I went to visit Amy and Brett Morris’s apartment because I wanted to see their new collection of Peruvian rugs”and also because Brett, a writer, web producer, and amateur barista, promised to make me the best latte in Fort Greene. (No contest, I would say.) I found the deliciously colored, one-of-a-kind rugs neatly stacked in the bedroom, each one begging to be unfolded. Amy, a media strategist and interior designer, was working in Peru a year ago, redesigning a 25-room retreat in the jungle with her friend Olga Naiman, when she discovered these rugs and decided to try importing them. Amy and Brett’s new e-commerce website, MorrisEtc.com, just went live this week. Photo: Wendy Goodman
Here is a view of the living room looking toward a group of paintings, which Amy hopes will someday take over the entire wall. “Ten years ago, we lived in the Shoreditch neighborhood of London,” she says. “It was then that we met many of the artists whose work now covers our walls.” The painted wood chest is from the 25th Street Flea Market. Photo: Wendy Goodman
Their dining-room table on the far side of the living room is backed by an exposed-brick wall, which, Amy says, “adds a lot of character to the place.” The dining table is from the 25th Street Flea Market. The black chairs are from ModProp.com. “It’s prop rental mostly, but occasionally they’ll sell items from their warehouse in Harlem.” The blue chairs are another find from the Brooklyn Flea. Photo: Wendy Goodman
The original door frames throughout the apartment have these interesting vaulted shapes. “I am always surprised how many people gather around our kitchen, sitting on the step, stools, windowsill. It fits more than you think!” Photo: Wendy Goodman
Brett taking a latte break. He and Amy replaced the tile floor with wood and painted it with white chevron stripes. “I look forward to the kitchen floors’ chipping and fading,” Amy says. All the cabinets are Ikea. Photo: Wendy Goodman
The slate countertops were inspired by old English kitchens, and the backsplash is comprised of mini marble subway tiles. On top of Brett’s latte, Amy broke out the homemade cookie dough she keeps stocked in the fridge and baked us cookies. The photographs are by Tracy Nichols. Photo: Wendy Goodman
The painted blackboard “reminder wall” contains a to-do list, plus Brett’s menu item of the day: Chicken Cider Stew. He recently found a cookbook called Fast Food and has been diligently cooking every recipe starting from page one. Photo: Wendy Goodman
The surfboard, Amy says, “is a bit of Australia in Brooklyn to remind Brett of home.” The two met at a wedding in Boston in 1998 and were married in Sydney in 2002, before settling down in Fort Greene. Photo: Wendy Goodman
A double desk in the bedroom was made from reclaimed lumber, split into two pieces, and then whitewashed. It is held up by a file cabinet and two discreet wedges on either wall. This struck me as a simple, space-saving strategy for a couple that knows how to work together and, just as important, how to keep things fun. Photo: Wendy Goodman
