East Village
Location: Manhattan
Type: Private Residence
Area: 1,200 sq ft
For two longtime New Yorkers and one beloved dog, making their plain one-bedroom apartment work required a hefty infusion of storage, flexibility, and refinement. Before making any decisions, we took stock of how the owners lived, as avid hosts, serious readers, and passionate home cooks. From there we set out to reimagine the space into a highly calibrated apartment with an airness that belies its size.
Well-versed in the precision demanded by compact spaces and custom millwork, we devised a shape-shifting storage system that serves as the new framework for daily life. Throughout the apartment, a series of white panels pull, push, slide, and unfold, intermittently revealing two Murphy beds, a vanity with integrated appliances, and generous storage and closet space. One such panel slides out to form a visual and physical barrier between the living-turned-guest room and the primary bedroom—an approach that transforms every square inch into usable space without sacrificing design quality. When closed, the panels allow the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves to remain fully exposed. The extensive millwork establishes a warm, calm environment steps away from a busy stretch of the East Village, with the colorful bookshelves, in turn, doubling as the primary ornamentation within the sleek apartment.
The kitchen introduces another layer of dynamism. The space is anchored by a large floor-to-ceiling built-in spice cabinet, diffused behind fluted glass and blackened steel framing. The flush cabinet fronts were engineered to feel substantial yet light enough for daily use. Over the sink, the client’s enlarged and framed a favorite print; today it is a focal art piece within the home. Together, these elements combine to create an apartment capable of effortlessly adapting to its owners’ daily rhythms.
Well-versed in the precision demanded by compact spaces and custom millwork, we devised a shape-shifting storage system that serves as the new framework for daily life. Throughout the apartment, a series of white panels pull, push, slide, and unfold, intermittently revealing two Murphy beds, a vanity with integrated appliances, and generous storage and closet space. One such panel slides out to form a visual and physical barrier between the living-turned-guest room and the primary bedroom—an approach that transforms every square inch into usable space without sacrificing design quality. When closed, the panels allow the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves to remain fully exposed. The extensive millwork establishes a warm, calm environment steps away from a busy stretch of the East Village, with the colorful bookshelves, in turn, doubling as the primary ornamentation within the sleek apartment.
The kitchen introduces another layer of dynamism. The space is anchored by a large floor-to-ceiling built-in spice cabinet, diffused behind fluted glass and blackened steel framing. The flush cabinet fronts were engineered to feel substantial yet light enough for daily use. Over the sink, the client’s enlarged and framed a favorite print; today it is a focal art piece within the home. Together, these elements combine to create an apartment capable of effortlessly adapting to its owners’ daily rhythms.
Photography: Bojune Kwon