One Room Challenge Spring 2019 - Week 2

If you’re here for the first time, welcome! I’m Jana Bek, a New York and Ann Arbor, Michigan based interior designer with a lifestyle line of home décor, textiles, & lighting. I have a love for bright colors, bold prints, and designing spaces & home décor that help transport you to your dream destination.

 
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I’m so excited to be included in my ninth season of One Room Challenge! If you’re just tuning in, I’m designing our new one-bedroom Brooklyn apartment for this season’s One Room Challenge, you can catch up on links below:

 
 
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Challenge 1: Offset windows and embedded H/C Units

This week we’re talking about the awkward challenges our apartment’s layout pose & and ways in which I’ve decided to tackle them. This combined culprit is a doozy, it’s so off-balanced! The windows are not symmetrically placed with respect to the walls, and the shortness of walls tend to “call out” the asymmetry. On top of that, the windows include an H/C unit that stand from the floor to the lower windowsill.

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Here’s my plan to turn these challenges into strengths:

  • I’ll bring balance to the asymmetry by adding weight to the larger corner with a properly sized plant that pops instead of blends.

  • For the window itself, I’m so very lucky to have Barn & Willow as an ORC sponsor! Their roman shades won’t overwhelm the window, but instead will draw you into the scene. Simple, sophisticated, and great fabrics and function. As a bonus, this will hide the standard apartment roller-shades without losing their functionality in case I want to block additional early morning light.

  • The top of the H/C unit is large enough for what I plan to be elegant, but unassuming styling details. This, I think, will make something that looks accidental into something that looks purposeful.

 
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Challenge 2: Wall Corner into kitchen

This complex corner must be hiding duct work behind the walls, but regardless of the reason, it’s simply unattractive! What immediately came to mind was a large folding screen. I’ve wanted one ever since I was a girl, and now I have the perfect reason. It’s exactly what I need to hide the funky architecture and at the same time frame in (and create) a small dining area between the living room and kitchen.

 

Challenge 3: Storage

 Small-space living means always layering in an opportunity for storage! Luckily, our walkway from the entrance/kitchen to the living area is just wide enough for a cabinet – I’ve got my eye on Ballard Designs eye-catching Adele Cabinet. I’m a sucker for grass-cloth when it’s done right, and Ballard is doing it very right. Just in the middle of confirming that the timing will work out!

 
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Challenge 4: Bedroom and Closet

 The bedroom itself doesn’t pose many challenges, and by city apartment standards, our closet is big; but there’s no foldable storage. The room is too tight for a dresser across from the bed, but I found a solution in the small hallway just before our bedroom door. I think the dimensions work just work out for a sleek tall chest from A.R.T. Furniture that offers lots of storage in a small footprint. Perfect pick for the perfect solution!

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Next week I’ll be sharing my firmed-up furniture designs and running you through my textile and art choices, some very exciting design decisions will have been made! For my interim planning, check in on Instagram (@janabekdesign) & Pinterest!