See Inside the Cramped Space That Editors Transformed into the Chic “Design Defined” Podcast Studio

Design Defined, one of our beloved newsletters here at Apartment Therapy, has evolved into an exciting new project: a video podcast hosted by Executive Home Director Danielle Blundell and, well, me! Each episode brings you the latest and greatest in the world of interior design through the lens of market trends that Danielle is seeing while traveling across the globe (literally!), plus exciting details around what’s trending online and in the most fabulous shows and movies of the season. Plus, we’re excited to share even more weekly updates with you all on our brand-new Substack too.

It should come as a surprise to absolutely no one that Danielle and I put our heads together to create a podcast studio that felt right for the launch of Design Defined. Our offices in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood are so cozy, but not exactly palatial — luckily, we were able to carve out a corner in one of our many busy filming spaces just for us. 

With the help of Apartment Therapy’s brilliant studio team, Danielle and I reimagined a tiny annex into a lovely domain for our adventures into the world of design — and the best part? This mini makeover all took place in just under two weeks.

The most important aspect of our studio space for Season 1 of Design Defined is (by far!) the seating we chose. Because our podcast is distributed both on Spotify and filmed for our YouTube audience, it was important to us to have a comfortable place to sit while we talk for hours on end. Swivel chairs offered the mobility we needed (sometimes we’re chatting with each other; other times, directly at camera!), but not all swivel chairs are made the same. We hunted for the right one for the job!

That’s where our friends at Pottery Barn came in. Their perfectly sleek Gideon Upholstered Armchair is available in a multitude of fabrics and leathers (we went with a high-performance velvet finish) and is made with a lightweight wooden frame that’s beautifully supportive. 

The Gideon was a great fit for us, as our filming studio is only about 10’ feet at most; these armchairs clock in at just 34” wide, which means they nestled into this space perfectly. While they’re wonderfully compact for those in smaller apartments with tight floor plans, they sacrifice nothing in the comfort department; I’ve now sat in my hosting chair for around 10 hours of filming, and not once have I had lower back pain! It’s an ingenious feat that makes me want to steal these for my own home (just kidding, colleagues!).

Because Danielle and I love to dress in lots of bold prints and hues, we were keen to pick a neutral color palette for our set — and settled on Pottery Barn’s rich “camel” colorway to establish a base for decor to come. The next choice? Our trusty side tables.

Danielle and I spent lots of time poring over different kinds of side tables for our space; we even considered a micro coffee table and more modern “c” tables that could have worked, too. Ultimately, though, we needed something with quality construction — after all, these side tables not only hold our drinks of choice, but also serve as an anchor for very expensive audio equipment! — that also had a design profile to mirror our modern armchairs.

Enter: a set of Pottery Barn’s Cayman side tables in a beautifully deep “antique” Umber finish, which is a dream pairing for something as beautifully minimalist as the Gideon chair. Made from stunning solid kiln-dried mango wood, these side tables are designed with adjustable levelers to ensure that movement or uneven surfaces won’t send anything tumbling. 

That made it perfect to nestle atop the room’s high-pile throw carpet, and brought relief to our video crew who carefully set up audio for each of our recording sessions.

From there, the rest of the details of our cozy, chic space came together so beautifully. Danielle chose a neutral pleated lamp for some mood lighting, converted a freestanding mantel to set a focal point in our “room,” and brought in a gorgeous fiddle-leaf fig tree to add a touch of natural greenery (shh, it’s faux!). 

Our expert studio team also painted the whole space in a lovely coat of Benjamin Moore’s Wood Ash, and I helped secure a few more warm details to round out a calming background (hello, candlesticks and a wee pothos!). The finishing touch was storing a woven basket of cozy throw pillows and blankets in our faux “hearth” to round us out. 

It’s understated and simple, yet totally gorgeous and magical. So much can happen in just 10 business days, huh? Danielle and I are so excited to be dropping new episodes monthly, and even more pumped to be in touch with all of you weekly in Design Defined’s newsletter and on the Substack platform, too! 

If you cop our stylish setup as shown above, let us know — we’d love to see your take on our chic seating area!