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My Houzz: Artfully Arranged Manhattan Studio
A mere 400 square feet of living space doesn't mean scrimping on color, comfort or style in this eye-catching New York City studio
Houzz Contributor. After graduating from UC Berkeley, I found myself utterly unprepared for the real world and at a loss as to what I should do next. Luckily, one day I stumbled through the doors of Architectural Digest and was taken under the wing of legendary editor Paige Rense. She had the vision to look past my uninspiring sociology degree and my general lack of experience—an unlikely journalism career was born. After AD, with my magazine karma still intact, I was hired by yet another publishing legend, the food critic and writer Ruth Reichl. I currently ply my trade as a freelance writer and editor and live in stylish Mid-Century-Modern comfort with my dog, Mike.
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Houzz Contributor. After graduating from UC Berkeley, I found myself utterly... More »
I love looking at floor plans. Maybe it’s because I’m obsessively organized at times and there’s something soothing in the precise placement of each and every element. And perhaps that exacting nature is why I’ve always been fascinated by how people go about designing and planning their lives in small spaces.
Three years ago, I rented a 400-square-foot alcove studio in New York City and suddenly my hobby of reading about small spaces became my reality. I needed to make every square inch count without having my apartment feel too cluttered or too minimal. I also wanted the L-shaped room to give the impression that there were three separate and distinct areas. My guests may be able to see the bed from the living room, but that doesn’t mean they have to feel like they’re sitting in my bedroom.
I’m not an interior designer, but I think these photographs and tips will illustrate that even if you have a limited amount of square footage, your design options are still wide open.
Three years ago, I rented a 400-square-foot alcove studio in New York City and suddenly my hobby of reading about small spaces became my reality. I needed to make every square inch count without having my apartment feel too cluttered or too minimal. I also wanted the L-shaped room to give the impression that there were three separate and distinct areas. My guests may be able to see the bed from the living room, but that doesn’t mean they have to feel like they’re sitting in my bedroom.
I’m not an interior designer, but I think these photographs and tips will illustrate that even if you have a limited amount of square footage, your design options are still wide open.
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by Lawrence Karol
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| 1. Go with a simple color palette. To keep the space from feeling cluttered, and to keep the eye moving, I used a basic palette of green, brown and beige with pops of orange. The walls are a pale gray (Benjamin Moore's Iced Cube Silver), which is a nice neutral backdrop for artwork but avoids the boring feel of rental-apartment white. The paintings are the primary source of color and are hung slightly higher to draw attention to the 10-foot ceilings. The swung-glass vases were purchased at various flea markets. The Reese Sofa, Oasis Shag Rug and couch pillows are all from West Elm. |
by Lawrence Karol
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2. Turn a narrow hallway into a big asset. One of the reasons I love the layout of this studio is that it has a 4-by-12-foot entry. To take full advantage of this feature and give the hallway a grander sense of arrival, I hung a 5-by-5-foot oil painting opposite a Parsons console table from West Elm. (The marble top element is repeated in the dining area.) The colors of the vintage ceramic bowls on the console echo those in the painting.
by Lawrence Karol
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3. Add visual cohesion with whimsical elements. These pieces may resemble contemporary art, but they’re actually watercolor finger paintings I did when I was a child. They animate this small wall and provide a sense of flow into the main room.
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by Lawrence Karol
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| 4. Paint the walls and ceiling the same color. This is a great idea for rooms with low ceilings, since it obscures the division between the two surfaces and makes the walls appear taller. Even though that’s not a problem in my apartment, I still don’t want to feel like I’m living in a white-topped box. |
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by Lawrence Karol
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| 5. Have fewer opaque surfaces. A Noguchi glass coffee table keeps the floor space feeling open. (The 1940s wingback chair belonged to my grandparents.) |
by Lawrence Karol
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6. Use furniture with open shelving to minimize visual clutter. The sculpted legs and open rattan shelves of this midcentury teak end table take up a minimum of visual space. The wood tone blends with that of the other furniture and makes the room feel cohesive.
by Lawrence Karol
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7. Define spaces. The overall dimension of the living and dining area is 14 feet by 16 feet. Placing the reproduction Saarinen table in this nook, and pairing it with vintage Heywood Wakefield chairs and a vignette of prints and photos, gives the feel of a dining room. Another way I made the spaces feel separate was by putting a large carpet in the living room but leaving the floor under the dining table bare.
by Lawrence Karol
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8. The mirror trick works every time. A Pottery Barn mirror reflects and expands the room and, again, defines the dining area as separate from the living room.
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by Lawrence Karol
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| 9. Color continuity is key. To neutralize the sense of "bedroom" and make the overall space feel larger, I continued the beige and brown color scheme in the 7-by-10-foot sleeping alcove. The king-size bed is softened by using layers of multitextured pillows, while a colorful piece of art draws the eye up. Clear bedside lamps with simple shades take up less visual volume. The Tate Bed and Zak Table Lamps are from Crate and Barrel. |
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by Lawrence Karol
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| 10. Everything doesn’t have to be hidden away. Use your floor as a stylish storage space. Design and architecture books with colorful bindings add color to a room. They’re also good as props for some vintage black and white photos to add even more visual interest. More: Clutter Clearing 101 Ideabook 911: How Can I Make My Living Room Seem Bigger? Perfectly Composed Small Rooms |
Ideabook published on March 5, 2012.
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Love your apartment ! It feels so cozy. Your artworks are spectacular, so colorful and vibrant. I myself love mid-century modern furniture. Beautiful set-up. Bravo !
Evy
Love all the ideas on here.
Thanks!
Jody
When we moved into our home I saw the need for art but we just couldn't afford it so one class later on how to use oils, whoola...art was born.