Spotlight on Lauren Kadel of Apartment CPR!
Check out this blog by Sarah Roussos-Karakain of Nesters!
Below is a more in depth look at how Lauren and boyfriend, ben got CREATIVE when moving from a 2 bedroom into a studio apartment!
I alway told myself I could never live in a studio apartment. How can you live and sleep in one room? But when an amazing place in Chelsea presented itself, it was time to put fears aside and dive in head first. It can be daunting to walk into a new apartment, see blank walls and not very much space. Ben and I saw it as a fun challenge to get to fully reimagine tiny living in New York. We wanted to use the space to it's fullest potential and not loose any function from our larger uptown apartment. Every piece that we bought and created not only had to be eye-catching but function on multiple levels. I'm taking you step by step through our process and the fun we had on the way to our beautiful new studio space!
BLANK CANVAS
Entry Way: Bathroom on Left, Closets on Right
His and Hers Closets
Living Room with a View
Studio Living Space
One Side of Spacious Kitchen
Pass through Kitchen Space with DISHWASHER!!!
The first thing we noticed . . . lack of square footage. We couldn't figure out how we were going to make this space work for us. The kitchen, closets and bathroom were great size, but the main living area seemed impossible.
DESIGN IDEAS
From my past apartments I tend to prefer a space with a bit more charm: crown molding, arched doorways, brick walls etc. My usual style is eclectic with mixed patterns, antiqued and weathered pieces, and muted color palates like these examples below.
Because this apartment had sleek architecture and urban surroundings, it called out for bolder colors and more clean modern choices than what I usually choose. I still wanted to maintain the eclectic look I love while honoring the space. It was also really important to create separate spaces for sleeping and living, so we took to Pinterest to find ideas of how to make this space work with our current style and space saving ideas. Here are some pictures that we used as inspiration to fuel our imaginations.
OVERALL DESIGN IDEAS
DUAL FUNCTION SPACES
OFFICE, TABLE AND STORAGE IDEAS
CONSTRUCTION
Once the ideas were flowing we picked out our wall colors. We wanted colors that would make the white accents around the apartment pop. I love damask and wanted to bring that antique feel into the home. To make the damask more modern we chose an easy gray for the allover color and used a bright teal with gray damask to accent the main wall in the living space. Anne is a stencil genius and brought my modern damask to life. I also used a stencil on the back splash of the kitchen for a geometric pattern to juxtapose the damask.
Next we turned our attention to the bed/living room area. We're both fairly handy with some tools, so when we were unable to find ready made pieces to fit the apartment we custom built what we needed.
The platform was built to accommodate the main living seating, which sits opposite of a mounted TV. The foot of the platform becomes the headboard for our Queen sized bed. For additional storage a secondary space rolls out to the right of the bed. The murphy table can easily seat 4 people and when it's not being used creates a fun piece of art for the apartment.
FINISHING TOUCHES
Overall flow of the space
Living Area with L shaped seating and storage ottoman.
Mounted TV sits opposite of the sitting area. Cords from the TV are hidden in the added molding around the pass through kitchen.
His and hers closets are highly organized for personal space and storage.
Pullout Queen Bed in it's "sleeping position"
Custom made desk and shelves create a separate office space.
A tall locker is added to the spacious bathroom to hold towels and toiletries to keep the space clean and functional.
The finished table is an eye-catching piece of functional art work. The art is printed canvas' and has velcro to be interchangeable.
When the table is folded down it comfortably seats 4.
The wide windows received custom Roman Blinds to add color and texture to the space.
The blinds are able to be drawn up so the view is not compromised.
Bright colors and interesting accents leave our space eclectic, inviting, and shockingly spacious in one of the best locations in New York City. We couldn't be more happy with how our space turned out. It inspires me to think outside the box with all of our clients.