A Living Room Makeover Helps a 520-Square-Foot Apartment Feel Much Larger
If you rent your apartment, it’s totally possible to personalize it and make changes within reason (and within the terms of your lease) You can paint the walls, add peel-and-stick wallpaper or tile, and make Command Strip improvements and lighting swaps. If you own, you can opt for a more dramatic renovation, if need be — and Larry Fish’s New York City apartment, originally built in the 1960s, needed it.
“There were three nearly identical apartments for sale in the building at the time: One was recently renovated, but not necessarily my vibe; one was unlivable without a full gut renovation; and this apartment was somewhere in the middle — immediately liveble, but definitely needing a fairly big renovation,” Larry explains. He hired his friend Drew Powers (the primary architect on the project), plus architects Ryan Donaghy and Mikhail Kim, all of DRYY Studio, to help transform the space.
In the living room, “there was a plastic chandelier over what was previously the dining table,” Larry says. “The apartment had broken wooden window shades and an ancient accordion door between the bedroom and the living room.”
Here’s how the architects and the homeowner created a modern, airy, colorful home that feels much larger than its 520 square feet.
The dining and living spaces were flip-flopped for better flow.
“The old layout of the living and dining room assumed that the dining table would be closer to the kitchen and the living room would be closer to the window,” Larry explains. “However, we decided to swap where the living and dining areas are in that space.”
There’s still a little bit of room to sit by the kitchen and eat with bar seating, and Larry says he loves having the dining table by the big window. The switch prompted two more big changes, and two of Larry’s favorite elements in his home: the sliding pocket door and the lighting.
There’s a new pocket door with a pop of color.
First, the DRRY team (and construction team) built out the wall behind the TV to allow for a pocket door that closes off the bedroom and creates an accent wall in the apartment, as it’s covered in a gradient wallpaper.
“It works so well to make that door a feature in the space,” Drew, the architect, says. “And, because the door is tucked into the pocket most of the time, the wallpaper adds some drama when you slide the door shut; it’s a fun surprise.”
Building out the wall also allowed for easier installation of the TV. “We were able to precisely position the outlet and cable jack to ensure that no wires were visible,” Larry says. “That whole wall now feels like an entry portal between the living room space and bedroom. The space is clean, warm, and has good color throughout.”
The paint color for that wall is Benjamin Moore’s Vandenberg Blue, the rest of the walls are Benjamin Moore’s Sterling, and the ceiling is Super White.
Track lighting allows for a new chandelier.
When Larry, Drew, and team decided to flip the apartment’s layout, they did create a bit of a lighting headache. “The apartment only has one junction box in the ceiling over where the dining table would have been,” Larry says. “The ceiling is plaster on a concrete slab, so it would be almost impossible to add any additional ceiling lights” in the new dining area.
Drew recommended installing a big loop of track lighting that’s powered from the junction box, and now, light fixtures (including Larry’s dining room chandelier from West Elm) can go pretty much anywhere, all powered by the track.
IKEA BESTA cabinets add storage.
Larry’s sofa and dining table are from West Elm, and his rug is from Poly and Bark. Because he hired professionals for his renovation, he didn’t do much DIYing throughout the space, but he did build the IKEA BESTA cabinetry underneath to save a little money, as opposed to opting for built-ins. His contractor installed the cool shelving over top.
The whole space has a chic, modern, space-savvy setup. It’s a far cry from the “before,” although there’s one original element from the 1960s that stayed: the parquet floors.
“That’s probably the oldest [thing in the home,]” Larry says. “Unless you count some of my collections and knickknacks. I have an old rotary phone displayed on my shelves.” And what he definitely has is a welcoming, bespoke apartment.
Inspired? Submit your own project here.