Client Spotlight: Shirley’s Simple And Sophisticated Studio Dwelling

The Havenly Team · January 26, 2016

Before and after studio transformation: bare room converts to navy accent wall with bright blue bed and organized shelving

Crafting a space that you’ll love to live in is challenging enough on its own. But that challenge is multiplied when your design vision needs to fit within a single room that’s been courteously labeled a ‘studio’.

Have faith, studio apartment-dwellers! Shirley and her boyfriend Dan found themselves in just such a situation. With space at a minimum and a young couple’s modest budget, Shirley came to Havenly designer Diana B. with room aspirations that she knew would need a pro’s touch.

Shirley knew that storage pieces would be a key element in keeping the small space from falling apart at the seams. And she recognized that adequate lighting would play a crucial role in the design, especially considering how dark the space was and that the windows faced another building. Finally, Shirley would need help finding creative places to display her art collection..

Concept One

Modern eclectic bedroom and living space with gray sofa, mint bed frame, gallery wall, and geometric area rug

In Concept One, Shirley Loved the tapestry and ceiling lamp combination, and the end tables were cute enough to warrant a “we love them.” But the curtains were just alright, lacking “pizazz” and the white bookshelf was out.

Concept Two

Mid-century modern studio layout featuring walnut dresser, patterned rug, metal bed frame, and white storage cart

In the second concept, Shirley dug the decor – especially the pillows and the rug. The sofa on the other hand was merely “alright.” With an eye toward visual balance, Shirley also noted that the media table fit in well with the overall design, yet it wasn’t a good fit for the room’s smaller layout, where she was planning to wall-mount the tv.

Studio Magic

Designed studio with navy blue accent wall, turquoise platform bed, floating shelves, and minimalist desk area

Contemporary bedroom with white walls, botanical line art, navy bookshelf, and industrial pendant lighting

Bright studio blending navy accent wall, turquoise bed, gray sofa, and modern geometric side table

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It’s often difficult to articulate how good it feels to get a design right. We think Shirley did a pretty good job: “I’m so lucky to have been matched with Diana. My partner agrees. Diana was the one aspect of Havenly that won him over because her work was so good, she was very collaborative, we felt involved in the process at all steps, and we realize how it must have been such a challenge to design a small space with a small budget.”