A Cool, Calm, and Cohesive 21sqm/235sqft Apartment in Gramercy Park
“I almost treat it like my design laboratory,” Julia Stevens offered on the occasion of our visit to her cool, calm, and curated apartment in New York’s Gramercy Park. At only 21sqm/235sqft, there was not too much room to play around with; but Stevens, an interior stylist and freelance magazine editor, was up to the task – embracing her first time living without roommates as an opportunity to experiment: “I’ll try something, live with it for a week, decide I hate it and do something completely different. It takes a lot of trial and error, but I think we’ve gotten to a pretty good place.”
Design Goals: Calm, Cohesion, and Functionality
When Stevens first discovered the apartment, located within a four-storey 1890s building, it was essentially a blank canvas. The building, she admits, was “nothing special,” but the apartment itself had its hidden gems. Sunlight flooded in through south-facing windows, illuminating the soft moldings around the window and door frames – small details that added character to the space. “It was better than it needed to be,” she remarked.
Her primary aim for the apartment was to create a clean, calming atmosphere that still reflected her love for unique objects and collectables. “I wanted it to feel like a breath of fresh air every time you open the door,” she explained. Helping her achieve this mission was her muted, cool colour palette and use of different textures and materials over bold patterns or bright colours. To avoid the space feeling cluttered – an ever-present risk in such a small space – most of her belongings are tucked away, which allows her favourite pieces to shine.
Strategic Furniture Placement and Design Choices
The apartment’s layout was designed with comfort, functionality, and flow in mind. The sofa, one of Stevens's favourite pieces in the home, is a great example of this. Not only is it "both slouchy and structured” (aka very comfortable), it also “makes for an awesome bed for guests” when the cushions are removed. Stevens further bolstered its physical attributes by placing it with care – leaving a small pathway between it and the bed, so she could walk from the bathroom to the kitchen with ease. “That little space between the bed and sofa just gives the entire apartment some more breathing room”, she added.
Another strategic decision was her choice of an oval coffee table (one of her many antique pieces throughout the home). The rounded edges of the table allow for a larger piece without overwhelming the small space. When Stevens has friends over for dinner, the coffee table becomes the focal point for informal gatherings.
As a renter, Stevens had to make concessions in certain areas, but she still found ways to inject her personality into the apartment. In the kitchen, for instance, she replaced the hardware on the cabinet doors with small chrome ball knobs from Etsy. “As subtle as hardware is, it’s something you make contact with so many times in a day that it makes a big difference,” she explains. Small changes like this add a touch of luxury without making major alterations to the space. Take the drama and symmetry with her curtains, for example. “ They draw the eye up and add a nice softness and texture,” she explained.
Julia’s Small Space Design Tips
When designing small spaces, Julia has found that committing to a specific colour palette can make a big difference. “I’ve committed to cool tones here, and it helps everything feel super cohesive,” she said. She avoids overwhelming the space with bright colours and patterns, choosing instead to play with different textures, shapes, and sizes. This approach ensures that the apartment remains simple but never boring.
Ultimately, Julia Stevens's Gramercy Park apartment is a triumph in maximising a small space without sacrificing style. Through careful colour choices, clever furniture layouts, and a commitment to personal detail, she has turned a modest rental into a serene and functional home – proving that size is no barrier to creating a space that feels uniquely yours.
