Inside Writer Emma Straub’s Turn-of-the-Century Home
What do you do?
I’m a writer. My first novel, Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures, came out in September. My husband, Michael Fusco, is a graphic designer. His studio, M + E Design, is in our house, and he makes lots of beautiful things there.
How long have you lived in Brooklyn?
We lived in Carroll Gardens from 2004-2006, then moved to Wisconsin for my grad school, then moved into this house in 2009. I grew up on the Upper West Side and went to high school in Brooklyn, though, so in some ways, I’ve lived here much longer.
Why did you move to Brooklyn?
To be close to my family.
What’s your favorite thing about your space?
That I have an office with a door. What a revelation.
What’s your least favorite thing?
I have no least favorite thing about the house. It’s a limestone built in 1910, and has been lovingly cared for… who am I to complain? It’s a lovely house, and I feel quite lucky to live in it.
What are the three (inanimate) things you’d save first in a fire?
My Five-Year Diary—I’m on year five. Our passports. (Sorry, I’m thinking practically here, which I know is not exactly the point.) My grandmother’s pearls.
What’s your favorite room in your space?
I love the library. It’s the most quiet, calm room in the house, despite being painted a fire engine red.
Favorite time of day?
Morning. Preferably spent in bed with the cats.
If you suddenly received a windfall of cash, what changes would you make to your space?
Wallpaper. Rugs. Tiles. Add a giant closet out of thin air. Chaise lounge that isn’t from Ikea.
If you could move your house/block/neighborhood to another city, which one would it be, and why?
I think if we could pick up our house, reproduce it in triplicate, move one to the Grove or Bedford Street in the West Village, move one to Montauk, and move one to Los Angeles, we’d be perfectly happy forever.