After renting an apartment in New York for several years, Matthew DeRosier and his partner Casey Gorrell analyzed their budget and realized that the cost of owning would come down to the same monthly figure as their rent. As buying an apartment became a realistic option, the couple began hunting for a home that would […]

After renting an apartment in New York for several years, Matthew DeRosier and his partner Casey Gorrell analyzed their budget and realized that the cost of owning would come down to the same monthly figure as their rent. As buying an apartment became a realistic option, the couple began hunting for a home that would both fall within their price range and check off a few musts on their list. It didn’t take long for them to find “the one.” The 900-square-foot apartment, located in a pre-war building in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, had all the period charm they could wish for; architectural details like picture rails and molding, as well as a functioning layout that offered both openness and division. It was perfect in every way except one ? someone else snapped it up before the couple had a chance to put in an offer. When the apartment right under the one that Matt and Casey had fallen in love with came on the market a month later, they didn’t hesitate. Although the previous owners had made some design decisions that didn’t fall in line with the couple’s vision, the home had all the elements that had drawn them to the h...