The Brooklyn Apartment Where Style & Function Are Equally Weighed
We’ve all heard it before: small but mighty, tiny house = big style. But, in this petite stunner it was all about lifestyle taking precedence over every design decision, which left this city dweller even foregoing a conventional sofa. The Williamsburg apartment belonging to Sarah Ashley Schiear, chef and founder of Salt House, is a strong lesson in style and function conveyed in just 635 square feet. For Sarah, keeping her priorities top of mind and not letting her space dictate what worked for her really netted beautiful results. Let’s breakdown her design notes.
Everything has a purpose.
For Sarah, life centers around the kitchen, dining and bar area. So when assembling her petite palace it was important to prioritize those aspects. Too often we tend to get hung up on a blueprint of what we think a space should reflect rather than the one that works best for our lifestyle. Sarah went big in the areas that have made her successful – those related to food, cocktails and entertaining – and she didn’t let a small footprint define her.
Pots were made for hanging.
Using her form of artistry as a focal point, Sarah cleverly displayed her array of copper pots. This makes for an interesting display and provides easy access for the chef.
Open shelving all around.
By employing ample amounts of open shelving (like that DIY wine bar!) the space appears airy rather than boxed in due to imposing cabinets or doors. In her kitchen, where she does have some cabinet doors, glass fronts keep things visually light.
Let’s get graphic.
When it came to fashioning the bar, the entire wall served as the perfect landscape for Sarah to exhibit her vast collections of stemware, tea sets and fun accents. She opted to go bold in the space with a graphic black and white stripe pattern and more floating shelves. The pattern adds interest for the eye and creates big drama in a small space.
Think clearly.
Just around the corner is a petite acrylic bar that is perfectly packed with all your necessary cocktail accouterments. It’s a toss up as to the stand out star in this vignette: the portrait of Brigitte Bardot or the copper accents of the modern, light-as-air bar cart that gives everything else an opportunity to stand out? Both are fabulous.