{"id":106392,"date":"2026-02-25T09:40:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T09:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/25\/alison-piepmeyers-house-is-filled-with-books-and-dramatic-paint\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T09:40:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T09:40:13","slug":"alison-piepmeyers-house-is-filled-with-books-and-dramatic-paint","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/25\/alison-piepmeyers-house-is-filled-with-books-and-dramatic-paint\/","title":{"rendered":"Alison Piepmeyer’s House Is Filled With Books and “Dramatic” Paint"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\"Alison<\/div>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

Photos by Lyndsay Hannah Photography<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Alison Piepmeyer<\/a> lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Zach, and two children, Linus and Georgie<\/a>. They bought their 19th-century house \u201cin rough shape,\u201d in 2022, and have spent the last four years fixing it up and filling it with knickknacks collected over their 15 years of marriage. \u201cI remember watching Love Actually<\/em> as a young married couple \u2014\u00a0a movie I don\u2019t recommend,\u201d she laughs. \u201cBut one thing that stuck with me was that one of the character\u2019s houses had art up and down every single wall. I remember thinking how cool that was.\u201d Take a look around\u2026<\/p>\n

ENTRYWAY<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

Wall paint: Benjamin Moore<\/a>. Wallpaper: House of Hackney<\/a>. Mirror: Target<\/a>. Umbrella stand: Vintage, similar<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On a cross-country dream:<\/strong> I grew up in Portland, Oregon, and we\u2019ve lived all over California, but I always had a dream of moving east. I\u2019ll look back at my childhood journals, and it\u2019ll be like, \u2018I\u2019m gonna go to New York and be a FASHION designer!\u2019 Ha! Then, six years ago, I got a job offer here. My husband I lived in San Francisco at the time, so it was a big decision, but we decided to go for it. And it was the best decision we ever made.<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

Hat: Inside Joke<\/a>. Hooks: West Elm, similar<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On finding home:<\/strong> We did tons of research before moving, then checked out a bunch of neighborhoods. We looked at the Upper West Side (You\u2019ve Got Mail<\/em> is my favorite movie). We looked all over Brooklyn and eventually stumbled on Boerum Hill, which is this small neighborhood tucked between Cobble Hill and Park Slope. It\u2019s very cute but not \u2018perfect,\u2019 and it felt like we just fit.<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

LIVING ROOM<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

Wall paint: Benjamin Moore<\/a>. Wall sconces: Rejuvenation<\/a>. String lights: Brightown<\/a>. Couch: Vintage, reupholstered in Sunbrella outdoor fabric<\/a> (\u201cVery kid-friendly!\u201d). Striped chair: Vintage, reupholstered in Sunbrella<\/a>. Pharmacy lamp: Vintage, similar<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On finding the house:<\/strong> This house, built in the 1850s, was another big leap. It had been on the market for a while because it was in such rough shape. My husband was terrified, but I had a vision, and he trusted me.<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

On a work-in-progress:<\/strong> Once we moved in, it took about four years to get the house to where it is now \u2014 we had to abate lead paint, fix crumbling bricks, clean out piles of dead bugs \u2014 and there\u2019s still a lot of work to do. We think of the house as a long-term project that we\u2019ll just keep working on whenever there\u2019s time and money to do so!<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

Ceiling fixture: Schoolhouse, similar<\/a>. Curtains: Pottery Barn<\/a>. Rug: Custom, from AfriKesh on Etsy<\/a>. Throw pillow: Lulu and Georgia<\/a>. Coffee table: Etsy<\/a>. White chair: Target<\/a>. Checked throw: Amazon<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On a beloved, impractical couch: <\/strong>I found the fainting couch on a used-furniture site, and had it redone in blue velvet. Our kids are obsessed with that couch and always wind up bouncing on it or sitting there while drawing with markers. It\u2019s also very popular with guests, even though it\u2019s small. Whenever we have parties, a pile of people always congregate there, sort of sitting on each other. It\u2019s just a very cozy spot!<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

On book piles:<\/strong> We\u2019re a big book family, and we try to do things that encourage our kids to read as much as possible. We have no restrictions on reading, and I love having different kinds of books piled around the house that they have access to. And I\u2019ve noticed, just having so many books around means that if they\u2019re bored or looking for something to do, maybe they\u2019ll pick one up and flip through it. <\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

TV stand: Target<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On history:<\/strong> There are a lot of imperfections and parts that will need updating later. Sometimes I\u2019ll go to friends\u2019 places, and I\u2019ll be like, \u2018Ah, it\u2019s so nice and modern!\u2019 My house is layered with 150 years of people doing their own updates, like a bathroom pipe that comes straight through our foyer. But in some ways, I like that. It makes me feel connected to the other families who\u2019ve lived here.<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

Needlepoint pillow: Furbish<\/a>.<\/em> <\/p>\n

On a rough-and-tumble sofa:<\/strong> The sofa and chair are vintage, but I had them reupholstered with outdoor fabric, so now the kids can draw, throw up, or pour something on them, and they will still hold up! I can rub any stain out with a Magic Eraser<\/a>.<\/p>\n

DINING ROOM<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

Wall paint: Benjamin Moore<\/a>. Dining table: ABC Home, similar<\/a>. Chairs: Vintage, similar<\/a>. Cabinet: West Elm, similar<\/a>.<\/em> <\/p>\n

On going dark:<\/strong> Some people get freaked out by the idea of black paint, but \u2014 as my husband and I often joke \u2014 it hides a lot of sins. In an old house, it helps obscure all the little dents and weird cords painted into the wall. Growing up, my mom was always repainting rooms in different colors, so I\u2019m not scared of dramatic paint colors.<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

On compromise:<\/strong> We try to eat at the table, but my kids are still so little that they\u2019re jumping and dancing around the room most of the time anyway. I\u2019d say we\u2019re half-and-half \u2014\u00a0half eat-at-the-table, half I\u2019ll-bring-you-a-plate-wherever-because-I-don\u2019t-have-the-energy-to-force-you-to-sit-there.<\/p>\n

KITCHEN<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

Rug: Etsy<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On squeezing in:<\/strong> Zach and I did the kitchen ourselves, so don\u2019t look too closely! It\u2019s one of those things that\u2019s fine for now, but eventually will need more work. It\u2019s quite small, so you can\u2019t really have more than one person in there at a time. We make it work by splitting the cooking duties 50-50. The kids would love to help, but at this point, they\u2019re more of a hindrance!<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

On framed photos of friends:<\/strong> I like putting up photos of friends and family<\/a> so my kids see all the people who are important to them. Joanna and Georgie have a special relationship<\/a>, so I hung this photo of them at the beach<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

BATHROOM<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

Wall tile: Cl\u00e9<\/a>. Shower curtain: Amazon<\/a>. Stool: Amazon<\/a>.<\/em> <\/p>\n

On a shared bathroom:<\/strong> This is our only bathroom, and it\u2019s on the second floor, so friends just head up there when they\u2019re over. It\u2019s the only room we renovated, other than the kitchen, so I\u2019m glad we made it fun. Green is my favorite color, and this tile makes me so happy when I walk in. So far, we haven\u2019t found that anyone\u2019s fighting over the bathroom \u2014 Zach and I just shower after the kids are bathed and in bed. The only time it\u2019s a problem is when everyone has to pee at the same time. <\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

Painting: Etsy<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On a parenting style:<\/strong> My husband is obsessed with music. He has a Disney playlist to help our kids get out of bed in the morning, and a calming playlist that he puts on at night. During bath time, he\u2019ll use a little speaker to play their favorite songs and keep them entertained. It\u2019s not a parenting method that would\u2019ve occurred to me, but it really works for him!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

KIDS\u2019 BEDROOM<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

Bed: Ikea<\/a>. Rug: Ruggable<\/a>. Ceiling light shade: HAY<\/a>. Curtains: Havenly<\/a>. Canopy: Ferm Living<\/a>. Bed curtain: DKNY<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On sharing:<\/strong> My kids are eight and four, and they\u2019ve always shared a room. They like it! They help make decorating decisions, like where the books go and what art we should hang. Georgie, my four-year-old, chose the curtain for her lower bunk \u2014\u00a0we call it her bear cave. I\u2019ve also found that kids are DELIGHTED by character bedding, like Linus\u2019s Minecraft sheets<\/a>. He loves<\/em> them.<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

Duvet cover: HAY<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On bedtime books:<\/strong> Linus, my son, is eight, and he can read pretty well. Bedtime is at 8 p.m., but he is allowed to stay up in bed and read as long as he wants (he usually nods off by 9 p.m.). I\u2019ll always find the funniest books in his bed that he\u2019s collected from around the house. It\u2019ll be like, a David Shrigley art book and a cookbook. It\u2019s so cute!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

On kids\u2019 art:<\/strong> I find a lot of kid-friendly art on Etsy. And if we love a certain children\u2019s book, I\u2019ll look up the illustrator, who will often sell prints. We have a big print of Last Stop on Market Street<\/a>. I also love our washable rug<\/a> \u2014 we just throw it into the larger machines at the laundromat down the road.<\/p>\n

PRIMARY BEDROOM<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

Mirror: Zara Home, similar<\/a>. Sconces: Etsy<\/a>. Bedding: Piglet in Bed<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On priorities:<\/strong> Our bedroom is very small, but we still got a king bed. My husband and I are very different sleepers \u2014 Zach gets super hot, and if I\u2019m close to him I want to cuddle \u2014 so sleep is a LOT better if we each have enough space to ourselves. The trade-off is we have a bed that takes up the whole room. <\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

Rug: Amazon<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On overhead storage:<\/strong> One thing we overlooked when we bought the house is the fact that it had no storage. We added some wardrobes and cabinets ourselves, but this room was tricky because it\u2019s so small. One night I went to an event at someone\u2019s house and saw she\u2019d built a unit like this over her bed \u2014 which hadn\u2019t even occurred to me! I\u2019d never seen anything like it. I loved it so much I designed one for our room and found a local woodworker, who made it. It\u2019s amazing how much stuff fits in there.<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

OFFICE<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

Curtains: Ikea, similar<\/a>. Desk: Blu Dot, similar<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On clutter:<\/strong> My husband sometimes uses the office, but technically it\u2019s mine \u2014 which is why there\u2019s stuff everywhere. I honestly just like the aesthetic of a cluttered office, full of art supplies and ribbons and glue sticks. The more clutter the better!<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

Peg board: Kreisdesign<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On mess vs. memento:<\/strong> One thing I love about my house is that I can walk through it, and yes, there\u2019s lots of stuff \u2014\u00a0but everything holds a memory. They\u2019re things that bring me back to different times in my life and marriage: a trinket we bought at the flea market in Paris, or \u2018Oh yeah, we lived in San Francisco when we found that.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

Wall planner: Etsy<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

On nostalgia:<\/strong> Some people would say it\u2019s messy to have all this stuff, but to me, it all ties back to our time together.<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

Thank you so much, Alison<\/a>! We love your cozy home!<\/strong><\/p>\n

P.S. Many more home tours<\/a>, including an empty-nester\u2019s apartment in Copenhagen<\/a> and a very colorful Connecticut house<\/a>. Also, Alison\u2019s week of outfits<\/a>, and Alison\u2019s Big Salad issue with her wallpaper before-and-after photos<\/a> (gift link).<\/p>\n

(Photos by Lyndsay Hannah Photography<\/a> for Cup of Jo.)<\/p>\n

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84<\/span> COMMENTS<\/p>\n

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