Alyssa Coscarelli’s Carroll Gardens Rental Feels Like Her Own Secret World

Moving back to New York City for a quiet, peaceful life sounds about as intuitive as heading to Alaska for the beaches. But this is exactly what Alyssa Coscarelli did last year, and she’s loved every minute of it (well, almost – more on that later).

Tucked into a leafy pocket of Brooklyn is Carroll Gardens, an area Alyssa characterises by its “longstanding local businesses, families, dogs, eateries, bars, antique stores, and gift shops.” With deep Italian-American roots and tree-lined streets flanked by brownstones, she jokingly refers to the enclave as a “very neighbourhood-y neighbourhood.”

Alyssa first made her name as a fashion editor at Refinery29 before building a career as an influencer, consultant and creative director – and is now expanding into interior design. This latest move is her first significant departure from fashion, but with a knack for DIY and a career built on aesthetic instinct, the transition feels only natural.

Born and raised in Florida, then spending nine years in Manhattan and a few in LA, Alyssa has re-entered the city with fresh eyes and renewed energy. Now, she’s accompanied by her partner (an artist and LA native) and dog (Moon, a “one-year-old, 65-pound rescue”) who share the dreamy home.

Her New York comeback was a baptism by fire, with their first stint in Dumbo – a bustling industrial area of Brooklyn – marred by months of unbearable noise. “We couldn't sleep through the night, and it was really wearing on us – mind, body and soul,” she laments. This ordeal forced them to break the lease and hustle to relocate in the middle of summer, a notoriously difficult time to find a home in the city. Thankfully, Carroll Gardens beckoned, and she traded the “chaotic energy” of Dumbo for the “peaceful vibe” of her new home. 

The transition from LA back to New York offered a newfound appreciation and the chance to once again romanticise the city – she references “public transportation, spontaneity, and changing seasons” as simple pleasures she once took for granted. But it’s the tempo that’s truly reignited her. She laughs: “Because there was a slower pace in LA, I thought I was going to come back to New York and have all these boundaries. I thought I was going to say ‘no’ more and take all this time to myself. But New York really just sucks you into its tornado. I missed that, though… I love it. I wouldn't have it any other way.”

“You can't say no in New York. That's the joy of it – you never really know what's in store. And it all worked out as it should. We could not be happier.”

Although it was considerably smaller than her previous apartment, Alyssa was drawn to “little elements that we found endearing”, namely vast windows, original mouldings, and wooden floors. “Even though it wasn't ‘perfect’, we saw the potential, which is something that you really have to do in New York.”

With structural changes off the table in a rental, reaching that potential is all about the finishing touches – furniture, art, and objects. “We love to display the things that bring us joy,” she explains. Everything from books and vinyl records to shoes are out and visible. “It kind of feels like this magical portal when you walk in. There are so many cool things to look at… Not everything has to be behind closed doors. It can just be out to be admired.”

Her advice for maximising a tight floor plan spans from the standard – “taking advantage of the height and the wall space” – to the potentially controversial: “we've removed a couple of doors.” Inspired by their previous loft space, they took off closet doors so they can admire their belongings and replaced doors between rooms with curtains. “We like having that openness and that flow of energy, I think it just adds a softness… Some people think it looks messy or it's not practical, but for our lifestyle and our aesthetic leanings, it just works for us.”

Another obvious design choice is the warm, rich colour palette, informed by her Mediterranean and Caribbean heritage. “I'm Florida born and bred. I love the humidity, I love the heat. My parents are both from warm places too – my dad's from Southern Italy and my mum's from the Dominican Republic – so I think I'm just warm-blooded.” Her ability to balance eclecticism with refinement is a clear cultural imprint, too, “I love the vibrancy of those cultures. That's what comes innately to me: cultivating that warmth.”

The only thing more important to Alyssa than warm décor is warm lighting. “It’s absolutely everything to me when formulating a space,” she says. “I love natural light, and all the windows are great, but I think you could give me a windowless space and I could still have fun with it because I love lighting so much, even if it is on the moodier side.”

“It's something I take very seriously and am very considerate about. I don't want your average landlord-special lighting. It can really take a space to the next level, so I lean into that to set the vibe and tone for a space.”

Enter the showstopper: the dressing room – arguably the heart of the home, not only because it’s where her personal style takes shape, but because it sits at the centre of the apartment, a fleeting cinematic escape as you pass through the space.

For some, the usual dealbreakers when house-hunting are things like lacking kitchen storage or no bathtub, but for Alyssa, her number one requirement was scope for a dressing room. “The broker who showed [the apartment] to us said it could be a home office. In my head I was thinking ‘it's going to be a glorified closet.’” She sees it as both a luxury and a necessity: “I need to be able to both store and display my collection of amazing fashion and accessories that I've acquired over ten plus years in this industry. It is part of my daily life – sharing my looks, creating and styling outfits – so I need an environment where I can do that that's both practical and aspirational.”

This pièce de résistance is “very old Hollywood – like boudoir meets mid-century modern… It’s my own magical, girly little dream world where I can play with what I love,” Alyssa muses.

With thrifting and antique crawls a favourite pastime, Alyssa cites a “rare vintage find from the 1970s” – a Verner Panton-designed metal magazine rack – among her favourite pieces. But ultimately, it’s the furniture she and her partner have made themselves that means the most.

The bookshelf was handcrafted by the pair: “When we finished we kicked our feet up and just admired it before the books were even on it.” Much of the art hanging on the walls was painted by her partner – the piece above the fireplace, a few in the bedroom, others scattered across the bookshelf, and one above the vanity. It’s the culmination of all these personal details that imbue their home with such a sense of intimacy.

Alyssa describes the leap into interior design as “scary in the best way”, as she navigates imposter syndrome and trusts her creative instincts. “It feels like a really fresh turn of a page to lean more into the interior space because I have been in fashion specifically for so long – from every side, whether it's the editorial side, the influencer side or the consultancy side. I know it in and out.”

She describes fashion as her “bread and butter”, her “first love”, and her “soul’s favourite thing.” But that instinct for curating beautiful things doesn’t stop there. “As a creative person, that taste and passion spills over into your surroundings. It's only natural,” she explains. “I really want to dedicate myself to it, give it my all, and see where it can take me.”

Alyssa hopes their home captures the feeling that they’ve been there for decades – homey, lived-in, and relaxed. “Home to me means feeling at ease in an environment that reflects who I am,” she shares.

“Maybe it's a Libra thing, we're very aesthetically driven and impacted by our environments. I just feel the most at home when my surroundings reflect who I am.” Whether her aesthetic sensibility is written in the stars or simply her nature, Alyssa has created a world that feels unmistakably her own.