Small space living with Ron Marvin

July 6th, 2009 · 36 Comments

Ron Marvin's Chelsea Living Room

Ron Marvin’s 300 sq ft apartment in Chelsea will be somewhat of an inspiration for when we finally settle into our teeny 1-bedroom apartment in New York City. His studio has circled the blogosphere since its entry into Apartment Therapy’s Smallest Coolest Apartment contest for good reason: it’s a perfect demonstration of how to maximize your allotted space without compromising style.

Ron Marvin's Chelsea Office

There are several tips to take away from Marvin’s ingeniously designed studio, including:

  • Clearly define each area with the help of a graphic rug or large piece of furniture
  • Create a cohesive base color palette with a different accent color for each area e.g. primarily a chocolate, black, and white base with hints of yellow in the living area and turquoise by the office
  • Use reflective or clear surfaces to make the space feel larger
  • Layer lighting for a moody effect
  • Have a vision for items that you see at flea markets and on the side of the street — good style does NOT need to be expensive
  • Don’t forget about the vertical space for shelves and storage

Ron Marvin's Chelsea Bathroom

You have all been incredibly sweet with your advice and e-mails about our upcoming move. In fact, Lindsay shared some excellent tips for small space living in this post (scroll down to Lindsay’s name in the comment section). I just wanted to make sure you all didn’t miss it.

I’ll be exploring small space living in the next few weeks as I gather inspiration for our new apartment. The perfect and most logical starting point will be Rebecca’s Loving Living Small — a blog dedicated to homes under 1000 sq ft, which will be a wonderful resource. Go check it out!

PSStay tuned for another exciting giveaway that I know you’ll just love.

Image credits: Ron Marvin & Apartment Therapy

Tags: For The Home · Interior designer

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