“My life was dramatically different when we first moved in to now, and the space had to shift with us,” she writes of the home she shared with her boyfriend, Chase Del Rey. “I began working from home, we got really into entertaining, and designing this space became the center of my work.”

Because the couple shared only 500 square feet, they had to get creative to maximize the space they did have, to make it work for when they had friends over, and to find as much storage as possible.

“My favorite tips for maximizing storage in a small space that I used in this studio apartment are as follows: Get a bed with legs (at least 6-7” tall!). This was a game-changer for storing suitcases, extra clothing, yoga mats, or pretty much any random thing you don’t know what to do with! Also, use your vertical space (in my closet I hung a vertical shoe rack on the wall that really changed the game). And storage furniture is key! My dining nook benches have storage in them, which is so incredibly helpful. The tip here is don’t just buy a bench/coffee table/etc. — buy a storage bench/coffee table/etc.”

Wackerman is now on to her next home and design adventure: She recently moved across the country to New York and will no doubt create another beautiful home.

Thanks, Mallory!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.

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