They rescued the kitchen table and chairs from the trash outside of Columbia University

John Babcock, 34, has a bit of a dirty habit: “When I see something sticking out of a trash can, I’ll dig it out and take it along with me. People that I work with are a little creeped out that I bring in these rusted items that I’ve found on my way to work.” But his trash-picking habit is just fine by his girlfriend, Kirsten Olson, 27; the couple has managed to furnish their top-floor rental apartment in “Carroll Gardens West” handsomely through a mix of tossed items—which they refurbish—and vintage finds. Together they enjoy combing estate sales in John’s home state of Pennsylvania and weeding through flea markets during trips to Europe. Recent finds include a set of vintage suitcases they picked up in Prague, a watering can from Vienna and scraps of Marimekko-esque fabric found at the Brooklyn Flea, in Fort Greene.

Stepping into their place is akin to walking onto the set of a ’50s TV show: It’s a mix of colorful kitsch and clean, midcentury-modern pieces that embodies the couple’s distinct tastes. Kirsten, who studied printmaking and graphic design and now works in academic publishing with John, is largely responsible for the cheery yellow-and–“your eyes are bleeding” green–painted walls, and the eclectic mix of prints and vintage dishware—one of her favorite pieces is a mug bearing colonial pirates fighting with muskets in front of a log cabin. John’s passion is for lamps and furniture, like the spindly-legged red-leather furniture set that dominates the living room. “I love design from the early ’50s,” he says. “It was a time of geometric forms, but you also start to see organic elements being introduced—especially in lighting and furniture—which makes it look human, in a way.”

As a hobby, the couple makes lamps from parts they find on the street or strip from vintage ones—and most of the dozen or so that illuminate their apartment were handmade there. Kirsten makes shades out of paper, metal sheeting and chicken wire but shies away from the possibility of electric shock: “I don’t do any of the wiring because it’s scary man’s work,” she jokes. They have turned common everyday objects such as a Crock-Pot, blender and ice bucket from the ’70s into stunning lamps, and then sell them on their website (ilampe.com), and refurbish others for local vintage shops. “You can control so much about your interior with the light that you use,” says John. “It’s the difference between ‘This is somewhere I live,’ and ‘This is home.’”

Click for a closer look at the apartment

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