A “Boring” 275-Square-Foot NYC Studio Is Now Happy, Cozy, and Cat-Friendly

published Nov 6, 2024

A “Boring” 275-Square-Foot NYC Studio Is Now Happy, Cozy, and Cat-Friendly

published Nov 6, 2024
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Bedrooms
Square feet

275

Sq ft

275

Melanie and her adopted feline daughter, Tay (short for Taylor Alison Swift), has rented this teeny studio apartment on the Upper East Side for four years. And as a homebody, her top priority was to make her space a happy place, “somewhere I could feel safe after a day in the corporate world as a corporate girly.” 

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Credit: Kiritin Beyer Clausen
Melanie built her table to "showcase fun glasses, with plexiglass covers that I had cut myself and cute knobs. Even though I don’t drink, I love to host and enjoy mocktails in fun glasses. I didn’t have much inspiration for that one, I just went for it."

Melanie works at LinkedIn and is “obsessed with my job and the company! It’s a place where I can be my best self every single day and not feel burnt out … ever, because I’m doing what I love to do … helping others.”

But just because she’s a corporate girly, she’s not interested in bringing work home to her small space. “My home is where I host (I’m obsessed with hosting), live, and, most importantly, unwind and ROT!”

Credit: Kiritin Beyer Clausen

This is actually the first time Melanie has lived alone, and had to tackle a number of challenges, such as making a small space work and working within a budget. “I knew I had to focus on space-saving solutions that wouldn’t make the space feel cluttered,” Melanie begins.

Credit: Kiritin Beyer Clausen

“I HATE clutter, but I love sentimental things, which is a TOTAL oxymoron. I’ve spent quite a bit of money at The Container Store and IKEA to make those two happen. I swear by The Container Store and I (humbly) feel like I am their poster child/ideal customer — they have a solution for every one of my crazy storage needs down to the millimeter.” She also “decorated everything I bought” from IKEA with “removable wallpaper to make it feel more personal.”

Credit: Kiritin Beyer Clausen

But Melanie hasn’t just customized her small studio for herself. “I wanted to give Tay (my pride and joy) a safe, cozy spot as well,” Melanie begins. “So in any spare area, including on the walls, I added a pillow cover and some soft toys so she can nap in a new place and explore.”

Resources

Credit: Kiritin Beyer Clausen
  • All wallpaper — Amazon
  • Mostly thrifted shelves

Thanks, Melanie!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.

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