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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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