NYC Day 2: SoHo and Boerum Hill.

The scent of cedar and fig, and a pizza-fuelled pilgrimage through SoHo and Boerum Hill.

When the opportunity to work on a Brooklyn brownstone landed in our laps over two years ago, we knew it would carry a distinctly Australian sensibility (more on that soon). What we didn’t anticipate was that it would also reconnect us with the incredibly talented photographer Hayley Nedland—this time on the other side of the world.

When we reached out to Hayley to capture this milestone moment, we were beyond thrilled—and a little lucky—that she said yes.

We met at the house early that morning and wandered through each level together, pausing in sunlit corners and mapping out the moments we wanted to bring to life. From soft shadows in the stairwell to the grain of timber underfoot, every detail held weight. Hayley, with her effortless calm and intuitive eye, saw it all. There’s a kind of creative shorthand that happens when you work with someone who truly gets it. Reuniting with her—years and continents later—felt like a full-circle kind of magic.

Armed with her must-do list for the neighbourhood and buzzing from the morning’s energy, we headed out—this time, a little more subway savvy—and set our sights on SoHo.but not before a Quick stop for Coffee from Poppy’s cafe.

Cue: side-street vintage pop-ups, candid street-style moments, and our best attempt at looking unbothered while photographing everything in sight. We wandered, snapped, swooned. It was chaotic. It was chic. It was exactly the kind of inspiration hunt we live for.

**Le Labo** was calling—and Saraj-Jane answered. she walked out with a bottle of Noir 29, which has now officially entered its signature scent era. Cedar, fig, and a hit of designer confidence. We also ducked into **Millie Savage**—equal parts edgy and sparkly. Rings we didn’t plan on, but somehow needed.
Lunch came in the form of **Prince Street Pizza**, eaten standing and mid-conversation, with tomato sauce on our hands and smiles we couldn’t shake. And yes—Laura’s strawberry matcha may have changed the game. The whole outing? One big moodboard.

Later, we drifted back into Brooklyn and down Atlantic Avenue, soaking up the quieter beauty of Boerum Hill. At Porta Home, hand-drawn charcoal ceilings and delicate window vignettes left us quietly enchanted. Primary Essentials served up ceramics and incense we couldn’t say no to. And at Books Are Magic, we found the picture book for Sunny (Sarahs Daughter)—the one we’d talked about just the night before. Waiting on the shelf like it knew.