I’m very close to finalizing a duplex apartment purchase and I’m already shopping for furniture. So let's just say I've got suggestions for redecorating or buying furniture for a new place, especially if it’s a loft, duplex or triplex style apartment. Urban spaces and contemporary décor are totally my thing. And New York City is as urban as they get! I’m including some of my favorite furniture that maximizes living space, won’t break the bank and gives you easy storage options.
But first, let me introduce you to Hoek Home. Hoek Home was created for urban living! It's made in Brooklyn New York, by a small team of makers and designers using precession machinery. All their pieces are made from sustainable materials that are better for you and the environment. They look really modern and cool and can be assembled and disassembled very easily with click-in parts that create less of a need for wasteful packaging.
Also, I love how they allow for easy storing, with legs snapping into the underside of tabletops to transform into one flat piece that can be tucked into a closet. Here's a video that explains it all.
When I move into my new place, I plan on getting a Hoek desk, dining table, a few benches and a coffee table.
I'm so excited for these pieces because they're modern but also so easy to move around. For me, that's important because I'm always rearranging my place/furniture for shooting/filming purposes. And currently, my furniture is a little too precious and has created a hassle whenever I have to move it aside. I also really love a simple and clean aesthetic. I'm not sure how to define my interior design style because it's still evolving, but I'd liken it to combo of contemporary, mid-century modern, japan style and a bit of shaker style. These genres of interior design are all pretty minimalist. I find that they work in loft-like spaces, especially when your goal is to have a lot of floor space.
Here are some of my best tips for apartment dwellers when it comes to furniture shopping:
- Start with the floor plan. Make sure you really understand what kind of space you're working with. Maybe even draw on a large print out of the floor plan, so you can plan where you'd like to put pieces and see where they spacially make the most sense.
- Expensive doesn't mean better. Some of my favorite pieces are items I found as part of sample sales or even in the trash room of my high rise apartment building (I kid you not!). What matters is that it serves a purpose in your home that makes your life more comfortable and inspired.
- Do a lot of walk throughs at furniture stores before you spend any money. Get a feel for what your style is. Take pics of your space or have them handy on your phone to show sales people, as they've worked with thousands of people to decorate their homes and probably have great input. Make sure to snap pics of furniture you like while doing this and then going to your space and looking at both at the same time to see if you can really envision it there. I know this seems like a lot of work but you're going to be living with these pieces for a while!
- Take advantage of friends who are interior designers, home stagers, artists, or who just have great styling talent. One of my best friends, Carola, is an interior designer and she's happily given me so much advice for beginning to shop for pieces. At no charge!!! Also, my friend Jason has agreed to join me for shopping trips. He's in the real estate biz but also owns AirBnB homes, so he's been very helpful with suggesting where to shop and where to find deals since he furnished all his homes himself. I know you probably have more resources for assisting you in this process than you think! It's a great way to spend time with friends, too!
- A coordinating color scheme and lighting are so important when furnishing your home. Figure out your colors in advance. Stick to a palette of colors that's soothing to you. In my new place, I'm planning on going with a very earthy palette. This will allow for my art, area rugs and pillows to deliver a nice pop of color. When it comes to lighting, go for options that open up your space and highlight the areas you spend the most time in. Invest in lighting that's natural and not just artificial. Dyson has these new Lightcycle Morph Lights which emit a more natural colored light, have the option for spotlighting and are motion sensored. I have both their desk and floor lamps!
- Make a PINTEREST BOARD of everything you like, renovations you plan to do, styling that speaks to you, and so on! I CREATED ONE FOR MY NEW PLACE. Check it out! It'll really help you get aligned on what's a priority and keep you inspired. I can get lost in Pinterest for hours and even though it's a time suck, it really helps me find out about relevant interior design trends that I can apply my home. You might even find tutorial videos for how to do certain things yourself. Lastly, it's FREE! Interior Design magazines get very expensive and are full of ads.
I have so many more tips but don't want this blog to go on forever, so I'll share more once I close on my new place. I plan on doing a tour and showing you the process of moving in and decorating. I literally can't wait!
For instance, that's a piece I currently have my eyes on from Savafieh to hang from my living room ceiling. I mean...this is going to be so much fun!!!