See How a Designer Created Distinct “Zones” in This Open-Concept NYC Apartment

Anyone who has lived in New York City — or any large city, for that matter — knows that living space comes at a premium. So when designer McCall Dulkys of Interiors by McCall in South Florida was tapped to decorate a Hell’s Kitchen apartment by its renters, she knew that square footage would be a challenge.

“With massive windows that displayed a fantastic 46-floor view of the city, they struggled finding the right layout to be most functional for their lifestyle,” she says. “They needed the open floor plan to function as a living room, dining area, and home office and struggled with how to do so with limited square footage.”

Another issue was that the floorplan, though it appeared nice and open, was awkward because the living area was cut off by a smaller interior wall, making the selection of a functional layout difficult, Dulkys says.

She decided that creating different zones for each function would make the best use of the space, and she executed this strategy by using — of all things — wall decor.

“Although there weren’t walls separating the zones, I utilized unique wall decor to give each space its own purpose: the office zone housed floating shelves, the dining room a gallery wall, and the living area an oversized piece of art,” Dulkys explains, adding that she also placed rugs to clearly define the living and dining zones. 

She also wanted the design to reflect her clients’ big personalities, and the apartment — with its recently updated flooring and kitchen — was the perfect blank canvas.

“I wanted the furnishings to feel fun, unique, and quirky like they are and to have their friends walk in the space and feel like it truly encompasses them as a couple,” Dulkys said. 

This can be seen in the stylish yet comfortable living room, where she (surprisingly) utilized oversized furniture and art.

“Clients constantly think they need small furniture in their small rentals, yet the opposite is actually true,” Dulkys said, noting that she chose a cream-colored sectional sofa that spanned the entire wall and hung a large piece of abstract art behind it. “Not only did we utilize every square inch of this living room, but we made it feel much larger by scaling up in both furniture and accessories.”

The black and white motif of the art, which makes the ceiling appear higher with its size, is echoed in throw pillows and a geometric rug that’s layered upon a larger jute area rug. The rugs “bring in depth and a fun, unexpected pop,” Dulkys notes. 

Touches of blue on two throw pillows and a velvet accent chair are unexpected and refreshing amid the otherwise-neutral color scheme. Behind the chair hangs a fringed wall hanging.

“I incorporated a mix of textures throughout the entire open space,” she said. “The variety of textures helped bring dimension and interest to an uninspired space.”

Finally, Dulkys selected a wood coffee table, two poufs, an arched floor lamp, and an inconspicuous wall-mounted TV to round out the living space.

Now, this apartment is so fun and funky that — if it’s truly reflective of its owners — we need to meet them, stat.