Ta-da! Opening up the kitchen to the rest of the living space makes this little studio feet a lot bigger — and adding an island makes this small kitchen much more usable.
The appliances, cabinets, countertops, and backsplash were all updated, and the chalkboard panel on the door (which leads to the bathroom) is a nice touch. On the left is the coup de grace, the envy of any New York apartment dweller — the dishwasher.
But the kitchen wasn't the only part of this studio that got an update. The whole studio saw a fresh coat of paint, and the contractors added a special niche for the bed. This dedicated sleeping area gives the feel of a bedroom without taking up too much space.
And in that odd little nook between the fireplace and the door, there's now a set of floor-to-ceiling shelves, big enough for a whole library. Perfect.
To find out more about this project, check out The Sweeten.
(Images: The Sweeten)
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Nicely done! The bed nook and the sectional nicely separate the living and sleeping areas.
Absolutely gorgeous! So clean and contemporary...I love how they extended the kitchen by removing the closet. I'm inspired to remodel my small kitchen now! Well done!
Love this! When I move to NYC I will definitely take some of this advice! It looks like a completely different place.
Nicely done. Just wondering why they decided not to use all the available space nook space between the door and fireplace. Wall to wall shelves would have added a bit more storage. The shelves looked maxed out already.
Wondering if there is was a particular reason we can't see.
Really very lovely! What a difference a wall makes. Any word on the source of that fantastic sofa?
love the nook they made for the bed. Really adds to the overall feel of the apartment. Thanks!
Aside from that nook (would have made it truly floor to ceiling perhaps) it's the perfect studio! Lovely!
well done!
so fantastic! They really utilized the space well and made some great changes!
How large is the studio? Just curious; I am looking at studios now and it is incredible to see what she was able to do with her space!
WOW, I like this space! There is nothing more appealing than furniture flow and color scheme that pops and speaks comfortable at the same time.
The kitchen looks fantastic..those cabinets are gorgeous!
It looks so much better - brighter and cleaner. I think I would put the painting over the fireplace and put the tv on an arm on the wall where the painting is.
Really nice use of space. I like the way they opened the apartment up while keeping the bed nook a little private.
SWEET!
I have to agree with @dogworld. Overall, this reno is wonderful! I love the use of space as well as the finishes. Adding the soffit above the bed does a lot to turn that little corner into it's own space. The only thing I would change is the shelves to the left of the fireplace. They are really overloaded. I would either make the shelves run from wall to wall in that nook, or I would move as many of those books over to the shelves by the bed as I could to alleviate the load. Apart from that (and that is totally minor), I love this space!
That's talent.
Love this. Please share the brand of the 18" dishwasher. We need to replace ours. Thanks!
Everything everyone has said is true, true, true. It would help, though, if the before/after photos were shot from precisely the same perspective. The first one? OK, but the others? Maybe it's me and I have no imagination. It's a bugaboo of mine, as is absent descriptions in home-tour slide shows. I've had spells when I stopped looking at them altogether because a lack of descriptions makes me crazy. Otherwise I'm a darling girl...really.
great job! completely transforms the whole apartment. uses every inch but doesn't seem crowded. congrats.
Normally I don't like open floorplans, but I must say that this transformation is very much for the better. So well done! Congratulations.
Please share the brand of the fridge! I am seeking a 21.25" fridge but can't find any besides the Avanti, which I already have. Yesterday there was a black Hotpoint fridge in a UK house tour that looked just like this one.
Though more modern than my personal taste this is the first "sweeten renovation" posted that everything actually seems to make sense.
This is amazing! I love the colorful books against the white and the wood.
Katlin not sure of the brand, but I just found this page of information about 18" dishwashers.
http://www.ajmadison.com/b.php/18+Inch%3BDishwashers/N~64+4294963284
LOVE this. Great redo.
totally agree - gorgeous fireplace just needs a painting etc - TV can be off to the side or as you suggest on an arm
Perfection
Beautiful renovation. The after is so bright and airy, someplace I'd love to live. Great job!
I think the sofas are far too large and overwhelming for such a small area and blinds would have created more space than floor-to-ceilings. Kitchen's good.
Looks a lot like the West Elm Henry sectional to me.
I agree that the sofa is too large.My favorite part is the built in shelving under the island. It's perfect!
Wow! Great transformation.
Thanks for all the great comments everyone! To answer some questions, the sofa is from IKEA, slip covered, which was a consideration with the dog! The placement of the tv over the fireplace, was because at that angle ( it's on a tilt/and extending arm) I can see the tv from every angle ( kitchen to bed!!). I had originally wanted built in bookshelves where the current ones are, but unfortunately hit my budget before I could get there.These are from IKEA, and I thought would make that nook more of an interesting detail. The books have been thinned out since,and put in color order, which breaks things up a bit, and hopefully looks fun....
I love this use of a small space. Looks like there has been floating floorboards and new skirting boards in the whole apartment which is a great idea for the overall look. I am not American and notice that a lot of these renovations put the microwave over the oven - never seen that before.
For folks looking for narrow fridges and dishwashers, we have GE models that we love so far. The fridge is 24" and the dishwasher is 18". I scored the fridge on craigslist for $700 (about half-off retail, I think) and the DW was about $700 retail.
It makes real sense to hire a professional when you really want to make a drastic change like this-i love the look!
love this remodel!! i am looking for a studio apartment (to rent) @ the moment. i hope i am able to find something as cute and functional as this!!
The fridge looks like the LG LRBP1031. I've got it in white and it's perfect: narrow, counter depth, relatively small capacity, and bottom freezer. A small fridge goes a long way to make a small kitchen look larger.
WOW WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Love it.
I'd live there.
I love this, especially the kitchen redo. I also like that a full sized couch was put in the space. I prefer a few pieces in a small space versus a lot of "tiny" pieces.
Awesome.
Your place looks great! Where is the upholstered chair in the living room from?
Whew! I was worried something awful would happen to the fireplace! Nice redo.
A few updates? It looks like they moved doors. It is also amazing what better lighting will do!
"Coup de grace" doesn't mean what you think it means. A coup de grace is a death blow, especially in a mercy killing.
hi polly,
'coup de grace' has also come to mean 'any finishing or decisive stroke', as used here.
Where do they store the cable box? The kitchen looks 100% better and love the niche for the bed.
I completely disagree with people saying the couch is too big. If you main goal of the apartment is for the owner to have people over and give them all a place to sit, then its great. Clearly they took their priorities and went with it. Its great.
The fridge is a 24" Counterdepth LG,and I believe the dishwasher is a Danby. I LOVE the original fireplace,never would have touched it !Tried to accentuate the original details (refinished and stained both the floors and window surrounds ).Bit hard to tell in the pics,but part of the reason for the recessed bed nook,came about because to the right of it, we built a floor to ceiling double closet, to make storage for clothes,seeing as we removed the original coat closet from the kitchen. The chair is the West Elm Sedgewick...
Great use of space, and the natural light is beautiful. What a lovely space to come home to!
Love it!
Nice!!
Nice wood floors!
Where did the space for the bed nook come from? Was there a closet behind that wall?
I must be another with no imagination, because I couldn't figure out how they made the kitchen bigger - I thought that closet was the door to the outside!!!
what a change!! very nice! I would definitely hire these guys.
Love it but those definitely don't look like "small" updates!
Bravo!
I have this fridge http://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/BRFB1040.html it's slim and reasonably priced. I got mine at Home Depot. They don't have them on the website but do have them in the Manhattan store.
I don't know of any NYC apartment that doesn't have a dishwasher. It drives me crazy. Now I'm an owner I had mine removed. The space is worth far more to me.
A great renovation, it would be helpful if they posted the costs as well.
Fabulous remodel!
Great job...agree with the comments about the bookshelves to left of fireplace (built-in shelves would be so much better) but sounds like you are going to update when you get the funds. I am not a fan of TV over fireplace, ever, but I guess if that is the only option...On the other hand I love your new island. Great for eating, drinking, working at home, etc. And the rest of the kitchen is wonderful. Very well thought out.
overall a terrific results - enjoy the new space.
beautiful! but where did that beautiful persian rug go??
I love it! I love the sofa- it's just right. And love the color. Love the bed nook. Makes me want a studio.
Ah... I was going to ask about how the nook could be put in, but you've already answered. Well first, your place looks great! Second, what happened with the ceiling? Were there panels or giant tiles on it before!?
The rug from the 'before' living room area would do a whole lot to brighten/ warm up the 'after'. The white rag rug is ok, but IMHO, its a bit too clean, impersonal.
I agree with the previous comments- that Persian rug was amazing! Everybody goes with white/beige rugs nowadays- Persian rugs are unique and beautiful!
nice job!
Hi lepidoptery -- the ceiling was completely re-done during the renovation and was given extra insulation to drown out any noises from upstairs neighbors. A little bit more on the project construction in these posts on theSweeten:
http://blog.thesweeten.com/2012/03/07/site-visit-w-general-assembly-part-1/
http://blog.thesweeten.com/2012/03/21/site-visit-with-general-assembly-part-2/
WHAT?! This is incredible. Very similar to the studio I lived in when I first graduated college, and I didn't even attempt a reno because I never thought it would be possible to make it into a space I actually could love. I'm in disbelief! And for the record, I'm a big fan of the overflowing bookshelf. Nothing adds personality to a room like a great reading collection :)
the kitchen is beautiful, wasn't expecting to see a change like that. lovely!
Looks like your client got a lot of bang for her buck. :)
Great job! The peninsula dining spot is a wonderful improvement.
Not doing it for me. The similar color of floor and kitchen cabinets I don't think ever works. The two hanging lamps are too high. Empty large wall in kitchen begging for something to be hung. Books on floor look messy. Couch, chair and curtains too similar in color and far too heavy visually. Phony deer head looks tacky. TV on mantle looks awful. Framing of picture in living room not flattering to print and the height is too low. It is also too monochromatic.
I like the idea of a separate bedroom area, but it's still visible to the rest of the home, I would have invested in a Murphy bed, a bed that folds up in the wall.
The book shelf near the bed is fine, but the one near the fireplace is messy looking and almost looks unfinished, almost like you ran out of wood.
Looks great and cute dog!!
Random, but that green velvet and caned chair in the first "before photo"...I just bought the exact same chair (made in Grand Rapids, MI) off Craigslist and I'm in the middle of reupholstering it. Definitely did a double-take when I saw this post!
Wow those few changes made all the difference in the world I love it.
Just beautiful!
Please tell me where to get the fluffy pillows!
Agree with you Mew Mew on the TV/ painting switch. Then you'd have room for a small console table/desk space for serving or a laptop. Might not photograph as spaciously, but living well is the best revenge!
a fresh coat of paint can make a world of difference...as well as a great photographer for those after shots. Great space planning. Any closet space or closed off storage solutions carved out?
I agree that the sofa is much too large for that space. Looks like it ate the apartment! I love the large island with the built in shelving though. ...actually the only thing I really like is the kitchen. The shelving by the fireplace looks nice but I think that the TV on the fireplace ruins it too. Such a shame! People that put TVs on/above fireplaces don't deserve to have fireplaces.
Beautiful! I love small dwellings that are nicely laid out like this one is.
Question: the cabinet/case piece between the windows...does anyone know where this can be found?
WOWZA! Looks fantastic!
Sweet!
Where's that couch from? Anybody?
People commenting on the shelves are really trying to find something to criticise! I personally don't mind them. I actually think that visually are much nicer as they create a contained block of colour!
I'd like to know where did you get the 2 dark green chairs in the picture or what did you do with them. I have the same chair different color and have become a thrift store street walker. I have searched high and low for another like it. I bought mine from an old lady in PA. who was selling her furniture and other trinkets. Saw the chair and it screamed take me! so i did, I love my chair, but it looks uneven in my living room.
ditto.
btw I also live in the city and I think your place looks Fantastic! don't see where anyone would find anything to criticize. compare to the shoe-box I call home I'd trade in a heartbeat decorating in the city does not come easy.
I love this redo but what did you do with your old chairs? I want them!