Paper leaves spilling out of papier—mâché pots are the first things you notice when stepping into artist Corrie Beth Hogg’s Brooklyn apartment. “The first plant I made from paper was my fiddle leaf fig,” she says. “I wanted an actual tree at home but I knew no plant would survive in our windowless living room.” Here, Corrie gives us a look around, with photos by Christine Han…
Photo above: Bookshelf: Ikea, similar. Lamp with pink leaves: “The lamp base is thrifted, the leaf shade I painted following this NY Times tutorial during the pandemic. It’s made to go over an existing shade.”
Sofa and coffee table: “inherited from my great aunt, an architect who worked in NYC in the ’50s.” similar sofa, similar table. Plaid blanket: Stag & Bruce. Yellow lamp: thrifted, similar. Yellow side table: flea market find, similar. Rug: West Elm.
On creating plants: After I made that first plant, I kept making more. Now it’s slightly absurd how many we have. I even wrote a book about handmade houseplants! Our house is just a 10-minute walk to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and I go there for inspiration.
On big ideas: First, I create a single leaf. Then I experiment with materials and process. Do I want to use markers or colored pencils or paints? And, how should I fold it to get the shape right? Once I’m happy with it, I move on to making more leaves and constructing the plant. I always tell people that you don’t have to mimic exactly what occurs in nature. Being imaginative and bold is part of what makes it fun.
Dresser: thrifted. Pendant light, floral vases and cake stand: “I crafted them with papier—mâché.”
On a design must: You know that wedding saying, ‘Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue’? The same is true for homes — but maybe instead you could say, something old, something new, something inherited, and something in whatever color scheme you like! That way, your home will feel welcoming and personal.
On falling in love: Ryan and I met 12 years ago on OkCupid. Our first date was a walk in Prospect Park. He’s so supportive — he pretty much tells me everything I do is great! If I wanted to paint the ceiling pink, he would just say, okay, and be totally unfazed.
KITCHEN
Tea kettle: Amazon. Green cabinet knobs: Amazon. Johnny Cash and June Carter, and George Jones and Tammy Wynette block prints: Martin Mazorra.
On new recipes: Ryan works for MoMA, so early in the pandemic, he was home and unable to work. Since I was working remotely, he took it upon himself to do all the cooking — even though at that point he could make only a handful of dishes. Each week he tried out three recipes from the New York Times Cooking. And he’s kept it up. Since then, we’ve enjoyed hundreds of new recipes.
On a cozy drink: A ginger latte is my simple pleasure. You chop up five inches of unpeeled raw ginger. Put it in a saucepan with three cups of milk (whichever kind you like), and heat it all on the stove over medium-high heat. Once it starts to boil, lower the heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Then strain out the ginger and add three tablespoons of maple syrup. It is the most comforting, spicy drink.
Dining table and asparagus: made by Corrie. Chairs: Target, similar. Rug: inherited. Yellow armchair: thrifted, similar. Pendant light: Red Barn Light, similar. Fruit poster: Evolution. Blue sconce: Amazon, shade by Etsy, similar.
On making a table: I put together this table by myself. The top is just pine blanks, and I designed the legs on an Adobe Illustrator file, and then sent them to be cut by a CNC machine. There are all kinds of businesses that do this — you just send them your files, they’ll cut the pieces for you, and then you go pick them up.
On getting creative: We don’t have much money to spend on our apartment. But constraints with time and money are part of the creative process just as much as my personal taste and enthusiasm. One of my favorite RadioLab episodes is about limited choices. Less is possible, but in a way, more is possible, because you toss off all these other options so you’re really focused.
Dolly Parton and Porter Wagner, and Kitty Wells and Red Foley block prints: Martin Mazorra. Candle holder: made by Corrie (here’s a tutorial on Etsy). Potato: “Gift from a friend.” Dresser: inherited.
On musical gatherings: My hobbies are singing and playing guitar. My friend and I host an annual concert at my apartment. We invite people over and sing five or six songs. Our preferred genre is murder ballads — like Caleb Meyer by Gillian Welch. We both have a dark sense of humor. It’s not anything serious, just an excuse to hang out.
On favorite tunes: As a teen, I was part of the punk scene, but I fell for country music when I took a ‘History of American Music’ course in college. During the class, I realized that the storytelling in early country music — like Jimmy Rogers and Woody Guthrie — is similar to punk music. They’re both striving for something better.
PRIMARY BEDROOM
Quilt and pendant light: made by Corrie. Sconce: Amazon, scallops painted by Corrie. Room divider: “Ryan and I made it with canvas, and I painted the scallops.”
On a calming bedroom: I tend to hang onto things, so before I know it, the apartment gets full of bits and bobs. Because of this, I find The Bible of British Taste inspiring — the clutter in their photos is very similar to my kind of clutter! But I always think, ‘In case our apartment is too chaotic for Ryan — although he has never said anything — I’ll make our bedroom less chaotic.’
Headboard and side table: made by Corrie.
On mixing patterns: I wanted to keep our bedroom calm but still true to my love of playful patterns. So, instead of experimenting with color, I worked with tonal varieties and scale shifts. For example, if there’s a a tiny print — like a grid or ditsy florals — it can look good with bigger stripes or large blocks of color. I reach for patterns when I dress myself, too. I guess part of mixing patterns is just not caring whether it goes!
On an evening routine that stuck: Every night, I do a 15-minute stretch routine, which started after my hysterectomy. I got it done last year, and the recovery was terrible, so I couldn’t exercise. When my doctor finally said I could move my body again, stretching was the only thing I could do. I started doing it every day and now I just can’t quit. My body always feels really good, even a long time after I’m done stretching.
WORKSPACE
Table: “A big hollow door from Home Depot. The legs are super simple sawhorse-style legs that I made.” Chair: vintage, similar.
On working from home: I used to have a studio space, but now I love working from home. I’ve been surprised by all the opportunities for connection online. During the pandemic, when I was contemplating leaving my full-time job, I decided to take up sewing again. I drafted a pattern to make a pair of pants. When I posted about the project on social media, so many people were interested that a woman developed my pattern so other people could use it. It was such a cool moment of community building.
On going gray: In art school, I dyed my hair red and purple and blue, but since then, I’ve embraced my natural color. When my first gray streak emerged, I got so many compliments on my hair. Now, it’s salt-and-pepper all over. Occasionally, I look in the mirror and think, ‘Oh, I look older than I feel.’ But from what I’ve heard, that feeling doesn’t leave you as you age. Self-acceptance takes work. I’m constantly reminding myself that I love the way I look and the person I’m becoming.
On the importance of play: We all have this instinctual pull towards creativity when we’re young and unselfconscious — to sing and dance and draw and tell stories. But then what happens is our anxieties and fears get in the way. We start focusing on the end product. Am I making something beautiful? Is it going to be perfect? Will other people like it? But, think about all those pottery places where you can go paint a pot with a friend. Most people don’t really care about having a perfect pot at the end. It’s spending time together and doing something creative, which is such an intrinsic part of being human.
Thank you so much Corrie!
P.S. More house tours, including a leafy, plant-filled apartment with space for meditative gardening and a small apartment that will make you want to paint.
(Photos by Christine Han)
