Darroch and Mikey Putnam’s Separate Apartments Are a Venn Diagram of Their Relationship

Katja Vujić

Founders of floral design studio Putnam & Putnam and married couple Darroch and Mikey Putnam never exactly decided to live in two separate apartments. It happened naturally and almost fatefully, brought on at first by a stroke of good luck.

Mikey and Darroch in their originally shared home in the LES.
Mikey and Darroch in their originally shared home in the LES.

They were tripping over each other in the one-bedroom Lower East Side shoebox where Darroch now resides solo, and they knew they needed more space. Just as they started to think about moving somewhere bigger, a friend asked if they knew anyone who could fill a recently vacated spot in her Fort Greene, Brooklyn, apartment building. “It was one of these rare buildings where the rent is pretty cheap and no one ever moves out,” says Darroch. It was originally going to be a shared second space, “but Mikey started designing, and it just became his apartment so fast.”

It was natural, too, because not only had they been married and living together for years, but they worked closely together at Putnam & Putnam, and they had many of the same friends and accompanied each other on travels and vacations. “All of a sudden, you're spending every moment with your significant other or your spouse,” says Darroch, “and you do lose a sense of individuality, you kind of lose yourself.” Together, Mikey and Darroch have arranged florals for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and, oh yeah…Gwyneth Paltrow’s wedding. They also have a podcast together and copublished a book titled Flower Color Guide. Can you say power couple?

And yet what could be better than a relationship where both spouses maintain strong independent identities? Darroch and Mikey spend a lot of time together. And in their respective apartments, they’re able to express themselves, decompress, and enjoy time apart.

Darroch’s Apartment

In the living room, Darroch’s affinity for colorful organized chaos is on full display, and so are lots of little stories. For example, the coffee table that makes a grounding centerpiece is actually a trunk that Mikey discovered on the beach in Japan when he lived there. A work by Kent Rogowski is both literally and figuratively layered; from a distance, it looks like a painting, but approach it and you’ll realize that it’s actually made up entirely of folded paper and light reflections.
Here, a golden Circum mirror from AYTM + a collection of Astier de Villatte vases + the window that gets the best light = Darroch’s favorite spot in the apartment. A unicorn head by John Derian, a gift from Mikey, adds a touch of Darrochian whimsy. “We have this podcast called Unicorns Do Exist,” says Mikey by way of explanation, “and I've also always thought that Darroch was just a unicorn, you know, just, like, a magical creature.”
Darroch says that fashion’s changing gender norms in recent years have inspired him to expand his style and express himself more boldly than ever before. “I think that's also how I dress,” says Darroch. “ I think if someone looked at me, they might think I'm just kind of dressed in, like, normcore, oversized thrift store clothing, but most of it's actually, like, Balenciaga.” These days, he loves bold jewelry, acrylic nails, and bright colors.

Around the time Mikey moved out, Darroch had also recently stopped drinking. After subtracting after-work drinks with friends and other alcohol-centric social engagements, Darroch had a lot of newly free time in his schedule. “I started using that time in the evenings to do a fresh coat of paint, or get new shelves,” says Darroch. “It felt really nice to have something to do at night, and it felt nice to recreate this space for myself to grow in.”

This corner features more Astier de Villate vases bought in Paris, where Putnam & Putnam had the book signing for the French edition of Flower Color Guide; a hutch by Jonathan Adler; an arrow by Fredericks & Mae; a painting of a man playing a guitar purchased on their honeymoon in Mexico; and one of Darroch’s small personal delights: marble fruit. “It’s so old-lady, but Mikey loves to give me those weird marble fruits, and I think they’re so funny,” says Darroch. “I have a little collection of them.”

That space, which Darroch refers to as a “glorified one-bedroom” (thanks, French doors!), is a colorful, eclectic collection of knickknacks, travel souvenirs, and handcrafted pottery. “I think that my aesthetic is definitely a little bit more vibrant and colorful than Mikey's,” he says. His photographer’s eye and style of visual communication, which he describes as organized but chaotic, is visible in the way he puts together a room: “When I shoot a photo, I like there to be some kind of tension or some kind of movement.”

So, the pleasantly clashing colors and scattered possessions may seem haphazard, but they actually tell a story, kind of like Darroch himself. “When someone walks in my apartment, they're going to become curious about everything,” he says. “At first glance, you can tell there's something you've got to figure out, but the quality's in the details.” It’s like a game of I Spy, except nearly everything you point to is bound to have an interesting backstory.

Can you spot the Flower Color Guide? The Mother Mary figurine by John Derian is both a reminder of Mikey and a product of his influence: “Mikey picked up a box of Virgin Marys and Jesuses from John Darien, and he pawned one off onto me,” says Darroch. “We are not religious people, but he loves these little religious things.”

Mikey's Place

Unlike Darroch, Mikey was starting completely from scratch with his Fort Greene one-bedroom. And he had a fairly clear vision of what he wanted it to look like. “What I wanted when I first moved into this apartment was to keep it really simple and minimal,” says Mikey. “I wanted it to feel light, and I wanted it to feel natural.”

Mikey’s apartment is totally his own, but the wall hanging behind his couch, made by their mutual friend Erik Speer, is a reminder of his husband. “I got him that for Christmas this past year,” says Darroch. “It's made of all different kinds of yarns and textures and layers. I wanted to give him a big tapestry piece, and I just love it. I think it's so cool. And I think it looks so beautiful in front of that couch.” Of course, it’s Darroch’s favorite detail in the space.

So he stuck with natural tones and materials—linen, wood, black, cream—as a foundation, sticking to that palette for things like furniture and wall colors, so that the art and other items picked up on his travels could play a starring role. Travel is something Mikey has always valued, thanks in part to moving around as a kid; he spent high school living in Okinawa, Japan. “I think that one thing that has driven Mikey since I met him is his desire to travel and see the world,” says Darroch, “and I think that his apartment is such a reflection of that.”

Mikey’s main room manages to feel both full and spacious, and in this photo, you can see his favorite detail in the whole place: the original shutters on the windows, which he personally rescued from impending obsolescence. “When I moved in, they were trying to get rid of them, because they wanted to replace the windows, because they were drafty and old,” says Mikey. “I was like, ‘Absolutely not, do not take these out; this is one of the reasons why I want to move into this apartment.’ So now I have drafty windows, but I don't care, because they're pretty.”

In particular, Mikey has always had an abiding interest in religious imagery, despite being totally unreligious himself. He collects religious tokens, fragments, and statuettes on nearly every trip he takes, and much of the art he collects has religious influences. “Everybody likes to call my apartment a Catholic cemetery,” he says. And the apartment is reminiscent of a church or temple in other ways too: “When I started buying furniture and buying objects—collecting—it really became a little sanctuary for me to design,” he remembers.

The fireplace mantel is another detail Mikey fought to save, turning it into a small sanctuary of antique finds and a rare arrangement of simple branches and ivy in an Astier de Villate vase.
The fireplace mantel is another detail Mikey fought to save, turning it into a small sanctuary of antique finds and a rare arrangement of simple branches and ivy in an Astier de Villate vase.
Another copy of the Flower Color Guide tops the stack on Mikey’s bedroom windowsill.
Another copy of the Flower Color Guide tops the stack on Mikey’s bedroom windowsill.

It’s also a sanctuary from work, which is why Mikey is sparing when it comes to floral arrangements. “I never really have flowers in my apartment,” he says. Normally, he will stick with a few simple branches in a vase. Still, the inspirations woven through his work—namely travel, museums, and architecture—are the same inspirations behind his interior design choices. And while his space is aesthetically different from Darroch’s—though there’s overlap there too—it’s conceptually similar: He wants the objects on display to stand out, to tell a story, and to spark curiosity. “I love when people just sort of walk around and explore a little bit and look at things,” says Mikey, “and have fun doing it.”

This little corner, right next to a drafty-but-beautiful window, is Mikey’s favorite. “I just love sitting up there,” he says. “I love looking out my window.” He also adores the antique tapestry hanging on the wall, which came from a Peruvian priest by way of a New York collector. He found the lighting fixture in a local weaver’s shop in the south of France, fell in love, and forced it into his carry-on luggage.
On the coffee table, which is from Restoration Hardware, is further evidence of Darroch’s travels. Here: an obelisk of antique opium bottles from Hong Kong.
This plant-filled corner is reminiscent of a sculpture garden thanks to an angel found during travels in Europe.
This plant-filled corner is reminiscent of a sculpture garden thanks to an angel found during travels in Europe.

Darroch and Mikey’s two apartments have separate identities, as they do. But they’re also evidence of just how much love—and shared taste—runs between them. Each apartment contains reminders of the other, so that even when they’re not together, they can look around and remember they aren’t alone.

Designated by Darroch

The business brain and photographer behind Putnam & Putnam shares a few of his favorite places to shop and find inspiration.

Insta feeds to follow: @artebytak, @bennydrama7, @patrykhilton, @putnamflowers.

Dream buys: My LES bedroom is so small it only fits this particular full IKEA wood frame. My dream buy would be a king.

Last thing you had delivered: Black velvet CDG leggings from Ssense.

Home decor shops: Coming Soon, John Derian, Love Adorned.

Destinations for design inspiration: The South of France and Mexico.

Favorite detail in the apartment: My rose gold mirror from AYTM at Coming Soon. It makes me look tan and fabulous, and it’s a really beautiful vignette.

Biggest design inspirations: Demna Gvasalia, Rei Kawakubo, and Dries van Noten.

Favorite thing about your neighborhood: The LES proves that a neighborhood can still be diverse and have Blue Bottle.

Favorite Sunday activity at home: An afternoon nap.

Mined by Mikey

Putnam & Putnam’s flower arranger extraordinaire shares a few of his favorite places to shop and find inspiration.

Insta feeds to follow: @annstreetstudio, @cinema.magic, @bode.

Dream buys: A beautiful Italian marble bust.

Last thing you had delivered: Giant bales of forsythia branches for an install.

Home decor shops: John Derian, De Vera, Astier de Villate in Paris.

Destinations for design inspiration: Puglia, Italy. Edinburgh, Scotland. Jodhpur, India. Santa Barbara, California.

Favorite detail in the apartment: The old shutters on my windows!

Biggest design inspirations: Dries van Noten, Graciela Iturbide, Tim Walker.

Favorite thing about your neighborhood: The tree-lined streets. I'm so lucky to have so much nature just outside my window.

Favorite Sunday activity at home: Music and some type of handcraft. Always exploring new ways to create.

Last but certainly not least: Meet Bam Bam, who lives with Darroch. “She is six and a half pounds, and she is about a year old, and I just adopted her in August,” says Darroch. She’s already very well traveled: “She’s been to L.A. a couple of times, she’s been to Miami. She’s really my little buddy.”
Last but certainly not least: Meet Bam Bam, who lives with Darroch. “She is six and a half pounds, and she is about a year old, and I just adopted her in August,” says Darroch. She’s already very well traveled: “She’s been to L.A. a couple of times, she’s been to Miami. She’s really my little buddy.”

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Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest