Like the rest of your home, your bedroom is a place to surround yourself with the things you love. It’s also a place for more personal trinkets and mementos, which means storage for those (and, of course, all your clothes) is key. By incorporating custom built-ins, floating shelves, and even a hidden closet, these Sweeten homeowners’ private spaces are certain to inspire.

The large bedroom in Whitney and Laurence’s apartment was a huge plus—the awkward closet layout was anything but. Their contractor knocked down the four separate closets and created one dressing room to accommodate both of their wardrobes. Careful planning left ample room for two large dressers, plus a king-size bed. To top it off, their feng shui consultant advised on the furniture plan and placement to summon the harmonious, well-organized bedroom of their dreams.

The bedroom in this homeowner’s apartment boasted stunning natural light thanks to its west-facing windows—it just needed some minor storage reconfiguration to bring it up to snuff. To take advantage of the high ceilings, the contractor built open shelving across the length of the room. The original closet was moved between the bedroom and bathroom, and reimagined as a walk-in dressing room.

When Claudia set out to redesign her bedroom, a window seat was at the top of her list, along with the need for more storage. In order to meet both demands, a multi-functional built-in was designed around the casement to house books and keepsakes. Staying true to her vision, a custom seat was added and topped with an upholstered cushion to create a cozy spot for curling up with a good book.

The bedroom in Hari and Kaity’s apartment had limited closet space and lots of square footage left over for furniture. To address growing storage concerns, the couple decided to use the far wall of the bedroom to build out a pair of full-size closets filled with custom shelving and storage. Now that they have plenty of room to store clothing and more, the original closet was transformed into an office nook.

When a redesign of their apartment knocked down most of the walls in favor of an open-plan arrangement, Mario and Joe realized they needed more wall space to display their growing treasures from travels around the globe. Stacked floating shelves in their bedroom became the perfect solution to showcase their collection.

With a large assembly of books and a serious lack of storage space, Christine turned to the nearly blank canvas of her bedroom for a thoughtful solution. The wall behind her bed was transformed into a library with a custom built-in that reaches from floor to ceiling, while a pewter paint finish softens the predominantly white space. Key elements for a personal library include wall sconces that are essential for reading in bed.

By preserving the wall between the bedroom and newly created walk-in dressing room, Jerry and Janet were able to move the closet out of sight while keeping it easily accessible. Positioning the bed in the middle of the room with the dressing area behind the headboard adds an interesting architectural element to the space. The streamlined design also complements the original 1910 window moldings that were painted black for a touch of contrast.

This was originally posted on March 6, 2017.

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This film editor chose to renovate and reconfigure her small studio rather than move to a new apartment. Check out her colorful and multifunctional space.

Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, scope, and style. Follow the blog for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation on Sweeten.

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Laura and Matthew’s double drawer wall-hung vanity

With all the fixtures taking up space in the bathroom—sinks, toilet, plus tub or shower—it can be hard to also fit sufficient storage. The vanity alone is rarely enough. And if your space is traditional, with a pedestal sink, the need is greater. However, with smart planning that addresses all the tasks in the bath, you can find the best bathroom storage solutions.

Sweeten matches home renovation projects with vetted general contractors, offering guidance, tools, and support—for free.

Planning your space

First, figure out where the fixtures will go. If you’re remodeling, you need to decide if everything stays put or if something moves. Evaluate the floor and wall space to find areas for storage—bathroom cabinets, shelves, or freestanding pieces like furniture.

Bathroom vanity

Once a simple box with doors and drawers for storing toiletries, the vanity has expanded its capabilities. Manufacturers like Kohler and Duravit have introduced built-in internal storage compartments that corral items small, medium and large, while still remaining in arm’s reach. Look for helpful add-ons like electrical outlets, adjustable shelves, and rollout trays. For existing vanities, small acrylic trays and storage boxes at the Container Store fit a variety of drawer dimensions. If the bathroom is shared, and you have room for twin vanities instead of one large one, go for it! This allows each occupant to organize the space exactly as he or she wishes. You can identify the type of vanity you want from among the following styles:

*Floating – This style, attached to the wall, keeps the floor clear for an open look. You can find models from manufacturers like Decorá that include at least one drawer under the sink. Expect a small cutout in the middle of the top drawer to clear the plumbing pipes, and still allow room on the left and right.

*Freestanding – The advantage here is the vanity can be moved, with little impact on the wall behind it. It typically goes countertop to floor so there’s more square footage for storage and more door-and-drawer combos. Ronbow makes vanities with integrated sinks and storage below starting as narrow as 19 inches wide, good to fit twin sets in a small bath. Console styles closely resemble furniture, with shapely legs below the cabinet to create an open effect, and usually incorporate a shelf near the bottom.

Built-in cabinets

This might be custom cabinetry, similar to what you would order for the kitchen, and from many of the same manufacturers. Or it might be bespoke, crafted by a carpenter. Because the unit is built into a wall, it can be as large and long as you want. It also allows the addition of matching units above the counter, on either side of the sink, or between double sinks. You get lots of opportunities to vary door, drawer, and open shelf combos above and below the counter. KraftMaid makes a narrow pullout unit with shelves, much like a pantry, to make use of a narrow vertical space. Consider upper cabinets with glass doors as bathroom storage for towels and pretty toiletries in a spa-like display.

Freestanding cabinets

Similar to kitchen solutions, you can add a cabinet or an open case fitted with shelves in any free space in the bath. Make sure there is clearance for any activity taking place nearby. The advantage here is that the shelves can be adjusted when you wish—to hold a hamper or bath towels on a lower shelf, and smaller personal care items at arm level. Another alternative: a shelf that is not a shelf, such as an étagère—an open-back shelving unit—or one side of a ladder. These repurposed bathroom storage ideas can be found at resale shops or some furniture stores that make small decorative furniture for the bath.

Built-in shelves

Shelves maximize vertical space anywhere there is an open wall space with studs that provide support for attaching the units. Find a place for shelves adjacent to a sink, between sinks, or flanking sinks, above a toilet tank, high up around the perimeter of the ceiling, on a wall a foot or so from the shower, or even a shallow ledge above the vanity. In addition to shelves that match a manufacturer’s vanity collection, options include a wide selection of widths and depths or you can have a carpenter craft shelves to exact specifications. As with vanities, they come in a variety of styles.

The most versatile, these shelves go anywhere there is sufficient support to attach them: above the toilet, between sinks or flanking sinks, high up around the perimeter of the ceiling, or even a shallow ledge above the vanity.

Melina and Fabio’s gold and marble floating shelves

Medicine cabinets

Why go for a simple mirror when you can capture storage above the sink too? You have two options for storage here, with medicine cabinets that recess into a wall or mount on the wall, each with the traditional mirrored door that opens out.

*Recessed – Placed in the shallow wall space between studs, this style comes in versions from 4 to 8 inches deep—big enough to stow rolls of toilet paper. Kohler offers one for less than $100. Robern adds options with one, two, or three doors as well as electrical outlets for added organization and versatility.

*Wall mount – If you mount the cabinet on the surface of the wall, check out Decorá, which makes a model with storage shelves that slide out from either side, disappearing when not in use.

Maria and Eric’s built-in niche

Built-in niche

This type of shelf is located in a recessed area, such as between studs or even between two cabinets. Built-ins also work on a smaller scale in the shower, in the form of a niche for shampoos and soaps. In the wall above the tub, you can go larger and perhaps fit a couple shelves for a practical display of bath salts and liquid soaps. For visual interest, insert mirrored panels or beadboard on the back surfaces of the niches, or paint them a contrasting color.

Furniture

In addition to the small decorative pieces described above, it can be fun to introduce a vintage dresser or bookcase, if you have the room. Use the top to display personal items as well as toiletries. Drawers hold towels, small appliances like a hair dryer or electric razor.

Solve your bathroom storage with some of the suggestions described above, and begin to enjoy the serene space you deserve.

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We love Brian’s travel-inspired take on classic bathroom storage; check out his antique basin table and custom red balau wood medicine cabinet.

Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, and scope, helping until project completion. Follow the blog for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation on Sweeten.

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Living in a city where space is limited can mean giving up square footage in favor of location. Small apartments can feel restrictive; there’s less room for stuff and fewer zones that can be dedicated to specific functions. When your square footage doesn’t allow for an office, dining room, or storage closet, it’s time to think outside the box. These clever small apartment ideas, brought to life from Sweeten renovations, prove that you can personalize your space to meet your needs in any size apartment.

This small kitchen loses a radiator and gets a window seat (plus storage!)

Evelyn’s galley kitchen suffered from wasted space; there was a radiator beneath the window that was never used. She had it removed and replaced with a window seat with storage underneath, a suggestion given to her by her Sweeten general contractor. Now serving two purposes, the space provides additional storage and a dining nook that seats up to four.

A mini kitchen peninsula offers space for work and play

In Frans and Dalal’s studio apartment, the kitchen offered very little workspace and barely any room for a table and chairs. By incorporating a mini peninsula into the new kitchen design, the couple was able to add extra prep space and a dining perch that’s perfect for the two of them.

A galley kitchen pass-through creates much-needed counter space

A narrow galley kitchen in Emily’s studio apartment had virtually no counter space and nowhere to sit down for a meal. By extending the countertop through a newly created pass-through in the wall, Emily was able to define a spot for dining and enhance the social aspect of the kitchen by opening it up to the main living area.

A coziest office nook makes its entrance in a small entryway

Having put a new plan in motion for her kitchen, Emily set her sights on a pair of shallow closets that took up valuable floor space in the entryway to her apartment. She combined the closets and carved out an office nook complete with a desk, chair, and open shelving for books and office supplies.

Existing closet space in a studio swaps to become an office niche

The previous owner of Lauren’s studio apartment had knocked out a large closet to create a workspace, replacing it with a tiny closet in the bedroom area. Lauren chose to swap the spaces during her renovation: the home office reverted back to clothing storage while the small closet—which turned out to be the ideal size for a workspace—became an office niche.

A lofted bed platform adds clothing storage behind rich wooden tones

After successfully swapping the small closet for a larger one, Lauren worked with her Sweeten general contractor to think of other ways to add storage and reduce clutter throughout her apartment. In need of a place to store off-season clothes and a folding table and chairs for guests, her contractor rebuilt the existing bed loft platform, adding three bays of storage that were made easily accessible from the foot of the platform.

Make every inch count—especially if you have tall ceilings!

If there’s no more room on the floor, the only way to go is up. To make the most of the 11-foot ceilings in Elizabeth’s apartment, her Sweeten general contractor suggested using the space to create more storage—an idea she couldn’t say no to. Rather than shoving things under the bed, this alcove is the perfect solution for tucking things out of sight.

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Amber and Chris made their space work for them by transforming their dining nook into a kid’s bedroom complete with a transom window to allow ample sunlight to pass through.

Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, scope, and style. Follow the blog for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation on Sweeten.

The post Small Apartment Ideas: How to Live Large in a Small Space appeared first on Sweeten.

• Homeowners: Homeowners Maria and Eric posted their Queens co-op renovation on Sweeten
  
• Where: Woodside, Queens, New York City
  
• Primary renovation: Opening up the kitchen, updating kitchen and bathroom, and refinishing the floors
• Sweeten’s role: Sweeten matches home renovators with vetted general contractors, offering input, support, and up to $50,000 in renovation financial protection—for free.

Brightening up the space

Racing to line up an ambitious renovation before closing on a dated co-op in Woodside, Queens, Maria, a financial reporting director at a major media company, and Eric, the owner and Creative Director at broadcast design studio General Idea, expected “pain and horror” as first-time renovators. They’d linked up with an architectural designer and came to Sweeten to find a general contractor to overhaul all 850 square feet of their new two-bedroom apartment.

Some of the finishes were just plain uninspired, while other layout and fixture details limited a more holistic use of the space. Laminate counters and discolored floor tiles anchored the kitchen, warped cupboards demanded a good nudge to shut completely, and the small bathroom’s ornate pedestal sink went way overboard on frilly decorative details while way under-delivering on countertop real estate.

Creating a team

The main goals were pretty straightforward: open up the enclosed kitchen to the living room, update the kitchen and bathroom, and refinish the floors. Still, their designer, Vida, brought three critical points of view to the project. One was technical and practical: to limit work to the existing structural and plumbing layout so that the crew could focus on visible details that mattered most. The second was connectedness: Vida posted the project on Sweeten to find local contractors matched to the project’s budget and scope, freeing her up to focus on design solutions. And the third was creative: clean design details and a minimalist style found in matte finishes, simple profiles, and rich walnut wood warmth. They were matched with their Sweeten contractor for demolition, rebuilding, and craftsmanship detail down to the new doorknobs.

A gallery kitchen

Maria and Eric wanted an open, bright space with clean lines. They had drawn up a 3D model on their own to convey big ideas, and worked closely with Vida to fine-tune, leaning toward Scandinavian sensibilities with some mid-century modern touches.

Their contractor’s team took on the kitchen wall, which sectioned the galley kitchen off in its own corner. To give Eric and Maria the open feeling they wanted, the designs called for approaching the two galley walls strategically. On one side, countertop prep space takes the lead, wrapping around the kitchen wall and extending into the living room with low walnut cabinet storage. Skipping the usual line of upper cabinets in this spot helps keep the living room open through to the kitchen’s window. On the opposite wall, full-height cabinets concentrate storage but still keep a low profile with matte white finishes and concealed hardware. The stainless Bosch appliances and a striking black sink and faucet combo star in this otherwise simple space.

Making a space space feel bigger

The bathroom’s small footprint led the team to focus on storage solutions and a simple palette. High contrast black and white materials, a frameless mirror, matte black plumbing fixtures (even under the wall mount sink!), and recessed wall storage gave Eric and Maria a bright and uncluttered retreat. The floor tile was admittedly a splurge, but with just a few square feet of coverage needed, it made sense to focus a high-end finish in that small spot.

Updated floors

In the living room and bedrooms, the team stripped walls and focused on restoring the existing wood flooring. Getting the floors right was a challenge. Aiming for a serene, matte oiled finish required the team to strip the previous stain and try out a few approaches with a new topcoat. The new finish, a layer of natural sheen, is an updated take on the original material.

Bumps in the road

Maria and Eric planned to use the second bedroom as a home office and needed to reframe the entry to open it up to the living room. The custom pocket door is their favorite design detail, a necessary addition after finding an unexpected structural beam which could have prevented the plans for a floor-to-ceiling entry. Vida suggested encasing the beam in walnut, with an asymmetrical line. It’s a beautiful and unique solution that helps tie in design touches from each room.

Behind the scenes

With their expert team in place, Maria and Eric found that communication was key. They had detailed conversations about measurements, finishes, and placement prior to work starting, saving time and headaches. Their contractor’s team helped keep the project on track and were key partners in addressing issues that came up as work progressed. Vida kept balance and prioritization top of mind to negotiate cost, quality, and lead times.

And behind the scenes at Sweeten, we saw in-progress photos of those show-stopping black fixtures when the Sweeten contractor checked in with updates throughout the project (with Queens cheesecake hand-delivered on a visit to our offices!). What a complete treat for us to be able to show off all of this beautiful finished work!

Renovation materials

KITCHEN RESOURCES: Cabinets: IKEA. Cabinet doors: custom walnut. Countertop, backsplash, and open shelf: Caesarstone. Blanco sink: Blanco. Kohler faucet: Kohler. Bosch fridge, dishwasher, stove: Bosch

BATHROOM RESOURCES: Floor tile: Mutina Mews. Chevron wall tile, matte white subway tile, door hardware: Omnia. Stainless steel levers, faucet, and shower fixtures: California Faucets. WS bath white ceramic sink: WS bath: Toto toilet: Toto.

OTHER RESOURCES: Office door: custom pocket door. Flooring: White oak. Flooring finish: Rubio Monocoat

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Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, scope, and style. Follow the blog for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation on Sweeten.

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