House Call: Jaipur by Way of Brooklyn - Remodelista
Photographs by James Merrell. Alayne Patrick of New York cult boutique Layla produces her clothing, housewares, and jewelry in Jaipur and other parts of India. That’s how she found herself opening Layla, her boutique in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, which also has an outpost on the mezzanine floor of ABC Carpet & Home in NYC next to Erica Tanov (Layla in Brooklyn is currently being readied for spring and is about to throw open its doors again). A John Huba photograph of a Masai shepherd rests behind a vintage crystal container that holds Alayne’s favorite incense: she swears by Fred Soll’s Resin on a Stick. “My apartment is tiny–it’s 500, maybe 600 square feet,” says Alayne. Color makes people happy.” On her walls, she sticks with white, but tries a lot of options: “I’m always having to repaint to get them right.” In this room alone she used several Ralph Lauren White Washes, including Picket Fence White, Petticoat White, and Chalk White–different shades for walls, trim, and ceiling. The tray came from John Derian, and the wooden base is from a stand in the Chelsea Food Market. Alayne had the dhurrie made in Delhi on her first trip. She pairs it with a vintage cupboard, formerly painted avocado green with flowers: “I had it properly lacquered. I spent a lot on it because and I really needed storage.” She added more storage by inserting shelves in the recessed wall. The curious burl is by Keith Holamon, a Brooklyn artist friend who makes sculptural spheres from found wood. The lacquered cabinet holds prayer beads and blessed fabric from visits to holy sites in India. Alayne’s iron bed is another flea market piece that she painted. The faucet is original; for something like it, see Steal This Look: San Francisco Kitchen. The bathroom is tucked into a corner off the kitchen. Next to the window, a green mahjong table, a $20 flea market purchase, serves as Alayne’s desk. A big selling point of the apartment is its backyard, a Carroll Gardens classic with cabana poles that’s nearly as big as the apartment itself. Alayne grows herbs and flowers in two plots and containers from Grdn. Alayne initially tented her table by sewing saris together, but switched to more resilient Sunbrella fabric. Layla has two locations in New York: on the mezzanine level of ABC Carpet & Home, at 888 Broadway at 19th Street in Manhattan, and, soon to reopen, the flagship store at 86 Hoyt Street in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn.