Studio Oink ’s meticulous renovation of a Brook ly n tow nhouse has created a gloriously minimalist home
DINING AREA
Pleasing shapes play a key role in the minimalist aesthetic, creating luxurious spaces.
K ITC H EN
Pico tiles by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec were used for the worksurface tops. They are textured and bring a wonderful organic feel.
home front
Lea Korzeczek of German design company Studio Oink. She designed this Brooklyn home for Joe and Scarlett, who were then expecting their daughter, Nomia, now two-and-a-half.
A three-storey Brooklyn townhouse. On the lower ground floor is the kitchen-diner, snug/guest room, guest shower room and storage. The addition of a mezzanine has created a raised-ground floor for the living room and study. On the first floor is the main bedroom, dressing area and en suite, spare bedroom, bathroom and child’s bedroom.
The bespoke desk looks sleek and the absence of legs creates a feeling of space.
When, back in 2018, interior designer Lea Korzeczek of Studio Oink sat down in her Leipzig office with her new American clients, Joe and Scarlett, to discuss a potential project, she wasn’t expecting it to unfold in quite the way it did. For, while both parties were prepared for some of the work to be conducted long distance, no one knew the impending pandemic would make it a fully ‘Zoom’ project rather than an on-site one.
Luckily, as Lea acknowledges, the clients already had Hatchet, an American architect and contractors, on board. By working hand-in-glove with Hatchet, she was able to pull off this leap-inthe-dark way of designing a home. ‘After we sat down with Joe and Scarlett to get to know each other and clarify key points, the design and consultation then only ran from a distance,’ she explains. ‘Hatchet took care of all architectural issues, as well as everything structural and all things requiring approval.’
Lea’s key vision for the house involved ‘creating interesting lines of sight through meaningful openings’, as well as making the rooms look wider and feel more spacious. After that, choosing the right materials and colours was essential to develop the ‘calm palette’ that she was after. Lea is the first to admit that she’s very detail oriented when it comes to her designs. ‘We usually fight very hard for our designs, and this is not always easy in the beginning for
