A Sunny, Cozy, Tropical Small/Cool Space
A Sunny, Cozy, Tropical Small/Cool Space
Name: Bart Ny
Size: 330sq ft
Home type: Studio
Location: Brooklyn,NY
Years lived in: 1.5 years,rented
Household: It's just me and the ghost.
Have any design professionals worked on this space: Me! (I'm a graphic designer. Does that count?)
Describe your space:
My studio is a cozy and colorful respite from all the chaos (biological or otherwise) that comes with living in a big city like New York. It's the first place I've had all to myself, and I got to tap into that design/decorating part of my brain and go all the way off with my design choices. I'm originally from California, and Brownstones were always one of those iconic New York things to me, so it's been a lot of fun getting to actually live in one now. The apartment has three big windows and a skylight(!!), which means there's almost too much natural light. Is that even a thing?
Did you DIY anything in your space? And, if so, what's your favorite DIY?
It's hard to pick just one. The dresser was a Craigslist flip. Before, it was just a regular wooden dresser, and then I clad it in ceramic tiles. The sculptural mirror over my mantel was originally a broken mirror destined for the dump. I sculpted around the broken edges with plaster, giving it a more organic and abstract shape. The squiggly lamp was made completely from scratch using sculpting mesh, paper maché, and plaster. I also reupholstered the Wassily Chair myself.
How do you make your small space work for you and feel bigger than it really is?
I got really lucky with this layout. The kitchen is in a separate room from the main living area, which makes a huge difference in a studio. I also have a good amount of closet space, and there's even a little niche under the skylight where I can store more things if I need to. Currently it only houses some of my plants. Although everything is contained in one room, there are well-defined zones: There's a clear "living room" area, a "bedroom" area, and an "office" area. I think that helps the most in making this apartment feel a little bit bigger than it actually is.
你家里怎么反映?
My apartment, at its core, is a reflection of my journey in this city so far. I moved here from the other side of the country with nothing but two suitcases and some savings, so I truly started from scratch. Almost everything was bought secondhand, so a lot of the pieces have a history. Seeing everything all together just reminds me of all the amazing people I had the pleasure of meeting all over New York City through my quest to furnish my home. So much has happened in the short time I've been here; it's just a very sentimental place to me overall.