A 300-Square-Foot NYC Studio Shows How Effective Clear Furniture Is in a Small Space

updated Aug 13, 2020

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Name: Samantha Rosen
Location: New York, New York
Type of home: Studio apartment
Size: 300 square feet
Years lived in: 10 months, renting

Credit: Samantha Rosen

My "dining room" is my funky corner. I've had my eye on a Baron Von Fancy print for years and so happy I finally got one—it's a lyric from one of my favorite Grateful Dead songs. My friends got me the Jonathan Adler pillow for my birthday, and I got the oversized wine glass from HomeGoods—and naturally, filled it up with Hershey Kisses.

Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I live in a studio on the Upper East Side and I never want to leave my little shoebox again. I had a very specific vision for it—plenty of white, silver, and light purple accents. I knew I wanted a metallic cowhide rug and so I slowly built the vibe and color scheme off of that. I like to think that it’s a mix of “skulls and buddhas” because the metallic colors make it a little edgy, but there’s tons of white to keep it clean and calming. My apartment was more or less done before the pandemic, but once you-know-what hit the fan, I became obsessed with doubling down and decorating, making sure every single detail was perfect. It’s definitely on the small side (it’s NYC, after all) but I made it a point to make it fairly functional: There’s the bedroom, living room, dining room and even an office.

Credit: Samantha Rosen

Having an "office" was not part of my original plan, but since we'll be working from home for the foreseeable future, I wanted to make a little corner office I loved. I especially love the $40 removable wallpaper I found on Amazon, and got an acrylic desk from Wayfair so it doesn't look too "desk"-like. Plus, acrylic gives the illusion of space, which was really important especially in such a small spot. I also went to Tulane and I'm obsessed with New Orleans, so this art that's a play on the "Prada Marfa" art you see everywhere was a perfect fit.

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Glam, edgy, soothing and practical.

Credit: Samantha Rosen

Fun hack: Put silver metallic tape around your TV to make it look like the Samsung Frame. I got the dresser from Wayfair and decorated with more coffee table books, some flowers, and plenty of candles. This little floor space doubles as my "gym" in the mornings, too!

What is your favorite room and why? My apartment is basically one “big” room — but my favorite section, so to speak, is my “living room.” It took a while for me to find art that I loved that fit my apartment’s vibe and wasn’t generic or overly trendy. The piece from ArtSugar is the perfect accent piece that encompasses the entire look I was going for. I love making some popcorn (my kryptonite), adjusting the TV, and curling up on the couch with a good book or binging Netflix. Heaven.

Credit: Samantha Rosen

My favorite "room"—the living room. The print is by Hanna Panchenko and I found it on ArtSugar. The couch is from West Elm, and the coffee table is from Walmart. I stacked some of my favorite coffee table books on the bottom, plus a Z Gallerie tray with coasters, a candle, and of course, a skull, at the top.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? This neon sign above my bed! It took forever to get here but I love how it turned out.

Credit: Samantha Rosen

I wanted my bed to feel like sleeping on a cloud and with the all-white bedding, it certainly does! The neon sign over it gives it some more personality without being overbearing or tacky.

Any advice for creating a home you love? Be patient! It took me almost 10 months for everything to really, really come together. You might be tempted to buy the first thing you see that “works,” and while there’s certainly nothing wrong with that, nine times out of ten you’ll be glad you did a bit more research and found the exact right piece you’re looking for. It definitely takes some work (and even a little bit of luck) but it will pay off in the end.

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