Gimme Shelter: The Homes of 8 Brooklyn Professionals
Interior designer and lifestyle maven Athena Calderone—whose website EyeSwoon is a must-visit for anyone who loves to eat, cook, craft, or decorate—has the kind of apartment that takes your breath away the moment you step off the elevator, which opens right into her home. What’s most remarkable, though, is that despite the impressive art collection, immaculately styled furnishings (which are a healthy blend of modern and vintage), and towering windows, the apartment doesn’t feel at all like a set piece but rather like what it is: a well-lived-in home to Athena, her husband Victor (a world-renowned music producer and DJ), and their son, Jivan. It looks like this duplex in DUMBO has been home to the Calderones for years, but she says, “We’ve been here about a year. We are a little bit of serial movers; we’ve moved about every two to three years.” It is possible, though, that all that moving has only made Calderone more aware of what she wants, and more able to execute that vision. “I’ve reinvented myself and my design sense so much through each apartment,” she says. “I love collecting things. I love going on the hunt. That’s what excites me, finding and curating objects. And I love the stories behind the objects. That’s why I love collecting oddities and vintage things, because they add warmth, especially to a really modern space like this.”
For more of Athena’s work, visit eye-swoon.com and Rawlins Calderone Design.
Photos by Rory Gunderson