When Clément Gaujal and Patrick Nolan decided to redesign their two-bedroom Brooklyn condo, they met several architects who had issues with their books. “One of them even grimaced as he said, ‘You have so many,’” recalls Clément. Then they met Koray Duman, who not only liked the books but wanted to make them part of the design. The result is a home that’s wrapped in bookshelves that don’t overwhelm because they’re set at an angle. “As a publisher, I absolutely love books, but to have them disappear when you’re sitting in certain spots is very relaxing,” says Patrick.

Finding space for entertaining was also key to this redesign, so Koray eliminated the second bedroom, which served as a TV room, to create a large area for dining. “Our friends thought we were crazy to eliminate a room, but we had two seating areas,” says Clément. “There was this unnecessary duplication.”

Now able to seat up to 12, they entertain often, and while they have an entire wall of cookbooks, meals are often inspired by recent travels in the Middle East. For recipes, current favorites are from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Feast by Anissa Helou, which Patrick describes as “the most wondrous cookbook ever.”

Defining their aesthetic as “aspiring minimalism,” Patrick and Clément like how the new space suits their collections of books, art, whiskey and cooking tools but still has a clean, calm feeling. “The walls are grey but we didn’t shy away from bolder choices,” says Clément. “It’s important to have pops of color to liven the space.”