Renovating with:

Claudia Williams

[Q] Where are you from and where do you currently reside?


[A] I grew up in Illinois, in a town about three hours west of Chicago on the Mississippi River. I moved to the East Coast in 2017 and feel such a pull to this part of the country. I spent a few years in Boston, moved to Brooklyn in July of 2020, and plan to be in this region for the rest of my days.


[Q] You are clearly a lover of antiquity and expressions of the past, what is your favorite historical period in time?


[A] I love anything old. I often say I have an aversion to anything new. New buildings, new music, new clothes, new art. I’ll take the old stuff any day. My favorite historic period in time (strictly for the design and furnishings) has to be the colonial era. The colors, the Windsor chairs, the baskets, the taper candles, the wide plank wood floors. There’s nothing not to love.


[Q] Where do you think your love for this antiquity came from?


[A] My love for antiquity came from my grandparents on both sides. My grandma Carol and my grandpa Gary are both very well traveled, and both have absolutely incredible collections of arts, ceramics, and furniture. My appreciation for antiques came from them, and I’m lucky to have quite a few pieces from them both here with me in Brooklyn.


[Q] Tell us about your 125 year old Brooklyn apartment. How did you find it and what drew you to it?


[A] I found it after tirelessly searching Streeteasy for over three months. I was denied from dozens of landlords and had almost given up hope. But then I found this jewel box of an apartment and it all seemed worth it. I knew it was the one when I saw the Piere Mirror in the blurry listing photos.

Fig 1. Claudia’s Brooklyn Apartment - The Living Room
Fig 2. The Ulla Shower Curtain in Claudia’s Bathroom
Fig 3. Claudia’s Bookcase and Reading Nook

I love anything old. I often say I have an aversion to anything new. New buildings, new music, new clothes, new art. I’ll take the old stuff any day. My favorite historic period in time (strictly for the design and furnishings) has to be the colonial era. The colors, the Windsor chairs, the baskets, the taper candles, the wide plank wood floors. There’s nothing not to love.

Fig 4. Claudia’s Renovated Kitchen

[Q] Renovating a home can be really time consuming, it is a labour of love, how do you begin this process and when does something feel “complete”?


[A] You just have to start. Because the longer you wait, the less likely you’ll actually ever finish a project. Within 48 hours of moving in, I was at Home Depot buying lumber to build my bookcase. Nothing is ever complete for me. I like to live in a space, and slowly see what needs to be tweaked and adjusted. I was here over a year before I decided to update the bathroom.


[Q] Do you have any renovating tricks or tips? Especially for those who are renting?

[A] Ask for forgiveness, not permission. If you plan to stay in an apartment for a good long while, paint the walls. Change the light fixtures. Make those updates you need to make so the space feels like yours. And if you do it well, odds are, your landlord won’t care and you won’t lose any of your security deposit.

[Q] You chose the Ulla Shower Curtain for your bathroom, where did your inspiration come in regards to this room?

[A] I wanted the bathroom to feel like an extension of the rest of the apartment. Almost like it could have been there for 125 years. I went with a dark wood vanity to pull in the original moldings from the living room, then aged brass fixtures with milk glass for an antique feel. I love the depth and warmth the dark green Ulla Shower Curtain brings to the room.






[Q] Renovating a home can be really time consuming, it is a labour of love, how do you begin this process and when does something feel “complete”?


[A] You just have to start. Because the longer you wait, the less likely you’ll actually ever finish a project. Within 48 hours of moving in, I was at Home Depot buying lumber to build my bookcase. Nothing is ever complete for me. I like to live in a space, and slowly see what needs to be tweaked and adjusted. I was here over a year before I decided to update the bathroom.


[Q] Do you have any renovating tricks or tips? Especially for those who are renting?

[A] Ask for forgiveness, not permission. If you plan to stay in an apartment for a good long while, paint the walls. Change the light fixtures. Make those updates you need to make so the space feels like yours. And if you do it well, odds are, your landlord won’t care and you won’t lose any of your security deposit.

[Q] You chose the Ulla Shower Curtain for your bathroom, where did your inspiration come in regards to this room?

[A] I wanted the bathroom to feel like an extension of the rest of the apartment. Almost like it could have been there for 125 years. I went with a dark wood vanity to pull in the original moldings from the living room, then aged brass fixtures with milk glass for an antique feel. I love the depth and warmth the dark green Ulla Shower Curtain brings to the room.

Fig 5. The Ulla Shower Curtain in Claudia’s Bathroom
Fig 6. The Ulla Shower Curtain amongst art in Claudia’s Bathroom

[Q] Renovating a home can be really time consuming, it is a labour of love, how do you begin this process and when does something feel “complete”?


[A] You just have to start. Because the longer you wait, the less likely you’ll actually ever finish a project. Within 48 hours of moving in, I was at Home Depot buying lumber to build my bookcase. Nothing is ever complete for me. I like to live in a space, and slowly see what needs to be tweaked and adjusted. I was here over a year before I decided to update the bathroom.


[Q] Do you have any renovating tricks or tips? Especially for those who are renting?

[A] Ask for forgiveness, not permission. If you plan to stay in an apartment for a good long while, paint the walls. Change the light fixtures. Make those updates you need to make so the space feels like yours. And if you do it well, odds are, your landlord won’t care and you won’t lose any of your security deposit.

[Q] You chose the Ulla Shower Curtain for your bathroom, where did your inspiration come in regards to this room?

[A] I wanted the bathroom to feel like an extension of the rest of the apartment. Almost like it could have been there for 125 years. I went with a dark wood vanity to pull in the original moldings from the living room, then aged brass fixtures with milk glass for an antique feel. I love the depth and warmth the dark green Ulla Shower Curtain brings to the room.






[Q] Renovating a home can be really time consuming, it is a labour of love, how do you begin this process and when does something feel “complete”?


[A] You just have to start. Because the longer you wait, the less likely you’ll actually ever finish a project. Within 48 hours of moving in, I was at Home Depot buying lumber to build my bookcase. Nothing is ever complete for me. I like to live in a space, and slowly see what needs to be tweaked and adjusted. I was here over a year before I decided to update the bathroom.


[Q] Do you have any renovating tricks or tips? Especially for those who are renting?

[A] Ask for forgiveness, not permission. If you plan to stay in an apartment for a good long while, paint the walls. Change the light fixtures. Make those updates you need to make so the space feels like yours. And if you do it well, odds are, your landlord won’t care and you won’t lose any of your security deposit.

[Q] You chose the Ulla Shower Curtain for your bathroom, where did your inspiration come in regards to this room?

[A] I wanted the bathroom to feel like an extension of the rest of the apartment. Almost like it could have been there for 125 years. I went with a dark wood vanity to pull in the original moldings from the living room, then aged brass fixtures with milk glass for an antique feel. I love the depth and warmth the dark green Ulla Shower Curtain brings to the room.

[Q] What does time spent in your bathroom mean to you?


[A] As a bath girl, having a bathroom that feels inviting and organized is something I’ll never take for granted. Before, it felt so cold and soulless. I wanted to get in and get out. Now, I look forward to spending time there. I love lighting a candle, adding some oils to the water, cracking open a book, and soaking until I’m a prune.


[Q] What is your most treasured item in your home that you found antiquing?

[A] That would have to be my room divider. I found it in Cape Cod at an antique store and purchased it long before I ever lived in this studio. I kept it in storage until I found this apartment, and now I can’t imagine the space without it. It was one of those pieces I just knew was made for me.

[Q] When you are not home, where can we find you?

[A] Either in the reading room at the New York Public Library, my local coffee shop, or Chelsea Flea on a Saturday morning.

[Q] Any current design obsessions?

[A] Hand-stamped wallpaper. I recently saw a video where I girl carved a tulip into a potato and used it as a stamp. I love how imperfect and darling it turned out.

[Q] Who, historically, might you reference as your aesthetic match? Your historical aesthetic inspirer?

[A] Either Kathleen Kelly from You’ve Got Mail or my Grandma Carol. Both women love floral fabrics, cluttered bookshelves, and heirloom-quality furniture.







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