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Desks aren’t just for adults, and this bunk bed molds itself into a workable (and sleepable) space for kids. With a pull-out desk and organization space, your little ones will appreciate having their own space to work, craft, play, and sleep — and you’ll be happy that it can all be done in one place.
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Name: Joey Skladany
Location: Greenpoint — Brooklyn, New York
Size: 674 square feet
Type of home: One-bedroom apartment
Years lived in: Less than one year, renting
Joey Skladany, a freelance food, travel, and lifestyle writer, found his one-bedroom Brooklyn apartment with a little luck, timing, and resolve. Participating in a housing lottery, the opportunity came about to move into his current building. As Joey tells it, “While touring my current building, I saw a few apartments, but fell in love with the staged model. It was a corner unit with floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out onto Manhattan and Brooklyn. The views were goosebump-inducing and it was absolutely my favorite of the bunch.” Unfortunately, when it came time to select an apartment, the staged model was no longer available. Joey almost walked away from the opportunity, as he “couldn’t justify taking anything else in the building while knowing that someone else was enjoying my favorite apartment for the same price.” Luckily, the exact same staged model he fell in love with became available at the last minute.
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So in love with the staged model, Joey kept the original aesthetics of the apartment and used that as a foundation for his decor and design — the original color scheme providing inspiration for furniture and fabric. His design was also inspired by his need for organization and whimsy. “I am admittedly a control freak,” Joey says. “So everything in my apartment has a place and needs to stay consistently organized. This means that while I love bold colors and patterns and elements of whimsy, there needs to be a very effortless flow among furniture and decor that is rooted in neutral tones and modern, clean lines.”
Inspiration: I opted for a very basic, but trendy black, white, camel, and gray color scheme as the base, accented by geometric shapes, sleek and streamlined furniture, and pieces I’ve collected during my travels. A pop of lime green through plants, moss balls, and appliances helps to weave everything together because I’m, unshockingly, all about the details.
Jonathan Adler is, by far, my favorite designer and I love how he maintains a balance between playful and refined. It’s his tasteful crudeness and the juxtaposition of the two that I really admire. My friend, Anthony Gianacakos of Anthony George Home, is also an inspiration because he is so willing to be bold and daring in his color and fabric selections. While most of his projects are a bit too eclectic for my personal living space, I always keep his fearlessness in mind when making major design decisions.
I also like collecting things that seemingly have no meaning, but are tied to memories. My apartment is full of trinkets that tell a story. In fact, the entire space is one giant conversation starter, which helps to tone down the potential sterility of the neutral color scheme.
Favorite element: The floor-to-ceiling windows. There is a comfort to seeing the Manhattan skyline after leaving the city.
Biggest challenge: The layout is quite awkward — literally the shape of a triangle with very little wall space. The galley kitchen also isn’t ideal, especially as someone who cooks often. And the closet space, or lack thereof — yikes! I had to get really creative with storage.
Proudest DIY: I love taking pieces of furniture that are designed for one purpose and using them for another. My buffet is now a coffee nook, my storage bench is now an adorable seating area, and I have skinny laundry baskets hiding behind my couch to store random belongings that don’t fit in the furniture.
Budget: I am a huge fan of high-low decorating. Invest in the pieces that will last for years (i.e., my leather couch from BenchMade Modern, pillows and bedding from Jonathan Adler, etc.) or speak exactly to your design aesthetic, but don’t be afraid to save money on very basic, personality-less items that are really just used as storage. Also, don’t be afraid of a good flea market. Sometimes a scavenger hunt to find something that just speaks to your mood can be a wonderful investment. And it’s a piece that will always make you happy.
Is there something unique about your home or the way you use it? Having to treat floor-to-ceiling windows as actual walls has been unique and interesting, but it’s taught me to really take dimensions and furniture height into consideration. You don’t think much of scale in a smaller living space, but literally every piece of furniture I put into this apartment affects aspects like my view, the general flow, and how it interacts with everything surrounding it.
Please describe any helpful, inspiring, brilliant, or just plain useful small-space maximizing and/or organizing tips you have: I often hold on to entirely too many things that I don’t need. It’s easiest for me to separate everything into categories, pare down duplicates of anything, and then figure out the storage that suits its size. This is easier than buying a ton of furniture and just praying that everything fits.
Finally, what’s your absolute best home secret or decorating advice? Pick one major piece of decor or furniture and use it as your inspiration for the entire living space (or room). This is great for anyone who may feel lost during the design process. In my case, I knew I wanted a big and bold, black-and-white striped chair. And this purchase informed every decision I made going forward, knowing that all other shapes and colors had to complement and/or support it — not overshadow or clash with it. This chair was my star, my muse, if you will, and it was fun to find pieces that played into its design.
Sarah is a staff writer at Apartment Therapy. She completed her MA in journalism at the University of Missouri and has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Belmont University. Past writing and editing stops include HGTV Magazine, Nashville Arts Magazine, and several outlets local to her hometown, Columbia, Missouri.
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
In many cases, kitchen drawer organizers are a a total game-changer. They take your jumbled utensils and neatly separate them, allowing you to pick out a fork without having to dig. They do the same for spices, food storage containers, and pretty much every other drawer item you can think of. The only glaring problem is that most of these organizers are not a one-size-fits-all solution. You buy one for a specific category of products, and you have to look for a totally different design for something else. But that’s not the case with Umbra’s Peggy organizer, which is available in a set of two at Macy’s. Once you discover this organizing superhero, you’ll want several — and it’s really no surprise, given how much our readers and editors love everything Umbra has to offer. What’s more, this two-in-one purchase is currently on sale, and you can use code HOME to save an extra 20 percent on the already discounted price! Even if you’re already on the verge of hitting “add to cart” on this product, stick around to see why we recommend it so highly.
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First off, we have to address the Peggy organizer’s name. The moniker fits perfectly because, well, each tray comes with eight adjustable pegs, or 16 in all. This means you can place each peg in whichever spot you’d like, spacing them as close together or far apart as you need. As a result, the trays can hold your largest pots (and their lids), as well as cutting boards, mixing bowls, and even lunchbox-sized food storage containers. Whether you place the trays in different drawers or keep them side by side, your kitchen is sure to look less cluttered by the time your Peggys are situated. They’re particularly great for deep drawers, which initially look like they have lots of storage space to offer, but can often be tough to fill up. Now, you can take full advantage of their height.
Even more promising, nearly all of the reviews on the Peggy organizer are glowing, with Macy’s shoppers praising its versatility, ease of use, and simple-to-clean design. “After looking at the cost of pegboard systems from the kitchen cabinet supplier of our new home, we decided to try out the Peggy Drawer Organizer from Umbra, and we are so glad we did!” one reviewer wrote. “They’re well-made, cost-effective and do an excellent job of keeping our dishes, pot lids and containers in place when we open and close the drawer.”
The trays themselves also have non-slip feet, so they won’t slide around. In essence, there’s nothing to not love about the Peggy, so grab yours now while it’s still on sale!
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Not every home project has to be a giant undertaking. Yes, knocking out walls or constructing a wall-spanning set of built-ins makes a noticeable impact, but so can smaller changes. A simple facelift has the ability to transform a space, rendering it almost unrecognizable — especially if you focus on infusing the area with tons of personality.
If your space could use this kind of elevation, get inspired by the living room designer Valerie Darden created in this Virginia row house. The founder of Brexton Cole Interiors has a unique design style that’s a sophisticated blend of traditional and modern — something immediately evident when you see her space.
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When Valerie purchased this home, she says, “the walls were a very bland beige and there was no color inside.” But there was plenty of potential in the home’s high ceilings and vintage touches like detailed wall mouldings and fireplaces in the adjoining living spaces.
As her inspiration, Valerie leaned into the artsy vibe of the city surrounding her. “Richmond is a city full of art and adventure,” she says. “I wanted to breathe new air into the house to fit the artsy and colorful aesthetic of Richmond.”
The process, which took about two months, was design-focused. The most costly — and extensive — work included the Greek mural wallpaper Valerie and her husband installed along the entryway and hallway. They also painted the walls a nice, bright white (Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace) to help the rest of the decor pop.
Once the walls were complete, Valerie purchased some bright velvet chairs and an orange sofa to bring in some pops of color. Next, she used vintage furniture — all purchased on Facebook Marketplace to save money — from the time period of the home. As for the art, it came from a combination of sources. “We searched for ‘fun’ and eclectic art for the walls,” says Valerie. “We found art everywhere from Home Goods to local antique stores.”
The result is a space that expertly blends new and old in a bold, colorful way. “I love everything about the after,” says Valerie. “I love mixing new design in with the old, and this home was perfect for that journey.”