The Decorating Diary of a Dumbo Studio

As I mentioned in a previous, my friends V and Char have officially moved to Brooklyn. It is very exciting for us! They have chosen a great modern studio in the Dumbo neighborhood with views of the bridge and Manhattan. And boy are they great 8th floor views! It is a well laid out 600 sq ft space with so many fruitful amenities-> doorman, parking, balcony, in unit washer/dryer, new appliances, modern bathroom, hardwood floors, 9 ft ceilings....the list goes on and on. And they are just outside of Manhattan-only one or two train spots. I stopped by their new home on Saturday evening. I took a few photos with the iphone to share with you the first stage of the move-in..figuring out where everything should sit in the space. V and I spent alot of time discussing the studio's design. I love working with V on projects.

1. Curtains: V wanted something neutral and inexpensive. The studio gets so much light that they needed something that would not entirely block the sunlight-just shade it in the early mornings. There is an A/C unit that is below half of the windows. This presented a challenge when it comes to choosing the length of the curtains for that wall of windows. We did not want to cover up the A/C unit with curtains (as this would cover up the air flow) and we equally wanted the curtains to go across all the windows at the same length. My suggestion was to go for layers. One layer would be a shorter curtain that would just go over the section of window with the A/C unit (when the A/C was running and they wanted shade). The second layer of curtains would be the floor to ceiling length curtains. The off white almost cream curtains look great in the studio and really softens all the hard edges and strong modern elements. Have I confused you?

2. Layout: Char and V wanted to separate the living and sleeping areas. V made the trip to Redhook Ikea and purchased the famous black brown bookcase. They have a ton of books they love and use often so this was a good call on their part. When you live in a studio, you have two choices-split the space or embrace the space as one. It really all depends on how the studio dweller lives. The way I live is different than V and Char. So how I would divide the studio for myself is very different than V and Char.

As of now, we are still discussing where the bed should go. Currently, it is on the side of the windows (far corner of the studio) and the new sofa/couch will be placed on the opposite side of the bookcase (between the bookcase and closet wall). Because they are windows on two sides, you could still have a view from the sofa of the outside. My only concern is that the living room (area) will feel cave like, too shaded or like it is tucked in a nook. In my opinion, I feel like a bed belongs in nook not a living area. Although I feel this way, I have to say that V knows what she likes and I respect that about her. And if she is happy that is most important...the client is always right (especially when it is a close friend).

3. Sofa/Couch: V is the perfect client. She enjoys decorating and is aware of her style. She can explain it clearly. V reminds me of my mother when it comes to decorating. You present her an idea and she says yes or no instantly. And this was the case during our sofa scouting trip at MG & BW in NYC (just around the corner from Aero Studios). We looked and tested out a ton of sofas/couchs/sleepers. The sales guy was absolutely great and really added to the whole experience. V went into the store with the idea of getting a sectional. I voted against this but of course like my mother-when you vote against something then that is exactly what they want. So I tried to keep my opinion to myself-note the word "tried". By the end of our sofa interview, V was leaning farther away from the sectional idea. Mission accomplished. Fabric samples and sofa options were chosen. V and Char are now discussing final decision. I will keep you posted.

4. Accessories: This is very tricky right now. V and Char have to really ensure they focus on getting the main pieces before they commit to final touches-ie pillows, artwork, lamps, rugs, side tables...etc, etc. Because they are starting from scratch in many ways-they should take their time in selecting only items they love and that will add to the space (and not distract or disconnect).

5. Atlanta meets NYC: During a visit down to Atlanta a year ago, V and I popped into a little antique store right off Peachtree. This place was packed with great old pieces with history. V and I spotted this off green colored wing back chair. It was in excellent condition. We knew it was a piece that they had to have and I am so glad they did. The Brooklyn studio is going to need some heavy old pieces to tone down the ultra modern feel. This chair is going to do it! Along with some other antique pieces. V and I have been brainstorming ideas-ie an old Persian rug. Time to search!