Working within the tight confines of the condo, Oyin envisioned a few other clever hacks for maximizing the floor space when needed. The small and low coffee table can easily slide under either the low-lying couch or the IKEA Besta cabinet in the corner when guests are gathered. Likewise, a kitchen island sourced from Facebook Marketplace serves as a place to prep food, with stools that slide underneath when they’re no longer occupied.
Throughout the home, the theme of gentle curves and swells of vibrant color—nodding to the couple’s West African heritage—warm up the space and reference the historic architecture of their surroundings in Bed-Stuy. Take the curved accent chair in the living room (one of Jeff’s own designs for his homeware line House of Antwi), the crescent lamp dangling overhead in the dining nook, or the arched mirror that abuts the sofa, for example: All were cherry-picked to reflect the arched windows of the apartments across the street. Combined, they soften the stark geometric lines of the original space and, as Oyin likes to say, “draw you in like a hug.”
Elsewhere, the custom terrazzo tiling above the kitchen sink and the pocket doors leading to the couple’s bedroom (features that Oyin notes are a lot more common across the pond) remind her of the first places that she ever set down roots. “I have multiple places that I call home,” Oyin muses. “My journey had a big impact on me, even architecturally.”
