This New York City Apartment Is So Small, the Sink Is in the Shower

published Sep 16, 2024

This New York City Apartment Is So Small, the Sink Is in the Shower

published Sep 16, 2024
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Bedrooms
Square feet

472

Sq ft

472

Sydney Fazende has owned this 472-square-foot apartment in SoHo for seven years, but the way it’s looked has changed a lot. “The evolution of my space reflects the evolution of myself, too,” she says.

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“The way I lived and interacted with my home totally changed during the pandemic — I was spending way more time at home, and I wanted it to feel like somewhere that I wanted to spend time. In that time that I worked from home, I became a bit more focused on the space itself and how it was an extension of me. I wanted it to look the part,” Sydney writes.

"The coffee table is actually an ottoman that hides a tri-fold mattress pad. My sister lived with me one summer, and that was her bed. When she moved out, I bought some fabric and took the cover for the mattress to a seamstress I found on Thumbtack. She was able to use that as a pattern to create the cover you see now. I like it because it is movable, but also can be extra seating when I have people over, if needed."

Before Sydney moved in, she described the one-bedroom as “clean, functional, a little gray.” But now? “Minimal, romantic, effortless are my style words, and I feel that pulls through in my home! I’ve had to make the best out of small-space living, but I love how each room in my apartment feels a bit distinctive but also cohesive,” Sydney writes.

She wanted her living room to feel separate from the kitchen (where she works during the day), and needed “a place where I could ‘go’ after work from home.” She’s created distinctive areas with a smart layout. One of her biggest challenges was the home’s size. “It’s perfect for me (and now me and my puppy), but it really took a lot of trial and error on furniture arrangements, and a decent amount of custom pieces to make it feel like I was maximizing the space,” Sydney says.

"My sofa and accent chairs are perpendicular to the TV rather than in front of it," Sydney begins. "For the first few years living here, I had the couch on the brick wall side, facing directly towards the TV. One night (truly I think it was past midnight), I had an 'aha!' moment and fully hulked out and began rearranging the furniture around to how it is situated currently. By having the couch on the current wall, I opened up the space and it allowed for accent chair seating, which also created a bit of separation from the kitchen. Looking back, I can't believe it took me years to figure out the ideal arrangement for the space."

She says she went slow picking the right pieces to outfit the space, and she had to be “patient enough to make a lot of tiny tweaks versus one big overhaul. It felt less strain financially to go little by little too,” Sydney explains. “At the end of the day, it forced me to be super intentional about what I brought into my home. Not even visually, but also emotionally — I can honestly say that everything in here is meaningful to me, which then means it’s a reflection of me, and I love that.”

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"Finding the right sofa was a journey! It was a full goldilocks situation in which I tried and came to despise three different sofas before I landed on this one," Sydney begins. "My best friend lives in Denver, and when I visited a few years ago, we went to try out this couch because she had sat on it at another friend's house and loved it. I remember plopping on it in the Arhaus store and thinking — 'one day, you will be mine.' A year or two later after admitting to the failure of couch number three,  I found myself back in Denver and had that same friend come with me to place my order. Is there an Arhaus in the NY area? Yes. Did it make for a better story that I bought it in Denver? Also yes. When it finally arrived, I think it made it in the door by about a quarter inch. When I sell this apartment, the couch might have to come with it. Future buyer, you are welcome."

LIVING ROOM

  • Kipton Sofa — Arhaus
  • Accent Pillows — Clic Gallery + Amber Interiors
  • Hannah Media Console — Lulu & Georgia 
  • Rug  (Custom Zag) — Beni Rugs
  • Larabee Accent Chairs — Lulu & Georgia 
  • Floor Mirror — World Market 
  • Dimity — Farrow & Ball all walls 
  • All White — Farrow & Ball for ceilings
"[M]y counter height table can be a proper table, an island, or even a mah-jongg table when the time is right. I chose my accent chairs because they were easily movable if I needed to rearrange my seating to be a bit more open to the kitchen area, too," Sydney writes. "My serveware — my favorite bowls, plates, and glasses are all displayed on my walls. They're like art and beautiful enough that they can be my decorative objects, too. As fashionable as I wanted my apartment to be, it needed to be functional, too."

KITCHEN

  • Dining table (custom) — What We Make
  • Henry Counter Stools — Arhaus 
  • Rattan Pendant Light — CB2 
  • Vase — Amber Interiors 
  • Floating Shelves — World Market 
  • Floating Bar Shelf — Anthropologie
  • Penelope 5-Drawer Dresser — West Elm 

BEDROOM

Violette Headboard (Custom) — KLN Studio
Penelope 5-Drawer Nightstand — West Elm 

"I splurged on materials, like Brizo hardware, because I wanted it to feel superspecial. The black adds a little bit of funk to the space, but if your sink is in the shower, why not? I brought in some natural textures with woven baskets, Coyuchi towels. The textured elements here add a bit of a natural-ness to a bathroom that might otherwise feel a bit too disco," Sydney describes of her remodeled bathroom.

BATHROOM

  • Cloud Loom Towels — Coyuchi 
  • Infinity Black Medicine Cabinet — CB2 
  • Beachcomber Handwoven Console Basket — Pottery Barn 
  • Bamboo Bath Mat — Amazon 
  • Litze Hardware (Luxe Gold) — Brizo 
  • WS Bath Collections Sink — Perigold 
  • Light Fixture — Lamps Plus

Thanks, Sydney!