Karen's studio tour — a coastal retreat in the city
Does this studio look familiar? That’s because this is the exact same apartment as mine! I met my lovely neighbor Karen when she saw my feature in Apartment Therapy and recognized the view. Sometimes the internet creates delightful connections and I’m glad she reached out!
Karen is living the ultimate retired life and I really admire her ingenuity. She’s truly shunned the status quo of her generation by living in the edgy, urban neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen where she spends her days meeting friends and contributing to local politics. When Karen downsized to her studio in the city, she worked with designer Joe Human to create a contemporary coastal space that’s beautiful and serene.
The entryway
Karen’s entryway is minimalist and inviting. She uses the left side of the closet (shown below) as her entryway closet to store coats and bags, leaving this space open and clutter free.
The closet
Like me, inside the closet Karen has a white dresser that she took the legs off of, a wire rolling laundry basket, and wooden hangers.
Unlike me, she’s impeccably organized and I was definitely put on notice when I saw her containers on top. Even without the excuse of having to share my closet with Ryan, I was impressed and made a note to revisit my closet sometime soon.
The bathroom
Karen’s bathroom is full of light and life! I love the wall-mounted baskets, hues of blue, and the potted plant. Having an operable window in the bathroom really makes the space feel more lively and is so much better for air circulation and observing yourself in the mirror. When I viewed one bedrooms in our building, most didn’t have a window in the bathroom—more space doesn’t always mean more light!
The living room
Karen’s layout is both open and defined. It’s tempting in a small space to just push all of your furniture along the outer walls, but doing so means your space lacks depth and sophistication. Joe said working with the limited space and layout proved to be the biggest challenge. They had initially wanted to put the daybed along the right accent wall, but the offset column meant valuable floor space would be lost. This layout works perfectly and I love her soft bench that acts as both a cushy foot rest and a coffee table.
The view
A few floors up from me, Karen’s view is spectacular. Not only can she see the New Yorker and Empire State Buildings, she has a site of the One World Trade Center!
Day bed
Knowing she needed to preserve space but wouldn’t want the hassle of putting a wall bed up and down each day, Karen opted for a daybed. She keeps her bed linens in the bottom left kitchen cabinet.
Accents
Karen’s favorite art and photographs were custom mounted and framed in white to create a cohesive look and it really pops on the Mount Saint Anne accent wall.
Karen’s snake plant stands out and gives her space a modern feel. I love snake plants for their strong, upright leaves that make a striking statement without taking up much horizontal space. And check out her mini bluetooth speaker hiding in plain site on the table lamp!
I love how uncluttered and clean Karen’s kitchen is! It can be so tempting to fill up flat spaces but she’s demonstrated real restraint!
Clever storage
Since Karen doesn’t cook much, she had the maintenance staff disconnect the dishwasher so she could store seasonal items. And see the book, A Painted House, on the rolling cart? That’s her WiFi router in disguise! Mind blown.
What Karen says about her space
“Even after 5 years, sometimes I still look around and think how lucky I am to live here.”
Products
Karen has been settled for quite a while so many products are hard to find but I linked to some similar items.
LIVING ROOM
Mount Saint Anne Wall Paint—Benjamin Moore
Daybed with trundle—West Elm
Twill armchair—West Elm
Cushioned bench—West Elm
Magazine basket—Container Store
Mirror—Ikea
Wooden side table—West Elm
Mini bluetooth speaker—Amazon
Snake plant pot—West Elm
ENTRYWAY & CLOSET
Wall shelf—CB2
Closet dresser—West Elm
Wooden Hangers—Container Store
Sweater boxes—Container Store
Shoe boxes—Container Store
BATHROOM
Teal ombre shower curtain—Bed Bath & Beyond
Or this subtle ombre curtain—West Elm
Wall mounted baskets—Container Store
Pedestal plant pot—West Elm
KITCHEN / DINING
Tea kettle—Amazon
Fruit bowl—MoMa Design Store
Glass table—CB2
Rolling cart—CB2
Or this small rolling cart—Ikea
Thanks, Karen, for reaching out and sharing your beautiful studio with us! Be sure to check out more of Joe’s work here.
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