COMPACT NEW YORK APARTMENT

Oznell · ‎11-08-2014

New Year, I thought it would be fun to see a knowing, admittedly "maximalist" approach to small apartment living. This "House Beautiful" effort has things I like, and don't like!

Screenshot_2020-01-07 Is This the Most Colorful Apartment of All Time (1).png

I am so sorry-- am having a hard time lifting still pictures. Just watch the video tour. It's much better to give you a complete look, and a flow through the apartment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG45veO98oo&list=PLRUAmsRjYTsXMcR8jSJsTdGiGqmGD4Rv4&index=6&t=0s

Top like: Their bee-you-tee-ful coal black kitty-- he or she is a total star and sweetie!

Interesting, given the square footage, they went with navy walls in the living/ dining room. Do you think there is enough clearance between the dining chairs and the couch?

If they have a lot of dinner parties, I could see wanting to do a full blown dining room like this, but it does eat up space. I might have compromised with a drop leaf table or bistro or something that would "retreat" during daily living.

Love: inlaid floors, art, storage built-ins cleverly book-ending that lacy bed, interesting light fixtures and lamps, unexpected lavender doors in hallway, gorgeous gold banded porcelain collection, bold use of accessories. The owner is an unapologetic maximalist and collector, for sure. Also like the cute kitchen and classic bath, and the bath has a window! A rarity in a small N.Y. apartment?

Not caring for: Sprawling wall paper in aforementioned hallway. Maybe a small scaled one, for interest. But competes too much with those lilac doors, just too much I think. As much as I love collections, I'd cut down about a third or a quarter of those in this place, just b/c it is a bit small.

The teeny second bedroom is cute! If they didn't need a second bedroom though, I would have made it into an office that perhaps had a pull-out couch for the occasional guest-- better use of limited space?

The apartment to me is sort of "jewel-box-meets-cottage", with a colorful English gloss. Perfect for a single woman in the city (and her adorable feline).

Here's a link also to House Beautiful's analysis, "11 Surprising Ways to Use Color":

https://www.housebeautiful.com/design-inspiration/house-tours/a26767482/kate-reid-colorful-manhattan...

Kitlynn · ‎03-09-2010

I think it is stunning!! It would be great for a single person. I am not a cat person at all (beautiful cat though) so put a Bichon in there instead of a cat and it would be perfection!!!

Oznell · ‎11-08-2014

Forgot to add in my "likes", the lush curtaining throughout. Just because you live in a small space, you don't have to sacrifice items like this if you want them. (And I say this as one who has only rather austere shades in living and dining room-- but curtains like those in video sure bring drama.)

Oznell · ‎11-08-2014

@Kitlynn, "bichon people" approved and welcomed!

Vivian · ‎03-11-2010

Ideal if you cannot walk between furniture and walls.

nyc1 · ‎03-19-2010

@Oznell Thank you for sharing. Took most of the tour. Some very beautiful things and smartly done. They made use of every inch of space. Not everything is my taste, but I do appreciate the attention to detail and the concept. The perfect space for one! Lovely.

CelticCrafter · ‎03-09-2010

I don't like it, too many colors, too much stuff, too little space to move around in.

faeriemoon · ‎03-14-2010

I will study this more later, but I will say I don't like dark walls.

~What a terrible era in which idiots govern the blind.~ William Shakespeare

stevieb · ‎03-10-2010

There are things I'd change and a bit too much grey for me, but overall, it's wonderful. I love what they've done... The feline is precious too... I could only wish HB would feature more neat homes in their magazine, which has not fared well, as far as I'm concerned, since the purges that brought in new editorial staff.

In my pantry with my cupcakes...