This New Yorker Took Advantage of His View Using This Clever Furniture Trick

When searching for an apartment smack dab in the middle of a city, nothing beats dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows and sweeping views. But trying to create a functional furniture layout around those panes? Not so easy.

You could block the window overlooking the river, or the one looking out over other high-rise buildings. Doing either option would mean minimizing light and ambiance, while also creating a look that feels more sloppy than intentional — and that’s far from ideal, too. 

This is exactly the dilemma freelance writer and author of “Basic Bitchin,” Joey Skladany, faced in his Brooklyn apartment, which has floor-to-ceiling windows that make for “goosebump-inducing” sights. His corner unit overlooks Manhattan and Brooklyn in a way that’s straight out of a New York City dream, but furnishing it wasn’t such a walk in the park.

Joey describes the awkward layout as “literally the shape of a triangle with very little wall space.” There’s no obvious wall to set a sofa against or a place to carve out a seating area. So he had to really consider how furniture would work in front of his windows. And that’s when it became clear that the solution was in finding the right size for each piece, fitting it perfectly into this apartment’s setup. 

“It’s taught me to really take dimensions and furniture height into consideration,” Joey says. He notes that people may not consider scale or height as much as they should in a smaller living space, but doing so makes a significant difference in how he enjoys his home.

“Every piece of furniture I put into this apartment affects aspects like my view, the general flow, and how it interacts with everything surrounding it,” he says. 

In the living room, he created a visual line toward the windows by choosing items that all had a similar height, from the side table and sofa to the end table and media cabinet. The only item that’s taller than the others is an accent chair that has striking vertical stripes, which creates an interesting contrast without breaking the flow. And in the dining area, the stools and table all hit the same height as well, carefully avoiding visual disruption.

So next time you’re looking at an apartment with stunning floor-to-ceiling windows and wondering where the furniture will go, just remember this trick. Use scale and height to create a consistent baseline, and your eyes will go straight toward the skyline.

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