No matter how beautiful an apartment’s foyer is, or how much natural light floods the living room, in our opinion, the mark of truly inspiring decor is how welcoming a space feels to new guests. And as soon as we walked through the door of interior design duo James Veal and Christine Stucker’s Brooklyn brownstone, we knew we were in a home.

The husband-and-wife team have outfitted their cozy multi-story space with plenty of Scandinavian–inspired details, like minimalist, neutral furniture and lots of light wood, plus tactile accents (they never leave Iceland without a few sheepskins) to keep it feeling homey.

A fireplace crackles in the first-floor living room, and a vintage clawfoot tub rests in the upstairs bathroom—surrounded by the dreamiest blue tile we’ve ever encountered.

Their collection of art is scattered throughout each level, from their son’s nursery to the master bedroom, all of it different but complementing the others perfectly. It’s the type of space that’s aspirational without being stuffy, which, given that they own their own design firm in New York, makes perfect sense.

Below, learn how the founders of Stewart-Schafer design studio renovated their Brooklyn home, their favorite sites to shop for art, and why they’ll always advocate for hiring a designer for any major home project.