A Tavern Turned Colorful Apartment

The artistic and visual talents of Cobble Hill couple Jennifer Welte and Fritz Fernow shine through in their colorful and art-filled apartment. Both juggle multiple roles in their professional and personal lives, much like their "mix and match" approach to interior décor.

Welte is the co-founder of the glassware company New Arcadia Studio, a freelance wholesaler for a luxury footwear designer and works part-time at Crate and Barrel. Her husband, Fernow, sells digital printing for C2 Imaging and pursues homebrewing as a hobby. 

The multi-faceted couple brings their eclectic approach to their apartment décor.

"Everything has to be mixed," says Welte of their home. From heirlooms to flea market finds, each room features an amalgam of colors and styles. 

The two-level apartment is close to the Columbia Street waterfront and originally housed a tavern that was a hub for dockworkers. It was gutted and remodeled before Welte and Fernow moved in 6 years ago, but she can point out where the bar was located in their living room. The entrance was replaced by a large south-facing window.

When you enter the apartment, you step into a spacious, sun-filled open floorplan. The ceilings are high and graced by one skylight in the living room area and another in the office.

The décor is a wonderful showcase of embracing bright colors and mixing old and new pieces. Bold, solid hues dominate the furniture, especially in the living room. The clean and simple geometry of the furniture helps a rainbow of colors playfully complement each other in a single room. 

Patterns are stronger in the basement bedroom where a floral cushioned settee from Welte's mother faces a loud orange bed.

"I had this Marimekko fabric that I stretched onto two panels and it fit perfectly as a headboard," says Welte of the bright orange, green and black "is-it-art?" headboard. Although the bedspread pattern is different, a similar orange and green palatte ties the two together. 

As a sort of unintentional homage to their apartment's history, Fernow has been brewing beer in a corner of the bedroom for 4 years. His small laboratory, consisting of a kegerator and various tools and ingredients, is hidden from view behind 2 bookcases. Fernow has won numerous awards, including December's in Park Slope.

The couple's home is a fun and tasteful example of how to use an array of bold colors and styles together. Their furniture and artwork collection has strong sentimental value that infuses a cozy and intimate feel into the home. Repurposing heirloom pieces with color, pairing them with new finds and showcasing the art of friends and family, can certainly make for eye-catching décor.