00:03Our apartment embodies our design philosophy of being functional, flexible and beautiful.
00:08The biggest challenge when renting is knowing that it's temporary.
00:13The aim is to make a space versatile that you can later move into a new space.
00:21The primary influences for our project were drawn from nature.
00:26We were inspired by the beauty and tranquility of natural elements and wanted to incorporate this into the space.
00:34I'm Julia Kropovińska. I'm an interior stylist and photographer.
00:39My name is Artem Kropoviński. I'm an interior designer.
00:42We're from Ukraine and together we're founders of our site, an interior design studio based in New York City.
00:48We rent this apartment and live here with our dog Stella.
00:52She moved with us from Ukraine and she's always by our side.
01:07We live in a vibrant and multicultural neighborhood in Brooklyn influenced mostly by American and Italian cultures.
01:17The street has a lot of greenery and is lined with townhouses that have terraces on the top floors which
01:24add to the cozy atmosphere.
01:28This particular house was built in 1920s and initially was a single family home.
01:34The building has three apartments and we rent the one on the top floor.
01:39We loved the large balcony and immediately decided to rent the apartment for the balcony alone.
01:45The initial apartment layout suggested placing furniture in areas that we didn't think made the best use of the space.
01:52It had a small entrance, a bathroom, a bedroom with some closets and an open living, dining and kitchen area.
02:01The main idea was to create a space with a lounge area, a work area and a dining area.
02:06All combined into one multifunctional space.
02:11The hallway is the first thing when we enter, so we wanted to make a strong impression.
02:16We created a small area with artwork, some of which we've collected over the years.
02:21It's our little gallery.
02:24We added a mirror at the entry to the bathroom to enhance the sense of space and brightness.
02:30We installed a wall-mounted wooden coat rack that features a small shelf of flowers and lamp.
02:36It casts a warm glow in the evening to create a cozy atmosphere.
02:41Before entering the living area, there was a stained-wood pantry door that we couldn't paint.
02:46To make it look less obvious, we added a collection of our photos, effectively camouflaging the door to appear like
02:53a picture frame.
02:55When we enter the living space, we see the large glass sliding doors.
03:01These bring in a lot of natural light and are great for a small space like ours.
03:07The living area layout allows us to work from various spots.
03:11Whether it's from the big comfortable armchair, the sofa or on the dining table.
03:17We focused on creating open storage solutions to showcase accessories while cleverly hiding items that didn't need to be seen.
03:27We chose this type of shelving because when we move in the future, we won't know the dimensions of the
03:34next apartment.
03:35So this flexibility allows us to reuse the shelf.
03:40Above the shelves lies an important feature of the apartment – a hidden storage space.
03:47We put everything that we want hidden away, like luggage and seasonal items here.
03:53One of our favorite parts of the apartment is the balcony, which we divided into two zones – a lounge
04:01area and a dining area.
04:03In the dining area, there is a big table that seats eight people.
04:08We also managed to fit a barbecue out here, which really helps to make this an extension for our kitchen.
04:15In the lounge area, there is a large sectional sofa that can be arranged into various shapes.
04:21Perfect for enjoying warm nights under the stars.
04:24We enjoy the balcony throughout the year.
04:28Having such a large balcony in New York is rare, and we felt very lucky to have it.
04:34The kitchen is fully equipped with a dishwasher, a combined gas cooktop, an oven, and a fridge.
04:42The kitchen area originally had closed cabinets.
04:46However, since we love to cook, we decided to remove the doors from some of the cabinets.
04:53We have kept all the doors, so we can easily put them back before we leave the apartment.
05:00As the living room and kitchen share the same space, we chose a large dining table that would work for
05:08the kitchen,
05:09and also as a workspace for several people during the day.
05:13The seating bench is right against the wall, so we can make the most of the space.
05:18It is made of solid oak and has soft shapes that complement the space.
05:24The wool rugs in the living room and the kitchen are slightly different and help to zone out each area.
05:34The bedroom is even warmer and cozier than the rest of the apartment.
05:39We removed both of the closets in the bedroom and replaced them with a single larger closet.
05:47We moved the bed towards the windows so we could see the sunlight when we woke up.
05:53The floor is hardwood, but we wanted something a bit softer in the bedroom.
05:58So we got a large rug and cut it up to fit the entire space.
06:02The walls were painted in a light color, so we could use the space between the two windows as a
06:07projector screen.
06:09The projector is placed on the shelf above the door, so it's almost hidden from view.
06:15We added a rice paper ceiling lamp from Hay to add a bit of warmth to the corner of the
06:21bedroom.
06:23Because it's a rental, our changes to the bathroom were limited.
06:28We repainted the ceiling to a modern gray-blue.
06:33We reached an agreement with the landlord that we would purchase a medicine cabinet of our choice and they would
06:41install it.
06:42This means we get to enjoy a larger, more functional cabinet while we live here
06:48and the landlord benefits from our upgrade to their apartment.
06:54I think when designing a small space it's very important to think about the function of the furniture and all
07:01the items around.
07:02We included many wooden objects, plants, ceramics.
07:06We think making the space more personal with objects that you love can make it more comfortable to live in.
07:13Our apartment creates a space that supports our work, social life and personal comfort while maintaining a connection to nature
07:22and community.
07:22It showcases our design principles and creativity, reflecting the power of thoughtful and intentional interior design.
07:30And we also felt that simple and important to think about the different aspects that need to be compatible with
07:40the apartment.
07:40The space for storage all the way around the building on the building was in the building,
07:40Our spaces for storage, and the space for storage for different kinds of space,
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