Guest blogger and DesignIntake writer Julieta Alvarez recently spent some time staying up with her housekeeping. Now she shares her design renovations at her Upper East Side apartment in Manhattan.
By Julieta Alvarez
Not that an apartment is really ever finished, because progress is timeless! A few weeks ago I spent the better part of my week, amid work and play, working on an apartment design project. My restrictions were only to keep the project on a budget—and a tight one, may I add!
First things first: imagine or draw out a final concept to keep in mind before you start. It doesn't have to be definite or concrete, and it doesn't have to be perfect or finished; it just has to be the foundation of something you know you want and that will help you mush on through the process until you're finished. Think of it as a tiny light at the end of your tunnel.
In looking over my space, I knew that before I was to add anything, I would first need to purge a few things. So, the first thing I had to consider was which items in the apartment I wanted to keep and which items were ready to be tossed. Certain pieces in your living space can be an obvious “keep” or “toss” decision, but if you're like me, many fall into the “know you gotta go but hate to see you leave” category.
The black leather ultra-modern sofa I've had for years as well as the IKEA kitchen table used as desk had to go. The deciding factor on this was simple: they did not complement the final concept I had in mind.
Once this was accomplished, I gathered a list of items I wanted to purchase. These included a sofa from Crate & Barrel, a bookshelf from Target, paint from Benjamin Moore, a wall-mounted shelf, and a ceramic stool from CB2. Also on the list, because it's better to go bigger than smaller, were framed lithographs for the wall that I found at an antique sale in Hudson, a rug from Anthropology, pillows, and other ancillary items.
Once I got all these items, the fun part could start!
Stay tuned to GoDesignGo tomorrow for more from Julieta to see what she does with her apartment's new design. In the meantime, check out her blog.
Certain things stand out as soon as you set foot on the property, like nice buildings, well-maintained landscape, friendly office staff and great parking.
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