Danielle Does It Up Right

When Danielle moved into her studio apartment on the Upper West Side, she faced some tricky design decisions. The challenge was to turn a long narrow room with imposingly high ceilings and dark wood trim into a cozy comfortable flat. As you can see, she's certainly made the most of her space.













Danielle's block is brownstone central. Her apartment in on the parlor floor, with the tallest ceilings and most architectural detail. And here's Dani herself, whipping up a dinner party for six in her very own kitchen. Notice how the mixing bowls match the dish drain! And that apron could have been the starting point for the entire color scheme of the apartment.













Here we see the front and back halves of the studio. The apartment has incredibly tall windows to go with the tall ceilings, and they still have their built-in shutters. No curtains necessary! A love seat cozies up to the fireplace and separates the sleeping area from the rest of the studio. The separation is furthered through the use of color; the bed is dressed in cool aqua linens that contrast with the warm reds in the other half of the room.













Along with color, Danielle has used art to decorate and delineate her space. Above her bed this series of Andrew Wyeth prints is subtly framed in black and gold. Their meticulous placement almost uses the prints as found objects to create a new composition. The frames also remind me of Japanese screens. A much bolder set of frames hangs over the dining table. This set of photographs is entirely DIY: Danielle took and developed the photos herself, then used a frame kit to surround them with deep color. Once again, the placement of the individual pictures in a unifying composition creates an entirely new work.













Another focal point of the apartment is, of course, the fireplace. The firebox may be non-functioning but the mantel serves as a much-needed surface for the iHome, photos, etc. Above it, a fabulous view of Paris complements the grand scale of the room, while on the sofa below a petite pillow echoes the Parisian theme. It's that combination of big gestures and small details that really makes this place a home.