Before & After: Maura’s Smart Studio Sleeping Solution

Written by

Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director at AT Media
Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director at AT Media
For more than 10 years, I've led Apartment Therapy's real home content, producing thousands of house tours from around the world. Currently, I live in my maximalist dream home in New Orleans, Louisiana, with my partner, a perfect dog, and a cute cat.
published Mar 23, 2014
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(Image credit: Maura)

After moving into her 480 square foot apartment, Maura looked for a creative solution to solve two separate studio space challenges: how to create a space that a 70lb dog and two cats can all enjoy in peace and how to create a somewhat separate sleeping space so it didn’t feel like she was throwing cocktail parties in her bedroom when she entertained. Her DIY solution is smart and sweet.

(Image credit: Maura)
(Image credit: Maura)

From Maura:

I did a whole lot of internet searching, but found very few examples of ways that people have created “bedrooms” in a studio space that were appealing to me. I also did not want to change the architecture of the room, since it’s a rental, so it needed to be something free standing. After trying a few things out in room planning software, I came up with with an ambitious idea for a bed nook. I am lucky to have a very handy dad who did not scoff when I presented him with my blueprints, but told me he’d drive down the next weekend with his pickup truck and powerdrills.

The finished nook is just a little bit bigger than a double bed. At 8 ft tall, it’s the height of a standard room [her apartment’s ceilings are 12 feet high], and it’s incredibly cozy to sleep in at night. The walls create hallways at both the entrance and next to the kitchen, which has the effect of making the space feel much larger than it is.

It’s anchored to the back wall with two long screws, but is otherwise free-standing, and I created shelf “steps” for the cats along one side [so they can perch in a just-for-cats loft space above the nook]. They love hanging out and sleeping on top. The top of the nook also provides me with some much-needed storage space, so I’m able to store several boxes that I don’t need to access regularly. I love everything about the nook, and I’m incredibly happy with the way it turned out.

See more photos (as well as her whole cute studio) on Maura’s blog. And hey, does that art on a corner of her wall look familiar?

Thank you Maura!