Jane's new wall

Credits: Photograph by Poul Ober, styling by Heather Chontos

When Jane entertains, personal items, such as her bed and closet, are no longer on view. The wall is also a budget-sensitive solution: By partly assembling it off-site, architectural designer Tom Pritchard cut weeks out of the renovation; since its built-in cabinets replace furniture, Jane didn't need to refurnish her apartment. What was once a studio is now a one-bedroom apartment—for a fraction of what it would have cost to move to a larger space.
Jane's full, separate living room

Credits: Photograph by Poul Ober, styling by Heather Chontos

The living area now is a full, separate living room rather than an extension of the bedroom. Jane's favorite possession, a 19th-century Chinese commemorative portrait found in an antiques shop, hangs above the Carlyle sofa.
Jane's bedroom is tucked behind the diving wall

Credits: Photograph by Poul Ober, styling by Heather Chontos

Tucked behind the dividing wall and raised a few steps is the alcove bedroom, decorated with a rich, idiosyncratic orange-and-green palette. The designer soothes the senses with soft lighting and pretty fabrics, like the one used in place of doors to cover the surprisingly generous closet.
Glossy tiles keep this windowless bathroom bright.

Credits: Photograph by Poul Ober, styling by Heather Chontos

The room may lack windows, but walls of delicate, glossy green Ann Sacks tile keep it bright. Pritchard swapped a space-hogging tub for a large, open shower that would pass muster in any spa.
Reading Nook

Credits: Photograph by Poul Ober, styling by Heather Chontos

Neither the wall nor the bedroom platform behind it runs the length of the apartment, leaving a secluded corner between the windows and the bedroom. A leather club chair makes this Jane's perfect reading spot.
Designer Tom Pritchard and client Jane Gullong

Credits: Photograph by Poul Ober, styling by Heather Chontos

Jane was happy to upgrade rather than deal with New York's complicated real-estate market. "Now I can have 10 people over for dinner, or 30 people over for a party," she says.

Pritchard believed that the usual space-expanding tricks—paint color, fabric texture—would have made only a modest difference. "It seems like the last thing you'd want to do to a hopelessly small space is insert a great big object into it," he says. "An architectural solution can revolutionize even a small space."

More Small Space Solutions
17 big design ideas, 1 little loft 
How to make out a small studio 
6 ways to make the most of your small space