A real home: This is how Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard live in Brooklyn

In the middle of Park Slope, actress Maggie Gyllenhaal and director Peter Sarsgaard live in a magical townhouse - that could easily star in one of the creative couple's movies.

"14 million fireplaces" - that's how many there are in the Brooklyn townhouse that Maggie Gyllenhaal calls home with her husband Peter Sarsgaard. "Fourteen million!" the actress repeats with a laugh. It's not quite that many, of course - but even if the Gyllenhaal-Sarsgaards didn't have a single fireplace in their four-story home, the rooms would radiate enough warmth. "There are lots of places here to cozy up with a book," says director Sarsgaard.

On a sleepy street in Park Slope (a Brooklyn neighborhood known for its high stroller density and laid-back restaurants), the house the two bought in 2006, with its high ceilings and southern exposure, was a bull's-eye for the creative couple - and the neighborhood incidentally reminded them of Sesame Street. When they first visited, Gyllenhaal was pregnant with their daughter; they've since added a second.

"When we walked into the building, it already felt very much like a home to us," the actress says. "The light is great and the rooms feel bright and spacious because of the unusually high ceilings." When moving in, the couple worked with architect Elizabeth Roberts and designer John Erik Karkula, but also made sure to add their own touches to the roughly 340-square-foot kingdom.

In the living room, the couple opted for tiles by Heath Ceramics, a nod to Gyllenhaal's childhood in California. "We often part with books too that we've read so there aren't too many," Gyllenhaal says. "But we argue about that regularly because I actually prefer to keep books and have a library to draw from; Peter, on the other hand, prefers to get rid of them right away."

A Visions of Eight poster hangs in the couple's study. "I was an athlete before I even knew I was an artist. Sports and art have always had something to do with each other for me," Sarsgaard says.

In the dining room, a fireplace adds coziness, and the tiles are by Heath Ceramics. The chandelier by Erik Höglund above the dining table was an impromptu purchase during a walk in Brooklyn. "Peter looked through the window and said, 'Oh my God, I've always wanted one of those,'" Gyllenhaal says. "We walked a block or two, and then turned back - why not see how much this thing costs?"

Gyllenhaal and Sarsgaard used the high ceilings to showcase their art collection, which consists mostly of gifts from friends and family. In the bedroom hangs a Matthew Barney photograph Gyllenhaal got in exchange for working on a project with him; also a shot of Yelena Yemchuk, a friend of the couple, and a painting Sarsgaard's grandfather did some 50 years ago. In the music room hang signed sheet music by jazz composer Ornette Coleman, combined with a Louise Bourgeois print and a painting by Jon Serl that the couple received from Gyllenhaal's parents for their wedding.

Most importantly, the spacious home also leaves its residents plenty of room for their own creativity. In the music room, there are only a few pieces of furniture besides a piano. "Music is mostly done standing up anyway - and besides, our oldest daughters is a dancer," Sarsgaard says. "I just wanted to have a space where there was enough room for expression. I think that's true of much of the rest of the house, too." Indeed, the parties the couple throws are legendary - and sometimes degenerate into jam sessions with musician friends like St. Vincent. And with friends in the film industry, they like to host screenings via the projector in the living room. "The beauty of a house like this is that you can use it to support things you believe in," Gyllenhaal says. "Growing up, my mother would often lend our house as a drop-in center for political organizations she endorsed. That was her way of helping them. And I try to do the same in my own way."

Gyllenhaal and Sarsgaard in the entryway under an iron chandelier. Sarsgaard bought that in an antique store on Rivington Street in Manhattan, from a lady in Buenos Aires. "I really just wanted to look around - I ended up buying the chandelier to thank her for the good conversation." "The lady was almost 80, but Peter was in love with her," Gyllenhaal adds with a laugh.

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