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We’re an Interior Design firm located in NYC, so we’re no strangers to making the most of small spaces that are characteristic of city apartments. When we first laid eyes on this room, located in an old townhouse on the Upper East Side, we were struck by two things, it’s stunning fourteen foot ceilings, and its challenging composition. The modest space, which was to become a luxe ladies office, had a door on three of its four walls, and a slightly off centered window that was begging to be refurbished. While the room had tons of charm potential, it desperately lacked light and needed a focal point.
Our first decision was to open up the space by using a much softer palette. We opted for light shades of olive, pink, and ivory and we shied away from any overwhelming patterns that might close in the room.
When dealing with solids, we always tell our clients that its important to focus on texture to keep things interesting, so we chose a gorgeous linen weave for the wallpaper and silks for the sofa and rug to add sheen.
We also turned the room’s awkward window into a fabulous focal point by hanging paneled curtains with a greek key trim detail. We tossed the wood blinds for sheers that would let more light in, and used the window sill like you would a piece of furniture, piling it with books, trays and accents to attract the eye.
After we lightened the space, we still had a surplus of doors, which didn’t allow for any sort of cohesive furniture arrangement. Luckily for us, one of the doors wasn’t all that functional, as the room adjacent to it already had multiple entrances. So, after much debating, we came up with the idea to cover it with a folding screen and voila, we now had a whole wall to work with! We placed a small settee in front of the screen to create a layered reading nook, and anchored the desk against whatever wall space we had left on the other side of the room for balance. Lastly we custom built a tiny metal bookcase that could fit next to the window to store books and nicknacks.
We loved making the most of this small space and creating an office that is both beautiful and functional. Stay tuned next month for more room makeovers and design inspiration!