Apartment Choice

One of the biggest downsides to studio living is feeling like you live — and entertain — in your bedroom. But even though that might physically/technically be true, it doesn't mean you can't use design to make it feel like it's more than just a studio. These smart and stylish studios — all under 500 square feet — employ three of the most successful ways to make a studio apartment feel bigger than it is. And they're design tips that anyone can use (whether you have more than one room or not!) to make any room feel better. Choose double duty furniture Alee Ruggieri's 200 square foot Greenwich Village studio Alee's studio apartment is successful thanks to the powers of double- duty furniture . In the morning, her bed transforms into what looks like a sofa by a simple rearrangement of throw pillows. Placing it with a long edge against a wall (like you would a sofa), helps the illusion. Arranging the rest of the home's furniture around the bed/sofa makes he...

You've no doubt heard the joke about how cats are actually a liquid, because they manage to fill whatever container they find themselves in. A salon wall is the same way, actually. There's no such thing as an awkward space in the post- gallery wall world , because you can arrange a collage of frames to skillfully attack the proportions of any sized wall. Just check out these examples to see how it's done. The key takeaway here is to see how these potentially awkward corners and mini-walls are helped by filling them with an assortment of frames. There's likely a spot in your own home that's in need of an irregular art arrangement to fill the space. It's the first rule of home decor: When in doubt, hang a bunch of stuff up and call it a day. (And you could probably use a cat, too, while you're at it. Just because.) Above: Frames follow the angle of an open stairwell, from Elle Decor via Yellows. The end of a hallway is the perfect spot for a tall, narrow...

IN THE 1960s and ’70s, long before helicoptering emerged as a parenting style, adults had far less interest in looming over their children, frequently urging them to go play outside or downstairs. The netherworld to which these parents pointed was usually a recreation room or finished basement, clad insipidly in wood-veneer paneling and linoleum. Furnishings typically included a saggy sofa, a scratched ping-pong table and a built-in bar never used for mixing drinks; instead, the kids commandeered it as a make-believe store or a stage for puppet shows. Not even Dad’s novelty naked- lady martini stirrers lured him down once the children moved in. And the closest Mom got was to stand at the top of stairs and yell, “Supper’s ready! Wash your hands!” Perhaps these ratty rec rooms weren ’t worthy of House Beautiful, but the stints of physical distance they offered parents and offspring arguably benefited both in ways today’s airy cathedral-ceiling’d great rooms can’t. These days, peopl...

In the world of interior design, console tables are emerging as a must-have piece thanks to their ability to deliver maximum visual impact in a minimal amount of space. And the handy storage pieces are finding their way into homes in new and surprising ways. Here are a few of our favorite places to use a console table. UNDER A TV Unlike days of old, when we had big, bulky TV units to design a room around, today’s streamlined flatscreens can fit in small spaces with no fuss. Rather than dealing with a large TV stand , slide a console table under the TV, with the TV either mounted on the wall above it like artwork, or perched on top. Use the tabletop for a display or storage. UNDER ARTWORK Big, bold, modern artwork is very popular right now as it really wakes up a wall and makes a huge statement in a room. A perfect spot for a large painting — or any artwork, from a mirror to a grid of photos to a pair of botanicals — is over a lovely console . The table won’t compete with the art, b...

Rutenberg NYC agent Tatiana Calvo has just closed on a Windsor Terrace apartment at $100,000 over the asking price. The two bedroom unit #2R at 543 16th St. a block from Prospect Park has an open chef’s kitchen with granite counters and stainless steel appliances , two full en- suite bathrooms and a balcony. TATIANA CALVO Calvo listed the apartment (pictured top) and $1.099 million and said her first two open houses were “jam packed.ˮ The offers came flooding in and, Calvo said, everyone left the table happy. “I received $100,000 over asking because I priced apartment 2R fairly ,ˮ said the agent. “The seller was making what he wanted, and the buyer wanted to secure the apartment. The building is solid, and the apartments themselves are timeless.ˮ Alex Lavrenov of Compass brought in the buyer and the sale closed at $1.2 million after 39 days on the market. B RONX Spuyten Duyvil 2575 Palisades Ave. #5H $195,000 Sponsor studio and one bedroom with windowed custom kitchen with quartz...

Fountain Place " /> The Fountain Place lobby will become more open, bright, and airy. [Rendering Courtesy Cushman & Wakefield] From  Fountain Place on west to Trammell Crow Center on the east, things are looking up for office towers along Ross Avenue in downtown Dallas. The 60- story Fountain Place building is getting a $70 million “re-invention,” which helped secure renewals of several major tenants of more than 500,000 square feet of office space . Fountain Place " width="200" height="300" /> Fountain Place is getting a $70 million renovation in downtown Dallas. [Photo Courtesy Cushman & Wakefield] Nearby, Chicago- based AMLI Residential has begun work on an adjacent 45-story high- rise residential tower at Field Street and Munger Avenue, and just up the street, Trammell Crow Center has begun a $135 million renovation and construction project. The Fountain Place makeover by owner Goddard Investment Group includes office tower enh...

The house in Wickford Point has four bedrooms, four full bathrooms and one powder room, and 5,245 square feet of living space. Christine Dunn Journal Staff Writer ChristineMDunn NORTH KINGSTOWN — The waterfront property at 47 Lands End Drive is in Wickford Point, a subdivision off Camp Avenue, just north of historic Wickford Village . Owners Audrey and William Maloney had the house custom built while they were living in England. They bought the land in 2005, and the construction took place in 2006 and 2007. Audrey Maloney said she often traveled from England to Rhode Island during the construction process. The couple, both native New Yorkers, lived in England for 12 years. They had rented homes in Rhode Island for a couple of summers before deciding to build their home in North Kingstown. The house has four bedrooms, four full bathrooms and one powder room, and 5,245 square feet of living space. Wickford Point was developed by Gilbane Properties on land formerly occupied by...

LOWER EAST SIDE , NY — A fancy new pad on the Lower East Side offers stunning views of the downtown Manhattan and comes with a hefty price tag . The artfully designed apartment is asking for $6.25 million. For more photos and information, view the complete realtor.com listing here. Address: 242 Broome St # C, New York, New York Price: $6,250,000 Square Feet: 2181 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 4 Baths Features: 242 Broome represents a rare opportunity for anyone seeking a modern home in the Lower East Side , one of New York's most storied neighborhoods. Designed by next- generation firm SHoP Architects , the building's champagne- colored faade softly reflects the surrounding buildings, while capturing an ever-changing dance between past and future. Utilizing a sophisticated mix of materials, slab marble, blackened steel, and warm woods, the artistic, custom-designed interiors by DXA Studio exude calm and comfort. This curated one-of-a-kind 2,181 SF, three-bedroom, three-and-a-half...

When the Japanese client of Adrian Wu and Stephanie Wong , partners at SW Design, purchased his 1, 305 sq ft apartment , it was the last one available in the Mid-Levels complex. Situated on one of the tower’s highest floors, the three-bedroom, two- bathroom home offered exceptional views of Victoria Harbour and the cityscape beyond, as well as ticking other boxes such as location and space. However, it was also the deve­loper’s show flat, so he had to buy the prop­erty along with all of its contents. He could simply have moved in with his belongings, but he felt the interior was too decorative for his tastes. So he enlisted the help of the husband-and-wife architec­tural team, who had worked on a project for a friend of his. “Our brief was straightforward: our client wanted to make strategic changes so the apartment would fit his sense of aesthetics and functional needs,” says Wu. “He likes a very clean, minimal look without clutter, so most of the show-flat shelving, fabric panelling...

May 25, 2017— A number of major renovation projects are in the works along Ross Avenue in downtown Dallas . Arguably the most significant is the redevelopment of Fountain Place , where owner Goddard Investment Group was the first to kick off activity in this cycle. The $ 70 million renovation includes office tower enhancements and a new 10-story garage with four plaza- level restaurants at its base. Additionally, AMLI Residential is developing a stunning new 45-story, luxury apartment high -rise at the corner of Field Street and Munger Avenue. The redevelopment of Fountain Place has been a key factor in securing renewals from five major office tenants . The latest to recommit is Bracewell LLP , whic¬h recently extended its lease for nearly 40,000 square feet. This follows renewals from Wells Fargo (123,650 square feet) and Gerald Ray (11,500 square feet) earlier this year. The first two big tenants to recommit were Tenet Healthcare (240,000 square feet) and Hunton & Williams...

Oh IKEA, where would we be without you? From the ubiquitous BILLY bookcase to the beloved RASKOG cart , the Swedish giant's versatile pieces problem -solve in homes the world over. One of my personal furniture faves is the BESTA collection : the mix-and-match cabinets can sit on the floor or be hung on the wall, and come in a range of sizes, colors and finishes. The range is so minimal and versatile, it's almost impossible not to put your own stylish spin on it. Check out how these homes from around the internet did just that. In the lead image, found via My Unfinished Home , wall-hung units in a pale timber casing (part of the IKEA range) show off BESTA's intrinsic minimal style . Here, the top is custom: a chunky Elle Decoration Sweden home pairs the wall-hung units with a chunky concrete topper for maximum industrial chic . BESTA for books! Danish magazine Bolig shows how a whole wall of the units makes a great library. The clever mix of doors and open storage...