Name: Matt
Location: Astoria, Queens — NYC
Size: 375 square feet
Years lived in: 9
Here's a closer look at one of your favorite contest entries, featured last month Small Cool 2010: Matt's Original Detail. The petite place is filled with colorful touches and clever solutions wherever you look.
With a love of vibrant mid-century art and era-appropriate furnishings, Matt took his dimly-lit studio space and filled it with brightness and intensity. A small floorplan was no obstacle on his mission to create a beautiful home. Instead of spreading out, all of Matt's pieces spread up. For example, a pair of modern dressers at a flea market was too good to turn down, so our friend removed the base from one dresser and secured the rest of the piece above the other one with brackets. He exaggerated the height of the few windows he does have by mounting coverings at the highest possible location. Even the artwork in this apartment makes great use of vertical space, with ceramic pieces reaching upward and vignettes climbing every available wall.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: A mix of Mid-Century Modern, old and new pieces and graphic elements.
Inspiration: Design books and blogs, friends' places
Favorite Element: The original detail, including the contrasting stained border around the hardwood floors, the original door knobs (now restored from many unfortunate layers of paint) and picture rail moulding.
Biggest Challenge: With only 375 square feet of space and one small closet, space planning was definitely my biggest challenge. I didn't want to go with a Murphy bed or fill the apartment with furniture that would need to be moved, adjusted or hidden away on a daily basis. Really the only piece that does double duty is the large table on casters. It's mostly used as a desk but is big enough to function as a dining table with minimal adjustments.
What Friends Say: Most tend to comment on the artwork first. I've also heard "warm/inviting," "colorful" and "Um, you have a lot of vases."
Biggest Embarrassment: No separate bedroom or dining area.
Proudest DIY: I found two identical dressers at a local flea market, but only had the floor space for one. I needed the extra storage though, so the vendor suggested taking the legs off of one dresser and stacking them. It didn't take any real skill (just some braces to secure the two together) but I'm happy with the way it turned out.
Biggest Indulgence: Oddly enough, it's almost been an indulgence to get rid of all of the extra things that I don't need. Although a little more square footage and storage would be great, there's something to be said for editing down your belongings to the things you actually use and enjoy.
Best Advice: Measure. And then go out and buy things that you like.
Dream Source: DWR, ABC Carpet & Home
Resources: Almost all of the wood furniture was found at local flea markets and thrift stores. Other furniture sources include CB2 and IKEA. The artwork is a mix of flea market finds, hand-me-downs, reproductions, gifts and some DIY artwork.
Thanks, Matt!
Images: Annie Werbler
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The patterns and colors are very Albers.
This is a good example of a studio that is cozy has all the right ingredients to make it personal, warm and not cluttered.
Also you are a good stacker.
Why would the lay the bathroom and kitchen in that order.
It should have won the contest. Or at least one of the last few best digs.
matt, i love your home. such great art and you are so organized, which is really important in a small space. you have some great MCM pieces and overall your place is just warm and comfortable. well done!
It's perfect....good proportions to start with and your eye for arrangement and knowing when enough is enough...ie wall groupings...lots of vases used as decorative form and color...not so spare as to look unlived in and not cluttered. Where is the spice (?) rack from? Altogether terrific....I agree this should have been a winner...probably eliminated too early...sagefoxx
Your artworks are awesome. You inspire me to go graphic.
Could have been 10 stars for me if your apartment were flooded with sunlight. But overall it's beautiful.
Matt, you have great style. I really, really love this place. The layout, the pieces, the artwork, the whole overall vibe. It feels very warm and comfortable.
Also, did you make your desk/table? I'm dying to make something with those hairpin legs. How about a tutorial?
love. love. LOVE.
Matt your place looks great!!! I was wondering if you can tell me where you got the clear coffee table and the multi-drawer/dresser the TV is sitting on?
Really beautifully done. It has personality and you seem to really maximize the space. Also, I love that your style is clearly mid-century modern, but you're not a slave to it - you leave room for other things.
Wow, well done. Very inspiring!
Loved it in Small Cool, love it even more now. This is truly a place I'd like to hang out in. Matt, you're making me contemplate a move to Queens to get about 100 more sq ft than I've got in Brooklyn.
this place is great inspiration for studio dwellers. every piece has a purpose and place, the arrangement is perfect, the artwork makes it personal, and you can comfortably have guests without it feeling cramped. i would LOVE to hang out in this apartment, and i'm particularly envious of your collage of frames above the sofa and the placement of your shelving units. I have such anxiety about executing those things...
@tzujuc, i'm fairly certain the coffee table is the peekaboo from CB2:
http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=114&f=699&fromLocation=search
Now THIS is a well-hung man. With nice balls.
The Wayne Thiebaud balls, that is,
Great place! Everything really fits- Lucky you!
Lots of inspiration here for my wee studio - thanks, Matt!
Really beautiful place. Please help a fellow Astorian out- where did that beautiful orange lamp come from?
Loving the artwork.
this can't possibly be 375 sq. ft!! wow, you have a really good sense of style, scale, & design. very sweet space!
This was my favorite in the small cool contest. Thanks for a closer look!
Woo! Astoria!
Great apartment. Oddly, I especially love the curtain rods.
Wow- thanks very much for all of the nice comments! Happy to answer your questions:
sagefoxx: The spice rack is from IKEA. You can buy the GRUNDTAL containers and magnetic bars there. I bought the smaller magnetic containers at Bed Bath & Beyond.
creative license: The desk is another IKEA purchase. They sell the legs and table tops separately, so you can come up with your own combination. This combination is from the VIKA series: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/workspaces/11811/
tzujuc: The coffee table is from CB2 (good eye, midcentmod! Thanks!): http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=114&f=699
The dresser is from a flea market in NYC.
bsz: the orange lamp is from overstock.com
Thanks again everyone!
awesome apt. love it
oh, i love this! my boyfriend and i are struggling with our own small space, looking for pieces that are functional but add to the overall design. we love what you've done!
we'd like to know what are the blender and food processor? and where is that kitchen rack/cart they are sitting on from?
I have a lot of vases, too... they are great for affordable sculptural form and color on a small scale. I wish I could fill them with flowers, but alas!
Comparing this tiny studio with my own much larger apt. and I just want to cry. Everything is organized and has a place and I wish so much I could do that; trying to edit just about kills me. Matt, you have my utmost respect.
Love this place! Very inspirational. Your house is very similar to mine (though yours is much nicer!) in color and textures, so you have given me some good ideas on display and organization.
One question: Where did you get the rug?
@Corrie: Used to live in Astoria/LIC, myself -- now live in "Upstate Manhattan" (aka Washington Heights) where you get more apartment bang for your buck.
Love it: functional and beautiful. It makes me want to sacrifice space and move closer to the city, but I have enough books to fill 100 square feet, and parting with them feels criminal...i suppose I like the idea of minimalism, but could never actually go there.
I also agree with KayinKCMO...you have my respect as well.
Love your place, very inviting and colorful.
Wondering how you are getting away with running a gas range without a vent hood though?! Maybe I'm just not seeing it in the photo.
Love your place Matt. Where did you get your living room area rug? It's just what I've had in mind.
Efficient but stylish and well laid out. Good job Matt!
love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it
love all the random artwork behind the couch.
i would have to find a way to hide the bed though... i hate beds up against a wall and i hate more to be able to see the bed.
This is one of my all-time faves primarily because it's SO REAL. Everything I see here is stuff I can imagine buying for myself. I can imagine living in this place. The vintage stuff is not out-of-reach. I had to go back three times to appreciate the Donna Martin Graduates sticker on the fridge. It's a studio apartment; of course the bed is right there. Nice bed. Nice bedspread. I love and agree with the advice about measuring and buying what you like. LOVE the artwork. LOVE the super graphic stuff. LOVE all the vases. This place makes me want to see what Matt looks like!
P.S. Almost forgot, during a time when everyone (including yours truly) relies too much on IKEA's cookie cutter solutions, I am impressed with how well Matt managed to make the IKEA stuff blend in with the good stuff. Too many interiors on AT allow IKEA pieces to dominate, but that's not happening here. Matt's own personal style takes center stage, and IKEA's just a supporting act.
ive been looking for a studio on apartmenttherapy that has a similar shape and size to my own and i finally found one! thanks!
Fantastic home! Do you have any information about the black ceramic ram on photo 11? I found an identical white pair but have had no luck identifying them.
Holy cow, your artwork is phenom! I try and achieve the same look with Ellsworth Kelly prints and some homemade paintings but your eclectic mix puts mine to shame!!!
Oh, and Ill take the pillow on the left of the couch with the cubes, thanks.
Thanks again everyone! I really appreciate all of the great comments!
JaclynS: The blender is made by Oster: http://www.oster.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=1983 and the food processor is a Cuisinart Mini-Prep. The bakers rack is from Target.
katszeye & heatherd006: The rug is from overstock.com
meld193: The ram is an ebay find.
Hey Matt,
Really great job with the apt. Love the art and the bed frame!
Where is the bed and the closet from?
Thanks!
Queens in the house!
Posts like these are why I come to the site. Real people on modest budgets with creative and well-thought homes.
I think the acrylic coffee table and the desk/table on spindly legs do so much for adding some openness to the space. Way to use the vertical space. And you have officially inspired me to get off my lazy butt and hang the artwork that has been gathering dust in a corner.
I want to move in!!!
I absolutely love the kitchen (as well as the rest of your place): it looks well-edited, organized, and functional.
Thanks again for all of the kind and thoughtful comments!
notjustart: The headboard is from West Elm (and is attached to a standard metal bed frame).
Almost forgot- notjustart: the closet is from a small NYC furniture store that is, unfortunately, no longer in business.
Wonderful place!
Question: I'd love to get my hands on those black stackable shelves. Where are they from?
i love everything about it, matt! great job!
This house brings out that color that is required in life! Beautiful work, just like Jim & chi's house, this has pieces that have been put together one at a time. Interesting and intriguing pieces. Perfect color coordination and matching everything together brought more beauty to the pieces than they would look individually! The paintings are beautiful along with the side tables and picture 3 piece.another definite high is the orange chair!!!
Excellent use of orange!
matt, i love the place and will be hitching a few ideas. one MUST-KNOW: where did you get the donna martin graduates magnet? i know, i know, i'm the loser that came out and asked but everyone else was thinking it. i've been searching for it for the past hour and now rely on your grace.
thanks.
flomo: The black shelves were found along with the wardrobe at the same (now defunct) furniture store in NYC. However, I've seen identical stacking shelves at Bed Bath & Beyond in the past.
freckletree: The "Donna Martin Graduates" sticker (sorry, it's not a magnet) was a gift from a friend. He found it on cafepress.com a few years ago. Glad you got a kick out of it!
Hope this is helpful to both of you!
Thanks for the info about the black shelves, Matt!
I love this place !!! Very much my style as well !!! I managed to pick up a few ideas !!! Love the bed and the acrylic coffee table !!!
flomo: You're very welcome! Good luck finding the shelves.
Looks like I missed a couple of earlier questions- sorry for the delay:
funkisockmunki: You're correct- there is no vent hood in the kitchen. As far as I know, I don't think landlords are required to install a hood if there is a functional window in the kitchen.
b77: I imagine the bathroom and kitchen were originally laid out next to each other for plumbing purposes, but I can't say for sure. The layout has worked well for me though.
Matt,
Whereever did you find that awesome rectangular shelving unit that you have your cable box and dvd player in?
Love it!
I love that you hung the curtains from the ceiling! That adds the illusion of space to the living area.
Matt, where is the Felix Waser 1982 print from? Thanks!
Thanks again for all of your questions and comments!
chanin Jade: I found the shelves at a NYC store that is, unfortunately, no longer in business (it was called Basics Furniture). I saw similar shelves at Bed Bath and Beyond a few years ago, but it doesn't look like they still carry them. Wish I could be of more help. Good luck!
Helvetiver: The Felix Waser print is an ebay find.
Thanks again!
Your apartment is my favorite on this entire site. I totally just bought the Target baker's rack, so thanks for that bit of inspiration. But sadly, it didn't come with the paper towel attachment. Where did you find that?
katygirl8: Thank you very much! I really appreciate the compliment! That's actually a magnetic paper towel holder which is attached to the side of the fridge. You can find it here: http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen/paperTowels?productId=10011901
Thanks again!
Is that an original Albers print above your bed!? Where did you find it!?
icarus: the artwork is an Albers-inspired DIY project. Just a stretched canvas from the art store, some yellow paint samples and painter's tape. Thanks for the question!
Hi Matt,
I have no idea if you still check this, but I am intrigued by the print of the 6 balls. I bookmarked the image some time ago and I thought it was a Wayne Thiebaud, but can't find it on the internet anywhere!!!! Can you tell me the name of the print and artist if I have got that wrong?
Thanks so much...
I have the exact same side table (pictured in photo 14), from Junk in Brooklyn about a year ago. Is it such a small world that you found yours there, too? Perhaps I have the partner to yours!
Pakora: Yep- the print is a Wayne Thiebaud and is an untitled work. I actually don't have the print anymore or I would gladly give you more info. Hope this helps!
Kate Anthony: Small world indeed! I got the side table at a used furniture store in Astoria. Who knows how many are out there!
Such a sophisticated home.
love the bed frame Matt! where could I find it?