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Houzz Tour: Making the Most of 700 Square Feet in New York
A designer maximizes storage and creates a workspace while highlighting her client’s art
This makeup artist had moved into an apartment on New York City’s Lower East Side that she’d inherited from her mother a few years ago. But she hadn’t arranged the space in a way that truly worked for her and her boyfriend. A friend recommended interior designer Sarah Kruse, and they hit it off from the start. “She had an amazing art collection,” Kruse says. “I appreciate and love when a client has artwork and eclectic collections to work with. And I could tell she was very creative and would be willing to be unconventional.”
Working closely with her client, the designer was able to create a hardworking office alcove, smart storage for all of the couple’s belongings and supplies and a pleasing layout. She used her client’s extensive art collection and other existing pieces as inspiration, and even found a great way to display her boyfriend’s beloved action figures.
Working closely with her client, the designer was able to create a hardworking office alcove, smart storage for all of the couple’s belongings and supplies and a pleasing layout. She used her client’s extensive art collection and other existing pieces as inspiration, and even found a great way to display her boyfriend’s beloved action figures.
The alcove was just the right size to fit in a home workspace. And it also provided a perfect spot to display the action figure collection. Kruse designed a glass display box with lights along the top to show them off.
The desk cabinets are big enough for large items such as a printer. Kruse added industrial-style built-ins made of galvanized steel plumbing pipes and wood to display her client’s favorite things. “She already had everything you see here,” the designer says.
Because the couple have a dog, Kruse stuck with durable flat-weave rugs. The runner seen here and the living room rug are both sisal-wool blends.
Browse yellow dining chairs in the Houzz Shop
The desk cabinets are big enough for large items such as a printer. Kruse added industrial-style built-ins made of galvanized steel plumbing pipes and wood to display her client’s favorite things. “She already had everything you see here,” the designer says.
Because the couple have a dog, Kruse stuck with durable flat-weave rugs. The runner seen here and the living room rug are both sisal-wool blends.
Browse yellow dining chairs in the Houzz Shop
“She has edgy style, so an industrial aesthetic made sense,” Kruse says. “Originally I thought we should do wallpaper behind the desk, but my client explained that she’d be working on molds for prosthetics here and that it would just get ruined. So we kept it simple with black paint.” Her client’s yellow chair pops against the dark backdrop.
Check out our beginner’s guide to get started on your home project
Check out our beginner’s guide to get started on your home project
Almost all the artwork in the apartment was passed down to the homeowner through her family. The two wood-painted pieces by Colin Garland on the desktop (seen here and in the previous photo) are from Jamaica.
“Every inch in a small apartment matters, and they had a round table here before,” Kruse says. “There’s a difference, especially in a compact apartment, between being able to glide through a space or having to weave through furniture.” Replacing the round table, which protruded farther into the space, with this rectangular drop-leaf table created a space the couple could glide through.
The table is fully expanded in this photo, but it usually has the drop leaf folded down so that the table protrudes into the room half as much. “It’s mostly just the two of them eating here with it pushed up against the wall like a breakfast bar. But when they have people over they can pull it out and seat six,” Kruse says. Her client already had four of these yellow chairs. The couple use two at the table, one at the desk and the other at a vanity in the bedroom. They can pull them up to the table, along with a living room bench, when entertaining.
This chandelier and other light fixtures Kruse used belonged to the homeowner’s mother. They had been stored in boxes, and she helped her client find good places for them.
The table is fully expanded in this photo, but it usually has the drop leaf folded down so that the table protrudes into the room half as much. “It’s mostly just the two of them eating here with it pushed up against the wall like a breakfast bar. But when they have people over they can pull it out and seat six,” Kruse says. Her client already had four of these yellow chairs. The couple use two at the table, one at the desk and the other at a vanity in the bedroom. They can pull them up to the table, along with a living room bench, when entertaining.
This chandelier and other light fixtures Kruse used belonged to the homeowner’s mother. They had been stored in boxes, and she helped her client find good places for them.
The couple really wanted a long sofa, but a radiator pipe on the right wall was getting in the way. Kruse placed a long, shallow box (8 inches deep and a little higher than height as the sofa) over the pipe. “My client had this big makeup chair she needed to store. It folds up and she can slide it right into the box,” she says. (The vertical line seen on the right side of this photo is the door to the box.) The designer also had an outlet added to the top of the box for charging devices or plugging in a lamp.
Kruse arranged more of her client’s art collection and favorite family photos into an attractive gallery wall. At the far end, she placed an angled bookshelf, removing the bottom shelf to accommodate a radiator.
Bulky built-ins that had been along the left wall were dated and awkward for the narrow space. Kruse had them removed and found a streamlined console that blends right in with the architecture.
Nesting tables in front of the sofa take up little physical or visual space. Their wood tops and metal bases play off the industrial vibe of the workspace shelves. Overhead, Kruse sourced an attractive ceiling fan with acrylic blades to improve air circulation.
Kruse arranged more of her client’s art collection and favorite family photos into an attractive gallery wall. At the far end, she placed an angled bookshelf, removing the bottom shelf to accommodate a radiator.
Bulky built-ins that had been along the left wall were dated and awkward for the narrow space. Kruse had them removed and found a streamlined console that blends right in with the architecture.
Nesting tables in front of the sofa take up little physical or visual space. Their wood tops and metal bases play off the industrial vibe of the workspace shelves. Overhead, Kruse sourced an attractive ceiling fan with acrylic blades to improve air circulation.
The green bench provides a spot to read or watch the world out the window. “They pull it out into the room when they need additional seating for company,” Kruse says. “It’s really light and they pull it over to the dining table when they have guests over for dinner.”
The vintage poster is from the 1974 Spoleto Festival, a performing arts festival in Charleston, South Carolina. The artwork is by Richard Lindner. “Her mom was a casting director and her dad was a music producer. So a lot of the art they have is related to the theater, films and music,” Kruse says.
The sheers are a high-quality linen fabric that ties in with the colors of the rug and sofa. “A lot of people don’t realize that window treatments are really important, just like rugs. They can either elevate a space or bring it down,” Kruse says. Her client understood that quality fabric for the drapes was worthy of a splurge.
The vintage poster is from the 1974 Spoleto Festival, a performing arts festival in Charleston, South Carolina. The artwork is by Richard Lindner. “Her mom was a casting director and her dad was a music producer. So a lot of the art they have is related to the theater, films and music,” Kruse says.
The sheers are a high-quality linen fabric that ties in with the colors of the rug and sofa. “A lot of people don’t realize that window treatments are really important, just like rugs. They can either elevate a space or bring it down,” Kruse says. Her client understood that quality fabric for the drapes was worthy of a splurge.
The galley kitchen was in good shape, and the client was ready only for a light refresh. “We needed to update some existing track lighting,” Kruse says. “We replaced the lights with these bronze metal pendants of her mother’s.” She also added a shelf over the sink and a pot rail over the stove.
The kitchen previously lacked a backsplash. “When giving a kitchen a little face-lift, something like the backsplash can change its entire feel,” Kruse says. “The green pulls in the color from the green bench in the living room. It’s important to connect spaces like they are having a conversation from room to room.” (This photo represents the true color of the tiles. The lighting made them appear much darker in the previous photo.)
Shop for wall-mounted pot racks
Shop for wall-mounted pot racks
Her client’s amazing collection of African photography inspired a bohemian vibe in the bedroom. Kruse started with a rug that had subtle hints of blush, teal and gold and pulled those colors into the bedroom’s design.
The wall paint has a soft gold metallic texture in it. “It shimmers at night in soft lighting,” Kruse says. “It also has a nice reflective quality in the sunlight.” A new beaded ceiling light creates a soft glow and beautiful shadows around the room at night.
Wall paint: Gold Metallic Interior Specialty Finish: PPG
The wall paint has a soft gold metallic texture in it. “It shimmers at night in soft lighting,” Kruse says. “It also has a nice reflective quality in the sunlight.” A new beaded ceiling light creates a soft glow and beautiful shadows around the room at night.
Wall paint: Gold Metallic Interior Specialty Finish: PPG
For an apartment where every inch of storage counts, Kruse found a bed with deep drawers in the bottom, and she sourced small teal nightstands that don’t take up much space but add extra storage with drawers and shelves.
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: A makeup artist, her electrician boyfriend and their dog
Location: Lower East Side of New York City
Size: 700 square feet (65 square meters); one bedroom, one bathroom
Designer: Sarah Kruse of STORIE - Interiors by Sara Kruse
“When I meet with clients, I run through how they live day to day, what’s challenging them now and what it’s like when they have friends over,” Kruse says. “But I also like to ask questions like what type of music they like, how they like to spend their weekends and where they like to travel, to really understand what kinds of things they are drawn to.”
The client lives with her boyfriend, but he didn’t play a huge role in the design process. “He was weighed in when we were talking about layout, but mostly his attitude was ‘Just give me display space for my action figures and I’ll be happy,’ ” Kruse says with a laugh.
The compact foyer had a small coat closet and a large, shallow alcove. “As a makeup artist, my client had a lot of small things she needed to store,” Kruse says. “She had some storage set up in this open alcove but it wasn’t well utilized. For one thing, it didn’t take advantage of the ceiling height.” Kruse outfitted the closet with shelves to house all of her client’s supplies and tools, leaving an empty alcove that was full of potential.
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