Elizabeth Fiore's one-bedroom Manhattan apartment has many qualities almost any homeowner would covet, including high ceilings, huge windows, lovely views, and loads of architectural details. And because Elizabeth is an art advisor who has filled her home with dynamic paintings and fashionable yet functional furniture, her place wasn't in desperate need of a makeover.
Still, Elizabeth thought a design expert—someone with a skilled eye—could help her make the most of what she already had in her apartment. See how stylist Lance Boyd took an apartment that already had style and showed its owner how to make it really shine—in as little as one hour, one day, or one weekend.
The quickest way to transform a space is to rearrange the furniture. Keep moving pieces until you discover a refreshing setup.
Take It Away: Subtracting pieces helps a room breathe. Boyd pared down Elizabeth's collection of art books so that they wouldn't overpower the accessories on display.
Rezone: The key to the newly arranged living room is that it now has zones: an armchair and a lamp for reading, the couch and chair for entertaining, and a corner with a desk as her home office.
Soft Touch: A throw draped over Elizabeth's armchair gives the room a lived-in look.
While Elizabeth's kitchen is not completely lacking in style, Boyd sees the potential that a few quick changes can bring. "Whenever I have a dinner party, everyone congregates in the kitchen, so this is really going to change everything," Elizabeth says.
After just one hour, Elizabeth has more seating and a brighter space.
Multitask: Boyd created an eat-in kitchen, which doubled the room's functionality, by using the table from the living room. The butcher block becomes another zone, for food prep and storage.
Brighten Up: Flowers should be for every day, not just special occasions. Even the humblest grocery-store bouquet brings a burst of color and life to a space.
Galley Meets Gallery: Art is Elizabeth's business as well as her passion, so Boyd sprinkled pieces from her collection into the kitchen.
Boyd designed a new living room for Elizabeth in just one day by adding a few pieces that make a big impact.
Perfect Pairs: Boyd placed two stately lamps from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams on the credenza, and they do more than illuminate the room: They establish a sense of polish and symmetry.
Hide Away: The credenza is the perfect place to stash media technology. "Let's be honest," Boyd says. "No one wants to stare at a stereo or DVD player."
Aim High: To emphasize the ceiling's height, Boyd used heavy, dramatic draperies from Silk Trading Co. that cascade to the floor. He also placed two framed pieces of art, rather than one, between the windows to reinforce the longitudinal effect.
Dress It Up: "Adding new pillows and a nice throw can make it look like you've got a brand-new couch or armchair," Boyd says.
Balancing Act: Boyd used art to further establish the symmetry in Elizabeth's living room. He moved the large piece from the kitchen to a spot over the couch and then, for balance, hung a gallery grouping on the opposite wall, above the credenza.
In one day, Boyd breathed new life into the room. A new coat of paint was just what Elizabeth's kitchen needed!
Paint Job: Nothing revives a room like a couple of coats of paint. Inspired by a detail from Maia #1 by Janaina Tschäpe, a photograph in Elizabeth's collection, Boyd chose a soft bluish gray from Benjamin Moore.
Whitewash: "Paint is also a great way to get new life out of old furniture," says Boyd, who gave Elizabeth's dining table and library chair a new finish.
Scale Back: Because the intimate space of the kitchen needed a subtler graphic statement, Boyd replaced the large painting there with a smaller piece.
Coordinate Colors: Just as the white table and chairs work beautifully together, so do the crisp blue of the vase, the pendant lamp, the fruit bowl and the painting. The well-thought-out coordination adds a finished feel to the room.
With a whole weekend to redesign Elizabeth's apartment, Boyd brings in new paint and furniture to really change the space:
Double Duty: In a smaller space, pieces like the pair of Jonathan Adler benches Boyd introduced into the apartment are ideal because they work both as extra seating and as occasional tables.
X Marks the Spot: Boyd added furniture thematically linked to the design of Elizabeth's credenza. The X motif—echoed in the two new benches and the cocktail tables—makes the distinct pieces feel cohesive.
Bold Move: Rather than overwhelm the room, "a patterned rug [from the Rug Company] grounds it," Boyd says. Beneath Elizabeth's solid-color couch, the new rug is equivalent to bold jewelry worn with a simple dress—the contrast makes both come alive.
Lighten Up: In addition to replacing the heavy chest with a pair of spindle-legged cocktail tables from Duane Antiques, Boyd gave Elizabeth's sofa a brighter look with a Bemz slipcover.
United Front: "I wanted the living and dining rooms to feel more like a suite, and color was a great way to unify them," says Boyd, who painted the living room the same shade as the kitchen.
The kitchen receives its most dramatic overhaul after Boyd takes one weekend to add personality and function to the room:
Shelve It: Easy-to-install Ikea wall shelves are the quickest fix for any space that's short on storage, Boyd says. They're a practical yet decorative touch: Hung high, they emphasize the ceiling's height.
New Light: Boyd replaced Elizabeth's slightly outdated pendant fixture with a more contemporary Ikea Stockholm pendant lamp, hung at the perfect height to cast an intimate glow over the new dining area.
Show It Off: Boyd used the new shelves to spotlight a few of Elizabeth's pieces, like a set of glass canisters and a handsome tray. "The shelves are great for organization, but the display gives the room a bit of texture and personality, too," he says.
After one weekend of work, Elizabeth is amazed by her new newly revamped apartment. "As Lance was moving things around, I kept asking myself,
Why didn't I think of that?" Elizabeth says. That's the beauty of getting a second pair of eyes—whether a friend's or a professional's—when it's time to revamp your home. "In an incredibly short amount of time, we made my apartment more beautiful and I found better and more effective ways to use the space I have."
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