Hello there! There’s no dancing around it, THIS is my favorite design project to date. I got to work with my sister! Quick story, when she was around 2/3 and I was 9, she pronounced her name (Casey), as ‘Deedee’. I was Cha-chi (Chelsea). The nicknames stuck and we use them here and there! The past year has been a whirlwind as Casey fled overcrowded NJ as the covid cases started exploding and came to live with us for a bit! Then she moved in with my folks, and just this past January moved back up to NJ! Getting to be a part of her apartment search was a fun and exciting insight into her subconscious. I learned she likes quirky spaces with interesting nooks and angles - and a strong aversion to cookie cutter! So it may be surprising that the below apartment was her winner:
It’s BASIC. And she was weary - in fact, she had seen 4 identical apartments to this one in the same building, which is precisely what she was trying to avoid. But here’s the kicker:
A million dollar view of the worlds greatest city. NYC is a global landmark herself and a place we have enjoyed visiting with our Momma over the years for girls weekends away. This Jersey Heights apartment is nestled high above charming Hoboken, with an unobstructed view of this beautiful skyline. At Christmas, the Empire State building (left window), is list up in changing colors. On Valentines day it glowed pink. There is nothing basic about this view. This apartment is on the corner of the building, so Casey’s other views look out over a bustling park busy with dogs and their owners - one of Casey’s greatest amusements. So, the views of this top floor apartment tipped the scale. But how to create that quirky, nook-y feel?
One of the first ideas I shared with Case was this washed brick wallpaper. I have NEVER used a faux stone wallpaper before and thought I never would…but this was a perfect project for it! It’s non-committal as it’s a peel and stick paper, and it does wonders for this otherwise box-like room. My Mom and Casey installed it together (without a stool or ladder, I hear), and I can’t believe how awesome it looks. Sometimes as a creative I will get really excited about an idea, and still be blown away by how awesome it turns out - like it’s a surprise lol!
Mixing up the heights of the elements in the room helps, too! Balancing high pieces with lower pieces is a great way to create some movement around a space. These shelves from Castlery were one of Casey’s early requests - a place to shelve books, and ultimately collect a whole shelf of childrens books and short stories about disabiliy (not just the career Casey has pursued but a tremendous passion of hers to learn and share through education).
The sofa itself was a complex decision - being that this is a one bedroom apartment, Casey really wanted to have a place for guests to sleep. The obvious choice was a pull-out sofa, but I was having a hard time finding pull out sofas that also functioned as long enough sofas. Most of them were in the 50-72” length, which would have been too petite for this space. I, myself, have an Article Sven sofa, and one afternoon was doing my work from it, and realized how comfortable the cushion itself is. And not only does the cushion come off, but underneath the cushion is a memory foam type padding. SO, this Article Sven sofa could sleep 2 people comfortably, but as a sofa by itself, it’s 86” length is perfect for this space.
And a typical stop in anyone’s home these days, the WFH corner (work from home). Casey does not like clutter ( we are cut from the same cloth, afterall), so having a modern secretary style desk that can close and hide all work-y materials was a perfect solution here.
Another little architectural detail one can add to make a space feel more unique is lighting! This plug-in sconce adds some height, a little shine, a little interest, and does a fantastic job illuminating the space at night so she doesn’t have to use her overhead. Thank you for installing this, Dad! My Dad could work for TaskRabbit, he’d love it.
One must-have in this apartment was closed storage. With zero closets in the main living spaces or entryway, I really wanted to give Case a place to store things like towels, linens, textbooks, etc, without cramming her small bedroom closets. This ‘sideboard’ is actually a pair of kitchen uppers bought new from Lowes, that I then painted and added legs to, while Matt added a flat top surface.
In the bedroom, the solution de quirk is the canopy bed. I didn’t want to cram a lot of things in here, but knew a canopy bed would feel very cozy and nook-like all on its own. Paired with simple bedding from Magic Linen, a cane nightstand, leather pull dresser and a woven chair (FB Marketplace), this space came together very organically. The very first element, however, was the rug! I found the rug at one of my favorite Etsy shops, Rugville. My inspiration for this room was the gorgeous sunrise that poured in over the skyline on the first morning I woke up in this room - Casey and I came up to see the place together after it became hers, and we slept a hard night on the floor. But it was so totally worth it. The surprise in the morning was like heaven kissing the city right in front of us. I wanted this room to have the same glow.
As I mentioned, this apartment is a bit short on closets. This storage piece from Vasagle is a perfect entryway drop-zone. Easy to walk around, it doesn’t take up a lot of room but it carries a heavy load.
Rugs are literally one of my favorite elements of creating a home. This was another vintage find from Etsy shop Vintport.
The kitchen is simple, cozy. We had held out hope that we’d be able to paint the cabinets something neutral, which was denied. So to suit the space, a gorgeous blue-green chair just felt right. After sorting through a few options, Cate found these while we were all sitting together one evening amongst children, video-gaming men and wine. And they’re lovely!
There you have it! A not-so-cookie-cutter apartment anymore. Shire and I have already been treated to a weekend visit and while we thoroughly enjoyed the fun of Hoboken and the neighborhood parks, it was so special to enjoy this home together at the start and end of our daytime adventures. The fun of this project is only just beginning.
Thank you so much for coming by!
