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As the editor and cofounder of ApartmentTherapy.com, Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan blogs daily about the best ways to design and organize living areas, including tiny ones. So when he and his wife brought home their daughter, Ursula, now eight months old, moving out of their one-bedroom, 265-square-foot West Village abode didn’t even cross their minds. Gillingham-Ryan gave us three fixes—Cheap, moderately priced and go-for-broke—for five of the most common decorating problems city parents face.
Our baby’s nursery is a walk-in closet. Literally.
Cheap “Give the space a fresh surface by repainting and putting down inexpensive carpeting.” His pick: Flor’s Jigs Up colorful tiles ($16 per 19.7" x 19.7" tile, available at florcatalog.com).
Moderate Light is important. “If the room doesn’t have a socket, install one. Then, drop a bulb down from the ceiling and buy a playful chandelier.” Try Tord Boontje’s 15" Garland Shade Light ($80, available at the MoMA Design Store, 81 Spring St at Crosby St; 646-613-1367, moma.org).
Money is no object Skip the crib completely. Hire a builder (Gillingham-Ryan suggests Anthony Dalo Woodworking; 718-418-9001) to create a custom wall unit with a built-in crib and drawers for storage. It’ll be pricey (as much as $2,000 ), but you’ll have plenty of room to store onesies and bibs.
Our one-bedroom apartment now houses four of us.
Cheap Opt for portable furniture, like a folding bassinet or travel crib, when your kids are little—it will help save on square footage. Gillingham-Ryan’s daughter sleeps in Cosco Juvenile’s portable crib ($80, available at Babies “R” Us, 24-30 Union Square East at 16th St; 212-798-9905, babiesrus.com).
Moderate Open shelving is a good way to carve out space (and more storage, to boot) without putting up solid walls. Try Design Within Reach’s semitransparent Cubits ($198 per set of three, at dwr.com).
Money is no object Turn an alcove into a small bedroom for the kids by installing a pressurized room divider. The Living Space Company is a great source; a wall costs about $1,200 (800-761-9947, livingspaceinc.com).
We wish it weren’t the case, but our kids have to share a room.
Cheap Give each child a sense of ownership. Let them spruce up the space above their beds with fun wall decals. Gillingham-Ryan favors Stickers by dVider’s colorful collection ($20–$30, available at store.dvider.com). Or, he says, create privacy by hanging tall curtains from high-tension aircraft wire. Ikea has some great inexpensive curtains, like the colorful Barnslig line ($20 for two panels, available at Ikea, 100 Ikea Dr, Paramus, NJ; 201-843-1881, ikea-usa.com).
Moderate If you prefer screens to curtains, you might want to go with the steel-framed, custom-designed “sails” from dVider. These are not the usual Japanese-style rice paper screens; instead, kids can upload a drawing to the site and the company will print it directly onto a canvas divider (starting at $600, available at store.dvider.com).
Money is no object If your kids are old enough (experts advise around age six), try Argington’s stylish new Uffizi bunk beds—stacking the beds maximizes floor space ($1,850, available at Modern Tots, 53 Pearl St between Plymouth and Water Sts, Dumbo, Brooklyn; 718-488-8293, moderntots.com).
Help! There’s no space to store Matchbox cars and Polly Pockets.
Cheap “I like Tubtrugs bins—they’re made for gardening, but they’re perfect for organizing toys” (available at tubtrugs.com, $8–$22 each).
Moderate P’kolino’s two-in-one ottomans (choose from red, yellow, green, orange and blue) combine seats and storage units ($169, available at Modern Tots, 53 Pearl St between Plymouth and Water Sts, Dumbo, Brooklyn; 718-488-8293, moderntots.com).
Money is no object Create storage along the walls. “Atlas East Shelving, a small company based in Brooklyn, makes beautiful walnut shelving with a frame that you install along the wall.” The computerized design tool at the firm’s website (atlaseast.com) allows you to build your own modular system (the one Time Out Kids created on the site came to about $6,000).
Our home is a true work-life situation: The office doubles as the kids’ playroom.
Cheap Make sure the kids know which side of the room is theirs and which is yours. “To divvy up the space, use chalkboard paint for the wall opposite the office area.” ($35 per gallon of paint, available at YoyaMart, 15 Gansevoort St between Hudson and W 13th Sts; 212-242-5511, yoyashop.com).
Moderate “Invest in a Wi-Fi setup for your laptop. It’ll free you up to move into another room if your child is playing in there or napping.” Or purchase a movable desk. The Scooter Desk ($398, available at levenger.com) is one of Gillingham-Ryan’s favorites.
Money is no object “For the adult work area, get a really nice office armoire,” says Gillingham-Ryan. “Then, get the kids something cool to match. Ducduc makes a beautiful children’s table with a chalkboard top and storage underneath” ($595, available at Mini Jake, 178 North 9th St between Bedford and Driggs Aves, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-782-2005, minijake.com).
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