Interior Design Couple’s Compact and Cosy Brooklyn Rental, 46sqm-500sqft

Our apartment embodies our design philosophy of being functional, flexible and beautiful. The biggest challenge when renting is knowing that it's temporary. The aim is to make a space versatile that you can later move into a new space. The primary influences for our project were drawn from nature. We were inspired by the beauty and tranquility of natural elements and wanted to incorporate this into the space. I'm Julia Kropavinska. I'm an interior stylist and photographer. My name is Artem Kropavinsky. I'm an interior designer. We're from Ukraine and together we're founders of OurSight interior design studio based in New York City. We rent this apartment and live here with our dog Stella. She moved with us from Ukraine and she's always by our side. We live in a vibrant and multicultural neighborhood in Brooklyn influenced mostly by American and Italian cultures. The street has a lot of greenery and is lined with townhouses that have terraces on the top floors which add to the cozy atmosphere. This particular house was built in 1920s and initially was a single family home. The building has three apartments and we rent the one on the top floor. We loved the large balcony and immediately decided to rent the apartment for the balcony alone. The initial apartment layout suggested placing furniture in areas that we didn't think made the best use of the space. It had a small entrance, a bathroom, a bedroom with some closets, and an open living, dining, and kitchen area. The main idea was to create a space with a lounge area, a work area, and a dining area all combined into one multifunctional space. Issue two of our magazine is all about finding ways to slow down in the city. Take a cue from our sloths but don't go slow in getting your coffee because this baby is loaded with all the good things. Gentle and joyful urban art that invites us to pause, ponder, and smile. Wild and wonderful architecture and design full of optimism and a determination to do things differently. There are more small homes to explore and get lost in too. Inspiration for living lighter and finding poetry in the everyday and a sh**load of bricks. Get your copy now. Visit nevertosmall.com The hallway is the first thing when we enter so we wanted to make a strong impression. We created a small area with artwork, some of which we've collected over the years. It's our little gallery. We added a mirror at the entry to the bathroom to enhance the sense of space and brightness. We installed a wall-mounted wooden coat rack that features a small shelf for flowers and lamp. It casts a warm glow in the evening to create a cozy atmosphere. Before entering the living area there was a stained wood pantry door that we couldn't paint. To make it look less obvious we added a collection of our photos effectively camouflaging the door to appear like a picture frame. When we enter the living space we see the large glass sliding doors. These bring in a lot of natural light and are great for a small space like ours. The living area layout allows us to work from various spots whether it's from the big comfortable armchair, the sofa or on the dining table. We focused on creating open storage solutions to showcase accessories while cleverly hiding items that didn't need to be seen. We chose this type of shelving because when we move in the future we won't know the dimensions of the next apartment so this flexibility allows us to reuse the shelf. Above the shelves lies an important feature of the apartment a hidden storage space. We put everything that we want hidden away like luggage and seasonal items here. One of our favorite parts of the apartment is the balcony which we divided into two zones a lounge area and a dining area. In the dining area there is a big table that seats eight people. We also managed to fit a barbecue out here which really helps to make this an extension for our kitchen. In the lounge area there is a large sectional sofa that can be arranged into various shapes perfect for enjoying warm nights under the stars. We enjoy the balcony throughout the year. Having such a large balcony in New York is rare and we felt very lucky to have it. The kitchen is fully equipped with a dishwasher, a combined gas cooktop, an oven and a fridge. The kitchen area originally had closed cabinets however since we love to cook we decided to remove the doors from some of the cabinets. We have kept all the doors so we can easily put them back before we leave the apartment. As the living room and kitchen share the same space we chose a large dining table that would work for the kitchen and also as a workspace for several people during the day. The sitting bench is right against the wall so we can make the most of the space. It is made of solid oak and has soft shapes that complement the space. The wool rugs in the living room and the kitchen are slightly different and help to zone out each area. The bedroom is even warmer and cozier than the rest of the apartment. We removed both of the closets in the bedroom and replaced them with a single larger closet. We moved the bed towards the windows so we could see the sunlight when we wake up. The floor is hardwood but we wanted something a bit softer in the bedroom so we got a large rug and cut it up to fit the entire space. The walls were painted in a light color so we could use the space between the two windows as a projector screen. The projector is placed on the shelf above the door so it's almost hidden from view. We added a rice paper ceiling from hay to add a bit of warmth to the corner of the bedroom. Because it's a rental our changes to the bathroom were limited. We repainted the ceiling to a modern gray blue. We reached an agreement with the landlord that we would purchase a medicine cabinet of our choice and they would install it. This means we get to enjoy a larger more functional cabinet while we live here and the landlord benefits from our upgrade to their apartment. I think when designing a small space it's very important to think about the function of the furniture and all the items around. We included many wooden objects, plants, ceramics. We think making the space more personal with objects that you love can make it more comfortable to live in. Our apartment creates a space that supports our work, social life and personal comfort while maintaining a connection to nature and community. It showcases our design principles and creativity reflecting the power of thoughtful and intentional interior design. Sign up to our newsletter for subscriber-only content and exclusive offers. Visit nevertosmall.com slash subscribe