest in architecture, art, and restoration, thanks to her turn-of-the-century stone house, which boasted exquisite details and craftsmanship. Name: Ben EricksonLocation: Bedford-Stuyvesant; Brooklyn, New YorkSize: 1,600 square feetYears lived in: 6 years; Renovated and Rented
Homes like this one are what neighborhood legends are made of. Updated daily with fresh tours full of photos for you to pin enjoy! School children imagine what fairytale or superhero character might be living inside. $40! Follow Apartment Therapy’s board House Tours Apartment Therapy on Pinterest. Open House Tour
Resources of Note:
PAINT COLORS
Raw plaster or Benjamin Moore off-white for everything, except the master bath which is hand brushed Fine Paints of Europe Grey and Benjamin Moore gold metallic flake on the ceiling. ENTRY
Hall tree: old Bed-Stuy antique shop
Runner from my Grandma’s house
Mahogany dresser: My Great Grandma
Fake Murano chandelier: LI Estate sale
LIVING ROOM
Early 50’s Swedish two tier full swivel Birch coffee table: LI Estate sale
Mid Century white Lucite table mini Bertoia chair: Philly, NY dealers
EAE slung leather lounge chair
Mushroom lamp: Brooklyn dealer
Sigurd Ressel Falcon Chair: Two Jakes in Williamsburg
EAE swivel cocktail tables
Gerald Thurston floor lamps: estate sales
Polished silver Antler candlesticks: Roost
Painting/ collage on paper by Ryan Coffee
Gold mirror from my Grandma
EAE copper manifold coffee table
OFFICE
George Nelsen tambour roll top desk in walnut and cast aluminum: rescued from the backyard of an antique shop in NJ. It was literally sitting out in the rain. Though, I think the biggest embarrassment would be not finishing Auggie’s playroom. BUT this is an opportunity to dive in to a new creative project so… any landlords out there who might want a free custom renovation— lets talk! Ben, who had already been living across the street for a number of years, approached the owner with an ambitious proposal; he would completely restore the top floor of the mansion in exchange for a reduction in monthly rent. But this factor did not prevent Ben from taking pride in each improvement he has painstakingly put into the home. Biggest Challenge: Leaving. Don’t use coasters. Fortunately, he was guided by the profound influence and inspiration of his father, Thomas Erickson, a lifelong craftsman and watercolor painter, and his grandmother, Bunny Brown, who was the cultural and literary centerpiece of the family. But perhaps it is this ephemeral quality that distinguishes Ben’s home and artistry from the norm. Proudest DIY: My gaudy marble and gold bathroom. What Friends Say: Holy #%@*
Biggest Embarrassment: I use the second bathroom shower for junk storage. Tourists walk by them and ponder their historical significance. Open House Tour
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: Eclectic/ early Modern/ Custom
Inspiration: Modernist architecture, treasure hunting, photography
Favorite Element: Impossible… But the discovery of three feet of untapped space in the rafters in the front room when we we’re demolishing the caving in original ceiling (which I assume was late 1800’s climate control) allowed me to raise the ceilings up to almost 12 feet! Now six years later, the mansion is on the market and the arrangement is coming to an end. 50’s orange chair and lamp: LI estate sale
Mudcloth accent pillows: xNasozi
Portrait of a Lady: Catherine Golthwaite (Bunny Brown), Ben’s Grandmother, painted by Fred Sitzler
MASTER BATHROOM
Antique marble sinks: Olde Good Things, Scranton PA
EAE designed exposed brass shower system made by Baths From the Past/ BESCO
EAE restored vintage solid mahogany dental cabinet
Noir St. His extensive work portfolio which included smaller-scale renovations easily provided the vote of confidence needed for the innovative, yet finite, arrangement to move forward. The patina of lives in what gives things soul
Dream Sources: 1st Dibs, Baxter Liebchen, Orions Objects, Arenskjold Antiques, Lee Mindel’s private warehouse. Live in the space and let it tell you what it needs. This house just went on the market so I must leave some of my best work and a part of my heart and soul behind. (Image credits: Nasozi Kakembo) Let your kids draw all over shit. Restored reupholstered antique flame mahogany sofa : Craigslist
My sons crib made from salvaged cast iron machinery molds painted in Fine Paints of Europe high gloss with figured white oak. For one Brooklyn-based custom furniture designer, the home was not a legend, but the perfect opportunity for a live-and-renovate endeavor. • Interested in sharing your home with Apartment Therapy?
