Isabella Boylston moved to New York in 2005 to pursue a career as a ballet dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. For 10 years, she moved around the city and lived in 10 different apartments.
Now an award-winning principal dancer with the classical ballet company, she owns a three-bedroom apartment in New York City with her husband Daniel Shin. The 1,500-square-foot space has floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the iconic Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
Isabella Boylston and Daniel Shin’s Home in Brooklyn
Isabella Boylston and Daniel Shin got married in 2014, and they bought their home around eight years ago. The apartment is a new build in Brooklyn’s desirable Boerum Hill neighborhood. Boylston loves the historic brownstones and trees in the area. The location also offers a convenient commute to the city and there are many nearby restaurants the couple enjoys eating at.
Here are four interior design insights from the couple’s New York City home.
1. Books Can Make for Great Decor
Boylston loves to read. She often posts on social media about the books she’s reading using the hashtag #BallerinaBookClub.
To accommodate the couples’ many books, their living room (Boylston’s favorite room in the apartment) has a sleek made-to-measure shelving unit from Aiden Kelly’s KCM Fine Millwork. Shin says they got the idea to install the piece from a neighbor.
Made from white oak from Vermont, the millwork adds warmth to the space. In addition to housing books and television, the unit has a built-in minibar to house Shin’s whiskey stash.
2. Turn Your Home Into a Gallery
Forget a gallery wall; the couple has filled their entire apartment with artwork from family and friends. The eclectic mix of paintings and prints makes for a bright and dynamic but also homely feeling. The collection’s charming, not-quite randomness keeps the overall effect from looking too straitlaced or too muddled.
The couple loves seeing artwork by their loved ones all over their home. One of Boylston’s most prized possessions is a still life of a seashell by her photographer friend Zoë Ghertner.
3. It’s Okay to Compromise
Compromise is a common theme in the couple’s decorating scheme. While Boylston calls her husband “the interior-decorating guru” (Shin explains he gets his interior design skills from his mom), she hasn’t gone along with all his ideas.
For instance, since moving in, Shin had dreams of turning the “middle room” in the apartment into a man cave. Boylston’s plans for the room veered toward a beautiful office or guest room. For now, the room remains a storage space.
There are a few things the couple would change about the apartment if they could. Boylston would love to lift the ceiling in the master bedroom. Shin wishes the apartment had a second kitchen. But they know their home is a work in progress, and the space has still exceeded their expectations.
4. Wallpaper Can Transform a Space
When they moved in, the couple didn’t have to alter the space too much besides adding their possessions and personality. One easy update they made was to add wallpaper from Calico. Inspired by the brand, Boylston visited the company’s office to pick out the apartment’s wallpaper.
One room has wallpaper that takes inspiration from moonscape photography and uninhabited space. This gives the room a hypnotic and tranquil vibe. The wallpaper also makes a nice contrast to the clean lines in the room.
Meanwhile, the guest bedroom has wallpaper reminiscent of a sunset. Shin says that sometimes at sunset the whole outside horizon looks just like the wallpaper. The guest room is the most serene in the apartment, so the couple feels assured that friends and family who stay over can relax in a quiet, comfortable space.