The Renovated Two-Bedroom in the Ex-Lax Factory in Brooklyn

The Living Room The custom Moroccan rug in David Finch’s apartment is from Mellah. The lounge chair and ottoman are by Jeffrey Bernett for B&B Italia. The artwork above the sofa is by Ruth Mulvie. The custom coffee table is by Stephen Kenn Studio. The floors are new, and the ceiling has been partially stripped to reveal layers of paint.
Photo: David Land

David Finch was not up for a major renovation. Then the North Carolina native found a two-bedroom apartment in the converted Ex-Lax factory on Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill. “There were high ceilings and cement columns, and I liked how sturdy the building felt,” Finch says. He debated making an offer because the space had only one large, awkward bathroom, but interior designer Danielle Fennoy assured him it could be split into two. “One of the great things about Danielle is that she can see the end result, and that is not my skill set,” he says.

Finch, who has lived in the neighborhood for 20 years, first as a renter and later as the owner of a unit in a brownstone, sought to bring out the industrial history buried under all that bland, whitewashed drywall. So he and Fennoy began what became an eight-month project to restore the features dating back to the turn of the 20th century. Their first decision was to semi-strip the ceiling paint to expose the raw concrete beneath.

Later, they layered the loftlike space with some of Finch’s other personal preferences. “There were a couple of things I wanted from the get-go,” he says. “Glass doorknobs like you have in old houses and a vintage chandelier.”

They also incorporated a few restored dark-brown wooden pieces Finch inherited from his grandmother, the kind he grew up with around the furniture-manufacturing capitals of High Point and Thomasville.

Finch initially wanted a farm table to anchor the dining area, which shares an open floor  on  the apartment’s second level with the kitchen and living room. But the configuration was tricky to accommodate. Fennoy proposed an unconventional solution: a custom table in the shape of a guitar pick. “I was like, ‘Are you sure? Will that actually work?’ Everyone I ran the idea by thought it was high risk,” Finch says. “Now they walk in and say, ‘Damn, that table is cool.’”

The Dining Room Stairs Interior designer Danielle Fennoy installed coral-colored stair treads.
Photo: David Land

The Dining Room The guitar-pick-shaped walnut table from Re-Co is flanked by Frisco Kramer Revolt chairs, ca. 1960. The David Rampersad painting above the sideboard is from King David Fine Art. The 1940s chandelier is from Chairish.
Photo: David Land

The Kitchen The Maru Pendants, from Lumens, are by Ladies and Gentlemen Studio. The backsplash was made with Paris Metro 14 tiles from Tabarka Studio. The Spaghetti Counter Stools are byGiandomenico Belotti from Suite NY. The Curvy Paste vase is from Ferm Living.
Photo: David Land

The Main Bedroom The custom Kintsugi wall-covering is by Porter Teleo. The Queen Friday Night bed by Formstelle, in American walnut, is from Suite NY. The bedside Agnes pendants are from Schoolhouse Electric.
Photo: David Land

The Main Bathroom Fennoy used Marmi Classico 2.0 Mix Art tiles from Stone Source. The shower is lined with Metro White Gloss tiles from Nemo Tiles. The sink is from AF Supply NY and the Glass Up Down sconce is from In Common With.
Photo: David Land

The Office-Guest Bedroom Most of the apartment’s original cement columns are exposed, but one here has been partially covered. The custom Bookcase on Castors is from USM Modular Furniture.
Photo: David Land

The Guest Bathroom The wallpaper is Diaghilev on MetallicWhite by Voutsa. The sink vanity is from Pottery Barn.
Photo: David Land