A tiny pistachio macaron of a studio apartment. Nick Olsen breaks a lot of precepts for studio decorating, deploying color on the walls, pattern everywhere and creating a lively –not just livable– space. The video shows that 300 sq ft is, indeed, tight to move in and I have a few quibbles about his choices but I think this is a lovely departure from the usual triple-white Ikea-driven rooms that are presented as good studio design. And while prices aren’t given, the look could of the room could definitely be accomplished on a small budget with a lot of thrifting and creativity.
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I love this! As I think you know, we currently live in a behemoth of an apartment, but we just spent a week in a friend’s shoebox in the middle of yuppie Park Slope, which is maybe marginally bigger than this apartment. It is very, very white and does have some Ikea pieces, but the small space and lack of colors really made me appreciate the subtle textures and even the variations of white on the walls and furniture pieces. It felt very warm and relatively spacious. One of these days, maybe our friend will post some photos online so that I can share them with you.
Maya! Please let me know when you are in NYC again–we haven’t chatted in forever and I’d love to see you.
Yes, every square inch of Park Slope is precious real estate so apartments –even brownstones– tend to be modest in size. A well executed white space is really soothing and warm and white can be so interesting. I just wish more designers would push the envelope in small spaces and show that you don’t have to wait for 1,000 sq ft to add more than ‘a pop of color’.
Loved this room. It even inspired me to move my bed.
I’m more of a minimalist in general, but small does not have to mean minimal. (And too much IKEA can be soul destroying.)
Yes! Every time I leave Brooklyn, it seems that my list of things to do next time just grow longer. Maybe it’s time for me to boomerang back, as is the trend for thirtysomethings?
I guess the thing I really appreciate about small spaces, like the one above and my friend’s, is that the editing, eye for detail and organization really make an impact. In our own apartment, it doesn’t really matter if stuff is organized efficiently or not, and subtle touches have almost no impact. I suppose that’s also why I’ve enjoyed the posts about your own apartment, because I can really see how your decisions [sometimes seemingly minute] make a difference.