Find the perfect pieces for even the most challenging spaces
Maybe I’ve been watching too much HGTV, but lately I’ve been daydreaming of a home makeover. While a full renovation may not be in my (er, my landlord’s) budget, I will not be deterred. Instead, I’m starting small, with my home’s problem rooms. You know the kind: those spaces that are just too weirdly shaped, or are lacking windows, or are all too cozy. In my old Boston home there are plenty of nooks and crannies that, no matter what I do, just haven’t worked – yet. Here, some crafty tricks to make even the strangest space feel like it was designed by a pro.
Welcome back, home designers, to our final installment of SPACEStv segments. This week, there was an eclectic group of subjects: one hunter, one puppeteer, and one vintage-loving stylist/designer/curator with an incredibly compact lifestyle.
Meet Jessica and Jeremy, a married couple out to prove that love can transcend all (even a hunting obsession). Enter the designer, Vanessa DeLeon, who shows how girly girl and manly man mentalities can meld into one harmonious home office.
A room that started as a total man cave gets transformed into an amazingly serene office with just enough floral elements to please nature-happy Jessica. The grey and yellow color scheme fosters both a serene and vibrant environment, and the wall decals create an eye-catching visual forest. I love Vanessa’s idea to complement the deer head with a Venetian frame – it takes a traditionally macho piece of décor and elevates it to elegant new levels.
Meet Dominique and Nathan, an in-love couple with not-so-harmonious decorating styles. Dominique is all about a simple, black-and-white color scheme, while musician Nathan craves vibrant colors to inspire him. The cure for their dispute? Simple – just add red.
Designer Vanessa Deleon maintains some of Dominique’s favorite elements (like her zebra print rug), but revamps the room with splashes of color via a red accent wall and tons of throw pillows. Vanessa creates a faux window simply by hanging sheer panels from a curtain rod over a hanging photo of busy NYC streets, which brings a sense of the outdoors in (always crucial when it comes to city living). The end result of the makeover is a simple room with tons of unique touches. The mounted mirror candleholders? I think I’ve found my next DIY project.
Welcome back, home design fanatics. This week, we’re exploring one tiny apartment, one massive apartment, and one apartment that is distinctly… pink.
Tiny Eclectic Amazing Spaces:
This episode brings us to a 500-square-foot apartment with ingenious storage options. Serving as both a home and office for Michael Pozner, every inch of the space has been thought out (with the help of architect Darrick Borowski). The bedroom area is lofted (an instant space saver), but it gets better – the stairs themselves are drawers. We’re talking a veritable staircase-dresser.
There are tons of ingenious little touches, like storage compartments carved into the wall, and a block of wood that houses the doors into the bathroom, kitchen, and closet. Though he had the advantage of professional assistance, Michael was able to use every inch of his apartment, demonstrating that functionality does not have to be limited by mere square footage.
