TL;DR
Interior designer Megan Gibbon transformed her 900-square-foot Brooklyn rental into a space that reflects her family’s history and travels, blending curated objects and custom designs. This article explores how she created a personal sanctuary in a small footprint.
Interior designer Megan Gibbon has spent five years personalizing her 900-square-foot Brooklyn apartment, transforming it into a space that feels like a family album and travel diary. Her approach emphasizes meaningful objects and bespoke design, making the apartment a peaceful retreat amid city life. This development highlights how a small space can be deeply personal and curated.
Gibbon, originally from Britain, moved into the Cobble Hill apartment during the pandemic, attracted by its natural light and quiet atmosphere. She has filled the space with heirlooms, vintage finds, and custom-made pieces that reflect her family’s history and travels, including ceramics inspired by her mother’s garden and antique textiles from Istanbul.
She designed and installed key features herself, such as the ceramic backsplash in the kitchen, which she mounted on a removable board for renters. The apartment’s decor includes works by artists, furniture from friends, and personal collections like masks, textiles, and ceramics, creating a layered, intimate environment. Despite its modest size, the space feels expansive through thoughtful layout and visual connections, such as French doors linking rooms.
Gibbon emphasizes that her home is a blend of her passions—collecting, making ceramics, and curating meaningful objects—resulting in a space that is both a sanctuary and a record of her family’s life. Her older son, she notes, never wants to leave, underscoring the home’s emotional significance.
Personal Expression in Small Urban Spaces
This story demonstrates how small apartments can be deeply personalized, transforming rental spaces into meaningful environments. Gibbon’s approach shows that curated collections and DIY interventions can create a home that reflects identity, history, and relationships, offering inspiration for others in limited footprints.
personalized ceramic backsplash tiles
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Designing a Personal Sanctuary During the Pandemic
Gibbon moved into the apartment during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period when many sought refuge in their homes. Her background in hospitality design, including work at Soho Farmhouse, influenced her approach to creating a layered, experience-driven environment. Over five years, she has gradually curated the space, blending her personal collections with bespoke furniture and art.
“We’re really lucky that our home reflects our friendships and our family.”
— Megan Gibbon
Unconfirmed Details About Future Plans
It is not yet clear whether Gibbon plans to make further modifications to the apartment or relocate in the future. Details about her long-term plans for the space remain undisclosed.
Next Steps for the Brooklyn Home
Gibbon is expected to continue personalizing the apartment, possibly adding new collections or DIY projects. There is no public indication of plans to move, but her ongoing engagement suggests the space will remain a personal sanctuary for the foreseeable future.
Key Questions
How did Gibbon personalize her rental apartment?
She added custom ceramic tiles, installed a ceramic backsplash, and curated collections of heirlooms, vintage finds, and her own ceramics, all reflecting her family’s history and travels.
What makes this Brooklyn apartment feel so personal?
The space is filled with meaningful objects, artworks, and bespoke furniture that tell stories of her family, travels, and friendships, creating a layered and intimate environment.
Did Gibbon make any DIY modifications?
Yes, she designed and mounted the ceramic backsplash herself on a removable board, and incorporated custom hardware and lighting to enhance the rental kitchen.
Will Gibbon stay in this apartment long-term?
It is not confirmed, but she has expressed strong attachment, and her ongoing personalization suggests she intends to remain in the space for now.
How does her background influence her design choices?
Her experience designing hospitality spaces and her love of collecting inform her layered, experience-rich approach to creating a home that feels both curated and personal.
Source: Architectural Digest
