Alison Piepmeyer’s House Is Filled With Books and “Dramatic” Paint
Photos by Lyndsay Hannah Photography Alison Piepmeyer lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Zach, and two children, Linus and Georgie. They bought their 19th-century house “in rough shape,” in 2022, and have spent the last four years fixing it up and filling it with knickknacks collected over their 15 years of marriage. “I remember watching Love Actually as a young married couple — a movie I don’t recommend,” she laughs. “But one thing that stuck with me was that one of the character’s houses had art up and down every single wall. I remember thinking how cool that was.” Take a look around… ENTRYWAY Wall paint: Benjamin Moore. Wallpaper: House of Hackney. Mirror: Target. Umbrella stand: Vintage, similar. On a cross-country dream: I grew up in Portland, Oregon, and we’ve lived all over California, but I always had a dream of moving east. I’ll look back at my childhood journals, and it’ll be like, ‘I’m gonna go to New York and be a FASHION designer!’ Ha! Then, six years ago, I got a job offer here. My husband I lived in San Francisco at the time, so it was a big decision, but we decided to go for it. And it was the best decision we ever made. Hat: Inside Joke. Hooks: West Elm, similar. On finding home: We did tons of research before moving, then checked out a bunch of neighborhoods. We looked at the Upper West Side (You’ve Got Mail is my favorite movie). We looked all over Brooklyn and eventually stumbled on Boerum Hill, which is this small neighborhood tucked between Cobble Hill and Park Slope. It’s very cute but not ‘perfect,’ and it felt like we just fit. LIVING ROOM Wall paint: Benjamin Moore. Wall sconces: Rejuvenation. String lights: Brightown. Couch: Vintage, reupholstered in Sunbrella outdoor fabric (“Very kid-friendly!”). Striped chair: Vintage, reupholstered in Sunbrella. Pharmacy lamp: Vintage, similar. On finding the house: This house, built in the 1850s, was another big leap. It had been on the market for a while because it was in such rough shape. My husband was terrified, but I had a vision, and he trusted me. On a work-in-progress: Once we moved in, it took about four years to get the house to where it is now — we had to abate lead paint, fix crumbling bricks, clean out piles of dead bugs — and there’s still a lot of work to do. We think of the house as a long-term project that we’ll just keep working on whenever there’s time and money to do so! Ceiling fixture: Schoolhouse, similar. Curtains: Pottery Barn. Rug: Custom, from AfriKesh on Etsy. Throw pillow: Lulu and Georgia. Coffee table: Etsy. White chair: Target. Checked throw: Amazon. On a beloved, impractical couch: I found the fainting couch on a used-furniture site, and had it redone in blue velvet. Our kids are obsessed with that couch and always wind up bouncing on it or sitting there while drawing with markers. It’s also very popular with guests, even though it’s small. Whenever we have parties, a pile of people always congregate there, sort of sitting on each other. It’s just a very cozy spot! On book piles: We’re a big book family, and we try to do things that encourage our kids to read as much as possible. We have no restrictions on reading, and I love having different kinds of books piled around the house that they have access to. And I’ve noticed, just having so many books around means that if they’re bored or looking for something to do, maybe they’ll pick one up and flip through it. TV stand: Target. On history: There are a lot of imperfections and parts that will need updating later. Sometimes I’ll go to friends’ places, and I’ll be like, ‘Ah, it’s so nice and modern!’ My house is layered with 150 years of people doing their own updates, like a bathroom pipe that comes straight through our foyer. But in some ways, I like that. It makes me feel connected to the other families who’ve lived here. Needlepoint pillow: Furbish. On a rough-and-tumble sofa: The sofa and chair are vintage, but I had them reupholstered with outdoor fabric, so now the kids can draw, throw up, or pour something on them, and they will still hold up! I can rub any stain out with a Magic Eraser. DINING ROOM Wall paint: Benjamin Moore. Dining table: ABC Home, similar. Chairs: Vintage, similar. Cabinet: West Elm, similar. On going dark: Some people get freaked out by the idea of black paint, but — as my husband and I often joke — it hides a lot of sins. In an old house, it helps obscure all the little dents and weird cords painted into the wall. Growing up, my mom was always repainting rooms in different colors, so I’m not scared of dramatic paint colors. On compromise: We try to eat at the table, but my kids are still so little that they’re jumping and dancing around the room most of the time anyway. I’d say we’re half-and-half — half eat-at-the-table, half I’ll-bring-you-a-plate-wherever-because-I-don’t-have-the-energy-to-force-you-to-sit-there. KITCHEN Rug: Etsy. On squeezing in: Zach and I did the kitchen ourselves, so don’t look too closely! It’s one of those things that’s fine for now, but eventually will need more work. It’s quite small, so you can’t really have more than one person in there at a time. We make it work by splitting the cooking duties 50-50. The kids would love to help, but at this point, they’re more of a hindrance! On framed photos of friends: I like putting up photos of friends and family so my kids see all the people who are important to them. Joanna and Georgie have a special relationship, so I hung this photo of them at the beach. BATHROOM Wall tile: Clé. Shower curtain: Amazon. Stool: Amazon. On a shared bathroom: This is our only bathroom, and it’s on the second floor, so friends just head up there…











