Hi there! No dancing, THIS is my favorite design project to date. I got to work with my sister! Short story, when she was around 2/3 and I was 9, she spoke her name (Casey), like “Deedee”. I was Cha-chi (Chelsea). Nicknames stuck and we used them here and there! The past year has been a whirlwind when Casey fled overcrowded New Jersey when covid cases started to explode and they came to live with us for a while! Then he moved in with my parents, and this past January he moved back to New Jersey! Becoming a part of the search for her apartment was a fun and exciting insight into her subconscious. I learned that you like quirky spaces with interesting corners and angles, and a strong dislike of the cookie cutter! So it may come as a surprise that the apartment below was its winner:
It’s basic. And I was tired, in fact, I had seen 4 apartments identical to this in the same building, which is precisely what I was trying to avoid. But here is the trick:
A million dollar view of the largest city in the world. New York City is a world landmark in itself and a place we’ve enjoyed visiting with our mom over the years for girls’ weekends. This Jersey Heights apartment is located high up in charming Hoboken, with an unobstructed view of this beautiful skyline. At Christmas, the Empire State Building (left window) is shown in changing colors. Valentine’s Day glowed pink. There is nothing basic about this view. This apartment is on the corner of the building, so Casey’s other views overlook a bustling park full of dogs and their owners, one of Casey’s greatest diversions. So the views from this top-floor apartment tipped the balance. But how do you create that quirky, corner feeling?
One of the first ideas I shared with Case was this washed brick wallpaper. I had NEVER used a faux stone wallpaper before and I thought I never would … but this was a perfect project for it! It is non-committal as it is peel and stick paper and works wonders in this otherwise boxed room. My mom and Casey set it up together (without a stool or ladder, from what I heard), and I can’t believe how amazing it looks. Sometimes as a creative I’ll get really excited about an idea and still be blown away by how amazing it turns out, like it’s a surprise lol!
The sofa itself was a complex decision, given that this is a one bedroom apartment, Casey really wanted to have a place for the guests to sleep. The obvious choice was a sleeper sofa, but I was having a hard time finding sleeper sofas that doubled as long enough couches. Most of them were between 50 and 72 inches long, which would have been too small for this space. I have an Article Sven sofa myself, and one afternoon I was working on it and realized how comfortable the cushion is. And not only does the cushion come off, but underneath the cushion is memory foam-like padding. So this Article Sven sofa can comfortably accommodate 2 people, but as a sofa on its own, its 86 “length is perfect for this space.
And a typical stop at anyone’s home these days, the WFH (work from home) corner. Casey doesn’t like clutter (we’re made from the same fabric, after all), so having a modern secretary-style desk that you can close and hide all your work supplies was a perfect solution here.
Another little architectural detail that can be added to make a space feel more unique is lighting! This plug-in sconce adds some height, a little sparkle, a little interest, and does a fantastic job of lighting up the space at night so you don’t have to use your ceiling. Thanks for installing this, dad! My dad could work for TaskRabbit, he would love to.
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