USA Houzz Tour: A Make-Up Artist's Clever New York Apartment
A designer maximises storage and creates a workspace while highlighting her client’s art and collections
This USA-based make-up artist had moved into an apartment on New York City’s Lower East Side that she’d inherited from her mother a few years ago. But she hadn’t arranged the space in a way that truly worked for her and her boyfriend. A friend recommended interior designer Sarah Kruse, and they hit it off from the start. “She had an amazing art collection,” says Kruse. “I appreciate and love when a client has artwork and eclectic collections to work with. And I could tell she was very creative and would be willing to be unconventional.”
Working closely with her client, the designer was able to create a hardworking office alcove, smart storage for all of the couple’s belongings and supplies, and a pleasing layout. She used her client’s extensive art collection and other existing pieces as inspiration, and even found a great way to display her boyfriend’s beloved action figures.
Working closely with her client, the designer was able to create a hardworking office alcove, smart storage for all of the couple’s belongings and supplies, and a pleasing layout. She used her client’s extensive art collection and other existing pieces as inspiration, and even found a great way to display her boyfriend’s beloved action figures.
The alcove was just the right size to fit in a home workspace. And it also provided a perfect spot to display the action figure collection. Kruse designed a glass display box with lights along the top to show them off.
The desk cabinets are big enough for large items such as a printer. Kruse added industrial-style built-ins made of galvanised steel plumbing pipes and wood to display her client’s favourite things. “She already had everything you see here,” the designer says.
Because the couple have a dog, Kruse stuck with durable flat-weave rugs. The runner seen here and the living room rug are both sisal-wool blends.
The desk cabinets are big enough for large items such as a printer. Kruse added industrial-style built-ins made of galvanised steel plumbing pipes and wood to display her client’s favourite things. “She already had everything you see here,” the designer says.
Because the couple have a dog, Kruse stuck with durable flat-weave rugs. The runner seen here and the living room rug are both sisal-wool blends.
“She has edgy style, so an industrial aesthetic made sense,” says Kruse. “Originally I thought we should do wallpaper behind the desk, but my client explained that she’d be working on moulds for prosthetics here and that it would just get ruined. So we kept it simple with black paint.” Her client’s yellow chair pops against the dark backdrop.
Renovating or redecorating your home? Find an interior designer near you on Houzz for a customised interior
Renovating or redecorating your home? Find an interior designer near you on Houzz for a customised interior
Almost all the artwork in the apartment was passed down to the homeowner through her family. The two wood-painted pieces by Colin Garland on the desktop (seen here and in the previous photo) are from Jamaica.
“Every inch in a small apartment matters, and they had a round table here before,” says Kruse. “There’s a difference, especially in a compact apartment, between being able to glide through a space or having to weave through furniture.” Replacing the round table, which protruded further into the space, with this rectangular drop-leaf table created an area the couple could move through easily.
The table is fully expanded in this photo, but it usually has the drop leaf folded down so the table protrudes into the room half as much. “It’s mostly just the two of them eating here with it pushed up against the wall like a breakfast bar. But when they have people over they can pull it out and seat six,” says Kruse. Her client already had four of these yellow chairs. The couple use two at the table, one at the desk and the other at a vanity in the bedroom. They can pull them up to the table, along with a living room bench, when entertaining.
This chandelier and other light fixtures belonged to the homeowner’s mother. They had been stored in boxes, and she helped her client find the right places for them in the apartment.
The table is fully expanded in this photo, but it usually has the drop leaf folded down so the table protrudes into the room half as much. “It’s mostly just the two of them eating here with it pushed up against the wall like a breakfast bar. But when they have people over they can pull it out and seat six,” says Kruse. Her client already had four of these yellow chairs. The couple use two at the table, one at the desk and the other at a vanity in the bedroom. They can pull them up to the table, along with a living room bench, when entertaining.
This chandelier and other light fixtures belonged to the homeowner’s mother. They had been stored in boxes, and she helped her client find the right places for them in the apartment.
The couple really wanted a long sofa, but a pipe from their radiator heater on the right-hand wall was getting in the way. Kruse placed a long, shallow box (20 centimetres deep and the same height as the sofa) over the pipe. “My client had this big make-up chair she needed to store. It folds up and she can slide it right into the box,” says Kruse. (The vertical line seen on the right side of this photo is the door to the box.) The designer also had a power point added to the top of the box for charging devices or plugging in a lamp.
Kruse arranged more of her client’s art collection and favourite family photos into a gallery wall. At the far end, she placed an angled bookshelf, removing the bottom shelf to accommodate a radiator heater.
Bulky built-ins that had been along the left wall were dated and awkward for the narrow space. Kruse had them removed and found a streamlined console that blends right in with the architecture.
Nesting tables in front of the sofa take up little physical or visual space. Their timber tops and metal bases play off the industrial vibe of the workspace shelves. Overhead, Kruse sourced a ceiling fan with acrylic blades to improve air circulation.
Browse beautifully designed living spaces for inspiration
Kruse arranged more of her client’s art collection and favourite family photos into a gallery wall. At the far end, she placed an angled bookshelf, removing the bottom shelf to accommodate a radiator heater.
Bulky built-ins that had been along the left wall were dated and awkward for the narrow space. Kruse had them removed and found a streamlined console that blends right in with the architecture.
Nesting tables in front of the sofa take up little physical or visual space. Their timber tops and metal bases play off the industrial vibe of the workspace shelves. Overhead, Kruse sourced a ceiling fan with acrylic blades to improve air circulation.
Browse beautifully designed living spaces for inspiration
The green bench provides a spot for the couple to read or watch the world pass outside the window. “They pull it out into the room when they need additional seating for company,” says Kruse. “It’s really light and they pull it over to the dining table when they have guests over for dinner.”
The vintage poster is from the 1974 Spoleto Festival, a performing arts festival in Charleston, South Carolina in the USA. The artwork is by Richard Lindner. “Her mum was a casting director and her dad was a music producer. So a lot of the art they have is related to theatre, films and music,” says Kruse.
The sheer curtains are a high-quality linen fabric that ties in with the colours of the rug and sofa. “A lot of people don’t realise that window treatments are really important, just like rugs. They can either elevate a space or bring it down,” says Kruse. Her client understood that quality fabric for the window dressings were worthy of a splurge.
The vintage poster is from the 1974 Spoleto Festival, a performing arts festival in Charleston, South Carolina in the USA. The artwork is by Richard Lindner. “Her mum was a casting director and her dad was a music producer. So a lot of the art they have is related to theatre, films and music,” says Kruse.
The sheer curtains are a high-quality linen fabric that ties in with the colours of the rug and sofa. “A lot of people don’t realise that window treatments are really important, just like rugs. They can either elevate a space or bring it down,” says Kruse. Her client understood that quality fabric for the window dressings were worthy of a splurge.
The galley kitchen was in good shape, and the client was ready only for a light refresh. “We needed to update some existing track lighting,” says Kruse. “We replaced the lights with these bronze metal pendants of her mother’s.” She also added a shelf over the sink and a pot rail over the stove.
The kitchen previously lacked a splashback. “When giving a kitchen a little face-lift, something like the splashback can change its entire feel,” says Kruse. “The green pulls in the colour from the green bench in the living room. It’s important to connect spaces like they are having a conversation from room to room.” (The colour of the tiles varies with the lighting – this photo represents their true colour, whereas they appear much darker in the previous image.)
Her client’s amazing collection of African photography inspired a bohemian vibe in the bedroom. Kruse started with a rug that had subtle hints of blush, teal and gold and pulled those colours into the bedroom design.
The wall paint has a soft gold metallic texture in it. “It shimmers at night in soft lighting,” says Kruse. “It also has a nice reflective quality in the sunlight.” A new beaded ceiling light creates a soft glow and beautiful shadows around the room at night.
The wall paint has a soft gold metallic texture in it. “It shimmers at night in soft lighting,” says Kruse. “It also has a nice reflective quality in the sunlight.” A new beaded ceiling light creates a soft glow and beautiful shadows around the room at night.
For an apartment where every centimetre of storage counts, Kruse found a bed with deep drawers in the base, and she sourced small teal nightstands that don’t take up much space but add extra storage with drawers and shelves.
Your turn
What’s your favourite element of this apartment? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Missed last week’s Houzz Tour? Catch up here with this Perth, WA Houzz Tour: Look Behind the Bold Facade of This Inner-City Home
Your turn
What’s your favourite element of this apartment? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Missed last week’s Houzz Tour? Catch up here with this Perth, WA Houzz Tour: Look Behind the Bold Facade of This Inner-City Home
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A make-up artist, her electrician boyfriend and their dog
Location: New York, USA
Size: 65 square metres with one bedroom and one bathroom
Designer: Sarah Kruse of Storie – Interiors by Sarah Kruse
“When I meet with clients, I run through how they live day to day, what’s challenging them now and what it’s like when they have friends over,” says Kruse. “But I also like to ask questions like what type of music they like, how they like to spend their weekends and where they like to travel, to really understand what kinds of things they are drawn to.”
The client lives with her boyfriend, but he didn’t play a huge role in the design process. “He was weighed in when we were talking about layout, but mostly his attitude was ‘Just give me display space for my action figures and I’ll be happy’,” says Kruse with a laugh.
The compact foyer had a small coat cupboard and a large, shallow alcove. “As a make-up artist, my client had a lot of small things she needed to store,” says Kruse. “She had some storage set up in this open alcove but it wasn’t well utilised. For one thing, it didn’t take advantage of the ceiling height.” Kruse outfitted the cupboard with shelves to house all her client’s supplies and tools, leaving an empty alcove that was full of potential.