Name:
Stellah
Location:
Brooklyn, New York
Division:
Teeny-Tiny
Square Feet:
400
What I Love About My Home
The chef's kitchen, the magical disappearing bed and the verdant garden views.
Biggest Challenge in Furnishing My Home
The biggest challenge in furnishing my place was definitely the editing process. I previously lived in a 2500 sq ft loft so it was a definite adjustment.
Comments (112)
Like your ideas on how to use your bedroom when the bed is put away. Like so many others I would like to have seen a picture of the bed down. Beautiful place!
I hope you don't miss the 2,500 sft loft because you live in 400 sf of absolute glamour! I really enjoy when someone doesn't let the size of the space dictate the level of taste. Size issues aside, this could be the refined Manhattan duplex of an heiress.
The *only* change I would make is to replace the small, round mirror behind the sofa with something grand and over the top. I wonder if you've considered that?
Anyway, a top fave without a doubt. I adore.
Thank you so much for all your great comments!
A little background for the curious...
When I bought my apartment (summer 2010) it hadn't been touched in 40 years and it was a total wreck albeit one with tons of charm and potential.
I've loved being able to completely design the space according to my needs. In the process I got to work with a wonderful contractor (http://diamonderaconstruction.com) and a talented architect who helped with the drawings to realize all the mill-work and bathroom details. We managed to achieve the look I wanted on a very tight budget AND we are all still speaking to each other now that the project is done!
To see the before pics and the bed down, I've posted a gallery here:
http://tinyurl.com/3exbelb
Agree with everyone so far--this is beautiful. I'm a little confused by the murphy bed, however. Why did you choose one since you have a separate bedroom? Also, what do you use this room for when the bed is up? I didn't see any furniture besides the side table/dresser and chair to denote a function. Regardless, it's a gorgeous room.
agree with @scandesign - where have they been hiding your entry!? Your place is amazing! I'm a Brooklynite living in a tiny space too, submitted my entry about a week ago but still no post... how long did it take them to post yours?
In love with your entire apartment. Kudos.
Good questions! In answer, I installed a murphy bed because:
1. edging around the bed to get dressed in the morning is a drag
2. my room becomes a place to meditate when the bed is closed
3. I love to cook and throw dinner parties, so on the weekends, I drag the drop sided table in from the living room and voila! the bedroom becomes a dining room with enough space to seat 8 (in a pinch).
I NEED that white dog statue in the living room!! Source??
Also this is incredible. Methinks your idea of a tight budget and mine are miles apart, but your style is still impeccable.
Also, is the bedroom lined with closets? Is that the thinking behind the murphy bed (ie. so you can open the closet doors)?
azaleasmoke, I bought the dog statue in Paris over 10 years ago now... He's made of silicon and I've never seen another like him... I agree about the mirror, I'm thinking something venetian and etched, still looking for the perfect one!
Wow. Seeing the before-and-after makes this place even better. Great vision and space planning and beautiful, timeless stuff. I wish there were categories for Favorite, No Really Favorite, Super Favorite and Extra Uber Favorite. Maybe in future contests have a rating system of 1 to 5 Eames Chairs or something?
This is one of my very favorites. You did a wonderful job. But I do have a question: What do you do with the bedroom when the bed is put away? Kind of looks like there is not much going on in there, which makes me wonder what the point of a murphy bed is?
Love, love, your home! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for posting the site for the before pics and the bed down. The work you've done is impressive. Congrats!!!
I like your reasoning for the murphy bed. I love how the room is decorated so it doesn't look like your typical murphy bed. Great work!
I thought this space was wonderful before I saw the before photos! You did such a fantastic job getting this place to perfection! I am 100% impressed and stunned! Everything is so beautiful and flows very well. It is both calm and refined. I love it!
Hi Stellah,
It's funny, I live about 3 blocks away from you, and recently bought a small studio - yours is such an inspiration! I'd love to know the name of the architect you worked with... also, could you kindly let us know what the paint colors are that you used throughout the apartment? (Bedroom, kitchen, etc?)
I wish AT would interview you about your remodel...
I was trying to figure out where storage is too. I think the wall opposite the bed must actually conceal a closet? Anyway, it's a very impressive remodel. Only in NY is real estate valuable enough that it makes sense to sink that kind of dough into a 400 sq. ft. apartment!
The Murphy bed mechanism came from www.outwaterhardware.com - it's a good spring loaded mechanism and cost around $380. they are to the trade only & my contractor had to place to place the order. All the millwork for the bed surround was custom made for the space. Hope that helps!
I used zero/low VOC paint throughout the apt and used an eggshell finish for it's durability & subtle light enhancing qualities... The paint colors are as follows: Kitchen- Pratt & Lambert Accolade in Nickel (eggshell finish) Living Room- Benjamin Moore Natura in Marscapone (eggshell finish). For the Bedoom I also used Benjamin Moore Natura, I believe the color is called elephant hide. Ceilings are all Benjamin Moore Ceiling white. For the little hall the color is called night shade and its matte (to hide the imperfections from my attempts to strip off the 50 coats of old paint) Benjamin Moore Natura again.
All the tile came from the BuyTile.com warehouse in Brooklyn they have the the best prices but really weird hours.
My other favorite source is build it green (www.bignyc.org) and craigslist - the entire poliform kitchen & appliances were bought off there.
Incredible! I seriously am having countertop envy. Was wondering if you had a bathtub or just a shower? Liked the addition of the nooks in the bathroom too keep the seamless quality but to add storage. Really would like to see the bed down & or bedroom turned into a dining room for 8.
so i look at all of these and think about adding to my favourites but with this... it is indeed ridiculously awesome.
i am an architecture and i love a good murphy bed. the surface materials of this space are what make it. the mixture of textures. just so well curated! i want to live here.
Hinke, the bathroom floor tile is vein cut limestone in Chenille White from Daltile (http://tinyurl.com/veincut). I love the way it resembles driftwood and merges nicely with the bleached/pickled white oak floors elsewhere in the apartment...
The wall tile is a full body porcelain - I was obsessed with the mutina tile range called tekno but couldn't afford the $40 a sq ft price, I managed to find a much cheaper version at buytile from Cotto in Grey. It's made in Thailand instead of Italy and was around $4 a sq ft.
see http://tinyurl.com/cottotile
I'd love to see a pic of your bathroom!
Come on, Stella! I keep looking at your gorgeous space. I don't Do you work in your bedroom when the Murphy is put away? It's a great room. I think I would write there. I cannot believe how homey this is while sparsely but perfectly put together. I'm very, very inspired. Thank you so much for sharing. Tres beau!
Whoa! Homeowner Stella+Architect Cornelia+Contractor Dave= Sheer Brilliance. You three really should go into business together, Stellah.
Not only could this flat win this year, a different tenant or homeowner moving in there later could also win a future Small Cool contest because of the great bones that have been sculpted out of nothing here - it's hard to go wrong on decor if the spatial 'armature' is made right.
Congratulations on a transformation very well done.
They did a great job on your place but I'm really confused by it. I don't know where your storage is, you don't seem to have closets or even storage furniture. I like the murphy bed room but why isn't in multipurpose - it just seems like an empty room when the bed is up, which is a waste of space in a tiny place. And finally, there is apparently no dining area. It doesn't even seem like there is much seating if you were to have people over. I think if I was going to spend a lot of money on an architect remodel, I'd want all sorts of clever solutions to the lack of space like some other small condos I've seen.
Fiat Blanco, I know, my apartment looks tricky. In the bedroom the entire paneled left wall in the photograph (10'w x10'h) is closet space-- we even built in seasonal storage beneath the flooring panels. I've also got storage closets above and beside the murphy bed which is where pesky things like my vaccum cleaner live. Personally, I find having the room empty a gift, but everyone is different.
I installed a storage closet in the bathroom too (6'hx20" w) and there is a medicine cabinet behind the bathroom mirror for girly things.
As for the seating areas- There is a breakfast counter that seats 2 in the kitchen and there is a drop sided table in the living room that can seat 6-8, I move that into the bedroom when I have dinner parties (I keep extra chairs in my basement). Hope that helps to clear up your confusion!
Hi stellah,
Thanks for all your gracious answers to questions and the link to additional pics! I would love to see Apartment Therapy do a post on your renovation process and show more of your beautiful apartment.
LOVE that your bedroom serves as a dining room when needed!! i did the very same thing in an old apartment i had in seattle (also had a murphy bed). the process of editing from a such a larger space to this one must have been challenging; you did a great job.
jordan
I will be very, very upset if you don't win. Here's why: the versatility of your apartment is astounding. You figured out how to make the place work for numerous functions, and yet, it's not crowded in the least.
Everything is just perfect.
I do like many other entries this year, but yours is the best in terms of imaginative use of space and most versatility.
I'm very envious of your talent.
Stellah,I have been in the contracting business for over 20 yrs and have worked for over a 1000 clients.It was very exiting working with you,turning your ideas and visions into reality.Your creativity alone wins my vote
Camel and grey. I love the color combo. I think Murphy beds are genius. I wonder why more people don't use them. As for me I spend so much time lounging on my bed that it would not be practical to put away my bed but turning a bedroom into a dining room is a great idea especially since I love to cook and entertain.
Original article and pictures take a-cdn.apartmenttherapy.com site
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