John’s NY Studio Reveal

My brother, John’s NY studio reveal is today!

It’s time for John’s NY studio reveal! If you’re visiting here for the first time, welcome! I just recently flew back home from visiting my brother in New York. I worked with him the past two months on designing and styling his studio space. You can see all the BEFORE pics as well as read about the behind the scenes post when I was up there this past weekend. He works as a performer and after two years of traveling on tour, he was able to settle back into New York. His next big gig starts in a week as he’ll be rehearsing for the Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes. He will perform as a vocalist and I’m hoping to visit him again sometime in the next two months to watch the show. 

If you missed the BEFORE post, here are a couple of photos. We basically started from scratch with a completely empty space. 

Since all of the design was done in Atlanta, I had to make decisions on the type and placement of furniture by using exact measurements and photos. It was definitely a challenge but we had a great time working together. John is drawn to a modern industrial look so I aimed for a very minimal and masculine aesthetic. 

Ok, time for the REVEAL and warning, it’s picture heavy! This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. 

FYI: As soon as I flew up to New York City, the weather turned a dreary gray and it started raining. His studio doesn’t receive that much natural light anyways but it was literally dark the entire time I was there. Thankfully, I brought my new speedlight flash and these were the best I could do given the circumstance. I apologize for the graininess in the photos. 

When you enter into his apartment, you step into a small foyer. I recommended a small shoe closet to function as a place to not only hold all of his shoes but to be utilized as a foyer table to hold keys, wallet, etc. A wooden bowl from TJ Maxx perfectly holds his keys and wallet. The gold metal organizer holds his mail, receipts, envelopes and stamps. I made sure to find pieces that served a double purpose because we were working with limited space. 

We kept it simple on the top and added a plant and two wooden bowls I bought in my time in South Africa many years ago. I thought they would look perfect in his space and he uses them to hold loose change. 

You immediately walk into the galley kitchen which is a great size considering it’s in New York. I love that there’s a window and it has more than enough cabinets and space for John. We settled on an Ikea table and foldable chairs. When the breakfast table is not in use, it can be folded down and the foldable chairs are hung up on the wall. John bought a cart that fit in the exact spacing between the wall and stove and it houses his mini microwave. I love how everything is so small including the refrigerator. 

We found the adorable faux succulents at World Market. 

John’s next door neighbor gifted him a vintage book full of art work of famous dancers from the past. He took two and framed them to fill some of the large bare kitchen wall. When decorating, it’s fun to use art and decor pieces that have meaning. 

The kitchen received a beautiful update with new tiling on the floors and walls. 

Here’s the meal John cooked for me before I left New York! 

Don’t be fooled, guys. It looks sunny outside but it was completely dark in here! 

The bedroom/living space has cream colored walls so I chose warm shades for all of the furniture and decor pieces. The rug from Amazon made a huge difference in bringing in added warmth and texture to the cold hardwood floors. Since industrial types of furniture can often look cold and sterile, it was important to add textiles like the woven ottoman, soft blankets and pillows. It helped to balance the room and add soft layers of coziness. 

We chose a simple, industrial desk and chair for his space. The clear desktop and wired baskets keep it looking airy and light. Since the space is small, I suggested having a desk also function as a night stand. 

John chose all of the lighting and they look awesome in the room. 

We kept the bed simple with simple white bedding and a rustic headboard. The gorgeous chenille throw from Pottery Barn was a gift and perfectly drapes over the bed or sofa. 

The simple light fixture on the ceiling was found at Lowe’s! 

I’m in love with this vintage trunk he bought from the antique store down the street. All of their trunks were from an old nunnery. It holds a lot of his miscellaneous items inside and can be pushed over to be used as a coffee table. I had fun styling the amazing tray we found at TJ Maxx for $20! It’s perfect for when guests come over and can function as a little drink station. 

Too bad they didn’t have another one because I would’ve brought it down with me on the plane! 

I’m still thoroughly impressed with this DIY shelving that John put together. I showed him a photo and he was able to figure it out after talking with an employee at Home Depot. The anchoring was a huge challenge because the metal pipes are super heavy. Thankfully, he figured it out and it looks so unique up there on the wall above the trunk. Don’t you just love it? 

I styled it a few times to get it just right. I bought the wooden goblets from South Africa and they were part of the little bowl set you saw earlier in the foyer. It’s perfect on the shelf and adds some character and charm. John likes to collect match boxes so I showcased some in a green thrifted bowl we found on our last day. A fan drew a picture of him playing Prince Topher for Cinderella so we placed that up there too. You know how much I love using old books and incorporating them into the home. 

John installed additional shelving in his bathroom to maximize storage space for toilet paper and towels. 

For his dresser, I envisioned layering some art work on top. We found the $30 vintage projector and placed that on one side of the dresser. 

It’s so cool! It sits next to an old Mikhail Baryshnikov photo that my brother found a while back. I brought the marble candle holders as a housewarming gift and they sit on the opposite side of the projector. 

 

The old ship drawing was found at the antique store for $20. We had a ton of fun looking for hidden treasures at the antique stores. 

The large feather art work was from TJ Maxx and complements the rustic tones in the room. The simple white tray was bought from Fishs Eddy.

One of my favorite finds was the plaid blanket from TJ Maxx. I’m a huge sucker for plaid and knew it somehow had to make it into the room even though John isn’t a plaid fan. He loved the piece immediately and it helped to add some more warmth and texture to the couch. The brown suede pillows look like leather and can be moved to the bed or couch. I wanted to make sure the decor pieces could be interchangeable. The plaid and chenille blanket can be switched for a different look. 

You can find these gorgeous champagne flutes at World Market. John bought me a whole wine glass set last Christmas and they are beautiful. We spoiled ourselves with some Ladurée macarons from the city. 

The marble side table holds an amazing lamp and provides a table top for drinks and food. They were both purchased from West Elm. 

You can find a similar couch like this one from World Market as well as this pouf ottoman. 

The gigantic wall clock from World Market is the statement piece on the wall and is currently on sale. 

John is hard at work memorizing pieces for an upcoming audition. #alwaysworking

I hope you enjoyed the tour. John is so happy in his new home and I’m so glad we were able to complete it before his busy schedule commences. He keeps telling me that he can’t believe this is his home and that makes my heart so so happy.

I would love to know your thoughts on the makeover! As always, thank you so much for following along. 

Have a great day! 

Yuni