Erin Boyle Lives in an 800-Square-Foot Apartment With Her Family of Five (Here’s How)
“When we first moved into our apartment, there were plastic blinds that bummed me out furiously.”
Hello! How are you doing? We have a few exciting issues coming up, including a friendship issue and a low-key summer bucket list. This week, we’re thrilled to feature
of . I’ve known Erin for a decade, when we both had wriggly babies instead of preteens!Our editor Kaitlyn Teer spoke with Erin about her new book, Making Things, which she co-wrote with Rose Pearlman. It’s filled with beginner-friendly craft projects you can create using simple materials, like a cardboard loom and clay bowls. Erin also gives us a tour of the 800-square-foot Brooklyn rental she shares with her husband and three kids.
First up, Erin shares 12 favorite things…
Lunch: We live near the best sandwich shop, in my opinion, in all of Brooklyn: Court Street Grocers. Their vegetarian sandwiches — including the breakfast one, above — are extremely good. My favorite is the Veg-Delite with roasted cauliflower, coleslaw, pickles, and Swiss on rye. It’s enormous, and I always eat the whole thing.
Book: I just finished Catherine Newman’s latest novel, Sandwich. I was reading it while waiting at my daughter’s ballet class, and I was crying-snorting-laughing.
Destination: I’m such a beach person. Our kids love going to my hometown beach in Connecticut (above). And taking the subway to Rockaway Beach in Queens feels so good. I’m not a big swimmer, but I feel very restored by the ocean.
Summer uniform: I usually wear cut-offs made from old jeans. But last year, after trying and failing to sew my own elastic-waist shorts — twice! — I finally bought a pair that I wore all summer long.
Hair care: We use Conscia shampoo and conditioner stones. It’s an indulgence, but it’s the only solid shampoo I’ve ever used that feels incredible on my hair. You know how sometimes your shampoo suddenly stops working? Conscia has worked for me for more than two years.
Skin care: I’m turning 40 this summer, and my skin is starting to show signs of sun exposure. To moisturize, I use Lauren’s All-Purpose Salve on my face every day. It’s soothing and smells lovely, like lavender and patchouli.
Music: I tend to listen to folksy, bluesy stuff, so of course I adore the new Beyoncé album. I also love Waxahatchee, especially the song ‘Can’t Do Much’ — it’s always on my ‘most listened to’ list.
TV show: Watching TV at night with my husband, James, is one of my favorite things. My friend is a writer and producer for Somebody Somewhere — she’s been away filming and I miss her — and oh god, that show is so tender. It’s not showy or calculated, it’s just a glimpse into people being people, and that’s deeply comforting. Also the singing and the jokes.
Neighborhood activity: My kids are extremely into kickball. It’s baffling to me — one of those parenting moments, where you’re like, from where do you come? Kickball was my nightmare as a child! But my kids adore playing it with friends at the park. Afterward, I’ll often invite everyone over for pizza or spaghetti — keeping the meal super simple makes it easier to have impromptu gatherings.
Home care: I swear by Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds — we use it for floors, toilets, everything. I dilute and store it in an old kombucha bottle by the sink for dish soap. The piney scent is great.
Simple pleasure: We have a used cargo bike that has brought us lots of joy over the years. The cargo part was rotted when we bought it, so we rebuilt the box. Now, the kids are too heavy for me to ride it, so James takes the cargo bike and I follow on a Citi Bike.
DIY approach: I make crappy things all the time. When I got my first sewing machine, I jammed it to oblivion, then gave it to a friend who could fix it. I’m not good at these things, but I just keep at it. I’ve learned to pare back my expectations, cut corners when possible, and cover my mistakes — all the projects in our book reflect that approach. I think letting go of perfectionism is the number one thing you can do.
We’ve loved Erin’s smart tips about small space living over the years. She now lives with her family of five in an 800-square-foot apartment in Carroll Gardens. “We used to live in a 240-square-foot apartment, so this one feels palatial to me,” says Erin. Take a look around…