When Brianne Doak started looking for a bigger home to share with her boyfriend, she had a few broad requirements: She wanted to live in North Brooklyn and find outdoor space. But Doak, who runs an architectural design studio called Rodeo, was adamant that the kitchen stay old. No landlord special treatment, no fake-looking countertops. It took a while, but she finally found a prewar one-bedroom in Ridgewood with lots of period details. The kitchen was like a time machine. Though it felt a little more dated than they'd hoped, she decided to buy the house.
What were you looking for when moving?
I was living alone in Bed-Stuy, renting a small floor apartment in a brownstone. It was charming and funky. I had been looking for one for ages. But then my boyfriend moved in and I was like, “No way.” I was looking for a bigger place. But I was basically looking for the same thing. An unrenovated bathroom or some place that still had some charm. This was around 2021.
The sink was a big selling point of the apartment. Brianne Doak.
The sink was a big selling point of the apartment. Brianne Doak.
What were you looking at?
All were small, out of my budget, or completely renovated. I wanted to live in Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bushwick, or Bed-Stuy, and all were oddly chopped up so I could live with a roommate. I was particular about my wants and nervous about leaving my old apartment. I loved my landlord. I was friends with everyone in the building. I looked at quite a few.
A view of the original cabinetry and dining room.
Photo: Brianne Doak
How did you find this place?
A friend of a friend was moving out and ended up buying the property and needed someone to take over the lease. So we went to look. Ridgewood seemed a little far away, but now it feels closer than Bed-Stuy because the train is so close. We FaceTimed the landlord who lives in Seattle, and then we talked to the people who lived downstairs. We thought we got a pretty good deal. The only people who lived downstairs were our neighbors, we lived upstairs, and the garden level was free, which the landlord uses when he comes to town. They were super excited to tell us how they bought it from an owner who had owned it for 60 or 70 years, and they didn't do much to it.
Doak opted for open cabinetry.
Photo: Brianne Doak
How much is the rent?
I will pay $2,385.
What made you want it?
The kitchen. I'm not sure a lot of people would like that. The cabinets are obviously old. They're sticky and you can't clean them. But I love it. It has the original backsplash, which I think is really nice. For me, that was the selling point. My boyfriend loved it there because it has a bonus room. There's a really cute balcony attached to the kitchen that overlooks a big historic church in Ridgewood. So if you try really hard, you won't feel like you're in NYC. We wanted outdoor space, so the balcony was a big selling point for us. It makes it feel like a special place.
What would your dream kitchen – or nightmare kitchen – look like?
I'm an architectural designer and I design a lot of kitchens. So I can't stand it when people put too much stuff in the kitchen or put big appliances in a small space. I think that happens a lot in a lot of kitchens that are remodeled in New York. Or they skimp on the cabinets and they have cabinets that don't reach the ceiling, or they just have spaces that are hard to use. It really annoys me. My kitchen is not a perfect kitchen, it's messy, but there's something imperfect and charming about it. It's nice to have two people cooking. We cook a lot. In fact, right now, I'm in the kitchen bagging up all these little candies that we make. We have an old cast iron sink, it's really amazing. It feels so luxurious to have a sink that big.
I hate tiny sinks, I can't tell you how much I hate them.
It's very nice, and it's a double sink so there's a drain board on one side so there aren't always dishes on the counter.
Dork's cats love this place too.
Photo: Brianne Doak
Have you made any changes to your kitchen since you moved in?
My landlord took out one of the drawers in the kitchen and put in a dishwasher, so I have one dishwasher with no drawers, but that's fine by me. I have a lot of plants and a veggie patch on the balcony. I have an herb area right by the front door so I can go outside and pick basil and stuff. And this year I only planted tomatoes and peppers. The lettuce was too hot, so it all died.
Do you plan on moving again?
We're definitely not moving to New York. We feel like we've found our place. But we're also thinking about leaving. It's bittersweet. Finally, I found the perfect apartment.
