Denisha's Bold, Playful Space
Name: Denisha Dennis
Instagram: @s0_Purple
Size: 710 square feet
Home type: Apartment
Location: Brooklyn, NY
What you're looking at:
Run, jump, and play -- our DIY cat wall gives us three options of entertainment: the TV, our record player, and the cat! (Image credit: Denisha Dennis)Run, jump, and play -- our DIY cat wall gives us three options of entertainment: the TV, our record player, and the cat!
A bold entryway to set the tone and guide you into our home.
Years lived in: 11 months, rented
Household: My fiance and our sour patch cat, Pao
Have any design professionals worked on this space? No
Do you currently live in your Small/Cool space full-time? Yes
Describe your space:
Our previous apartment was on the first floor with one window that offered a breathtaking view of... a brick wall! Lesson learned. Our home now sits almost 50 stories high, offers a ton of sunlight, and has the perfect view of the NYC skyline! NYC is infamous for its "cozy" living spaces, which are bearable (and accepted) because of its bustling outdoor scene. However, our hobbies became unavailable during the height of the pandemic when the City was on lockdown. With both of us working remotely, we were forced to be together all.the.time. In an effort to stay sane, we incorporated solo areas.
Did you DIY anything in your space? And, if so, what's your favorite DIY?
The cat wall is by far the best DIY project to date, as it offers our active cat an outlet to climb and explore, in addition to wall art and extra storage.
How do you make your small space work for you and feel bigger than it really is?
Being that this is a NYC apartment, it is imperative that we maximize space, so when purchases are being made, there is a heavy focus that items need to offer multiple uses or have storage space. In our home, our lift-top coffee table offers storage, which we use to store blankets and games, as well as doubles as our dining table; our dining table is, in fact, used for board games, puzzles, and entertaining when we have guests; and a third example would be our end table, which offers interior storage and charging. We're fortunate that we have 11-foot ceilings.
How does your home reflect you?
I live in a city, which I love, and while it's beautiful, it's gray, and for most of us who live here, we unofficially default to a black uniform. In our home, I consciously make an effort to use every opportunity to make it vibrant and bright. We have a gallery wall over our puzzle table displaying the works of several artists ranging from Jean-Michel Basquiat to Vincent van Gogh. I come from a large, diverse family, and am also in an interracial relationship, so I was inclined to represent those whom I love.