2 Bedroom Apartment Decorating Ideas

Annie Santulli Designs

Chic but casual Palm Beach Apartment, incorporating seaside colors in an ocean view apartment. Mixing transitional with contemporary. This apartment is Malibu meets the Hampton's in Palm Beach Photography by Robert Brantley

foley&cox

Inspiration for a transitional marble tile powder room remodel in New York with an undermount sink and multicolored walls

Dona Rosene Interiors

Dona Rosene Interiors. Photography by Robert Peacock.
Example of a trendy open concept living room design in Dallas with white walls

A Mid-Century Modern Apartment Makeover

Décor Aid

New Yorkers are always on the prowl for innovative ways to make the most of the space they have. An upper east side couple, challenged with a slightly narrow L shaped apartment sought out Decor Aid's help to make the most of their Manhattan condo. Paired with one of our senior designer, Kimberly P., we learned that the clients wanted a space that looked beautiful, comfortable and also packed with functionality for everyday living. "Immediately upon seeing the space, I knew that we needed to create a narrative that allowed the design to control how you moved through the space," reports Kimberly, senior interior designer. After surveying each room and learning a bit more about their personal style, we started with the living room remodel. It was clear that the couple wanted to infuse mid-century modern into the design plan. Sourcing the Room & Board Jasper Sofa with its narrow arms and tapered legs, it offered the mid-century look, with the modern comfort the clients are used to. Velvet accent pillows from West Elm and Crate & Barrel add pops of colors but also a subtle touch of luxury, while framed pictures from the couple's honeymoon personalize the space. Moving to the dining room next, Kimberly decided to add a blue accent wall to emphasize the Horchow two piece Percussion framed art that was to be the focal point of the dining area. The Seno sideboard from Article perfectly accentuated the mid-century style the clients loved while providing much-needed storage space. The palette used throughout both rooms were very New York style, grays, blues, beiges, and whites, to add depth, Kimberly sourced decorative pieces in a mixture of different metals. "The artwork above their bureau in the bedroom is photographs that her father took," Moving into the bedroom renovation, our designer made sure to continue to stick to the client's style preference while once again creating a personalized, warm and comforting space by including the photographs taken by the client's father. The Avery bed added texture and complimented the other colors in the room, while a hidden drawer at the foot pulls out for attached storage, which thrilled the clients. A deco-inspired Faceted mirror from West Elm was a perfect addition to the bedroom due to the illusion of space it provides. The result was a bedroom that was full of mid-century design, personality, and area so they can freely move around. The project resulted in the form of a layered mid-century modern design with touches of luxury but a space that can not only be lived in but serves as an extension of the people who live there. Our designer was able to take a very narrowly shaped Manhattan apartment and revamp it into a spacious home that is great for sophisticated entertaining or comfortably lazy nights in.

ZeroEnergy Design

This renovated brick rowhome in Boston's South End offers a modern aesthetic within a historic structure, creative use of space, exceptional thermal comfort, a reduced carbon footprint, and a passive stream of income. DESIGN PRIORITIES. The goals for the project were clear - design the primary unit to accommodate the family's modern lifestyle, rework the layout to create a desirable rental unit, improve thermal comfort and introduce a modern aesthetic. We designed the street-level entry as a shared entrance for both the primary and rental unit. The family uses it as their everyday entrance - we planned for bike storage and an open mudroom with bench and shoe storage to facilitate the change from shoes to slippers or bare feet as they enter their home. On the main level, we expanded the kitchen into the dining room to create an eat-in space with generous counter space and storage, as well as a comfortable connection to the living space. The second floor serves as master suite for the couple - a bedroom with a walk-in-closet and ensuite bathroom, and an adjacent study, with refinished original pumpkin pine floors. The upper floor, aside from a guest bedroom, is the child's domain with interconnected spaces for sleeping, work and play. In the play space, which can be separated from the work space with new translucent sliding doors, we incorporated recreational features inspired by adventurous and competitive television shows, at their son's request. MODERN MEETS TRADITIONAL. We left the historic front facade of the building largely unchanged - the security bars were removed from the windows and the single pane windows were replaced with higher performing historic replicas. We designed the interior and rear facade with a vision of warm modernism, weaving in the notable period features. Each element was either restored or reinterpreted to blend with the modern aesthetic. The detailed ceiling in the living space, for example, has a new matte monochromatic finish, and the wood stairs are covered in a dark grey floor paint, whereas the mahogany doors were simply refinished. New wide plank wood flooring with a neutral finish, floor-to-ceiling casework, and bold splashes of color in wall paint and tile, and oversized high-performance windows (on the rear facade) round out the modern aesthetic. RENTAL INCOME. The existing rowhome was zoned for a 2-family dwelling but included an undesirable, single-floor studio apartment at the garden level with low ceiling heights and questionable emergency egress. In order to increase the quality and quantity of space in the rental unit, we reimagined it as a two-floor, 1 or 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with a modern aesthetic, increased ceiling height on the lowest level and provided an in-unit washer/dryer. The apartment was listed with Jackie O'Connor Real Estate and rented immediately, providing the owners with a source of passive income. ENCLOSURE WITH BENEFITS. The homeowners sought a minimal carbon footprint, enabled by their urban location and lifestyle decisions, paired with the benefits of a high-performance home. The extent of the renovation allowed us to implement a deep energy retrofit (DER) to address air tightness, insulation, and high-performance windows. The historic front facade is insulated from the interior, while the rear facade is insulated on the exterior. Together with these building enclosure improvements, we designed an HVAC system comprised of continuous fresh air ventilation, and an efficient, all-electric heating and cooling system to decouple the house from natural gas. This strategy provides optimal thermal comfort and indoor air quality, improved acoustic isolation from street noise and neighbors, as well as a further reduced carbon footprint. We also took measures to prepare the roof for future solar panels, for when the South End neighborhood's aging electrical infrastructure is upgraded to allow them. URBAN LIVING. The desirable neighborhood location allows the both the homeowners and tenant to walk, bike, and use public transportation to access the city, while each charging their respective plug-in electric cars behind the building to travel greater distances. OVERALL. The understated rowhouse is now ready for another century of urban living, offering the owners comfort and convenience as they live life as an expression of their values. Eric Roth Photo

Specht Architects

Located at the top of a brownstone on Manhattan's Upper West Side, this apartment had a tiny footprint of just 425 feet, but the space stretched vertically for approximately 25 feet, and had access to a roof terrace. Our solution created four separate "living platforms" inserted within the space that provide room for all the essentials and still allow the apartment to feel open and light-filled. The lowest level is an entry and kitchen space, and a few steps up is the main living area. Above the living area is a cantilevered bed pavilion that projects out into the main space, supported on steel beams. A final stair leads up to a roof garden. All the spaces flow into one another, and the idea of distinct "rooms" dissolved. Given the miniscule size of the apartment, every inch of space is put to use. Stairs are not merely for circulation through the apartment, but feature built-in storage cabinetry and drawers below. The main bath and shower, in fact, are also built below the primary staircase. The kitchen features fully concealed appliances, flip up high storage units for easy access, and a countertop that wraps into the main living space, becoming a virtual 'hearth' with built-in entertainment system. There are no traditional closets in the entire apartment. Materials throughout are selected to emphasize the spatial characteristics of the project. The perimeter is light, with painted (existing) brick, glass backsplashes and shelving, and white lacquered kitchen cabinets, stair cabinets, and fittings. The cantilevered bed pavilion is clad in dark wood, and anchors the space - a central object around which everything revolves. A dark wood floor and wood stair treads lead through and around the apartment, spiraling up onto the wood deck at the room. Given the number of built-in features, furnishings are minimal in number, with only a couch, coffee table, bed, and a side chair necessary. Design Team: Scott Specht, Louise Harpman, Amy Lopez-Cepero, Sheryl Jordan, Devin Keyes Photography: Taggart Sorenson Press and Awards AIA Design Award Architizer A+ Award The New York Times "Tiny Homes Hunting" on DIY TV Interior Design "Best of Year"

Upper West Side Waterfront Apartment

Chango & Co.

This little boys room has a grey, red and chartreuse theme. Bunk beds, fun wool dotted rug, and hanging bubble chair with red leather upholstery. Eames desk chair. Grey lacquered nightstands for both floors of the bunked also serve as toy storage. Bunk beds each have their own reading lamp. Interior architecture, interior design, decorating & custom furniture design by Chango & Co. Photography by Jacob Snavely

Robin Henry Studio

Eric Piasecki
Mid-sized eclectic formal and enclosed dark wood floor living room photo in New York with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a wood fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv

Duplex Apartment Combination

JENDRETZKI LLC

This West Village is the combination of 2 apartments into a larger one, which takes advantage of the stunning double height spaces, extremely unusual in NYC. While keeping the pre-war flair the residence maintains a minimal and contemporary design.

Wheeler Kearns Architects

Steve Hall - Hedrich Blessing
Example of a trendy open concept living room design in Chicago with white walls

Robin Henry Studio

Eric Piasecki
Example of a small transitional open concept dark wood floor family room design in New York with blue walls and a wall-mounted tv

Beautifully renovated 2-family brownstone in the heart of Hoboken

Hudson Place Realty

Beautifully renovated 2-family brownstone in the heart of Hoboken with a large private backyard retreat. This 4 story home features an owners 4 bedroom, 2 bath triplex that merge both contemporary and old-world surroundings seamlessly. Other brownstone details include 10 foot extension that encompasses the family room on parlor level. Gourmet kitchen with quartz countertops & backsplash, Viking fridge and Bosch dishwasher, Marvin windows, marble bath with Carrera marble, custom closets throughout, hand planked wood floors, high ceilings, recessed lighting, exposed brick, new rear deck, private yard with shed, Unico AC and forced hot air and upgraded electric. Additional 1 bedroom apartment on ground level perfect for an in-law/au pair suite or collect monthly rent. 843 Garden Street is in a non flood zone that is close to everything Hoboken has to offer like NYC transportation, restaurants, parks, nightlife and shopping.

West Village Bachelor Pad

LABLstudio

A pre-war West Village bachelor pad inspired by classic mid-century modern designs, mixed with some industrial, traveled, and street style influences. Our client took inspiration from both his travels as well as his city (NY!), and we really wanted to incorporate that into the design. For the living room we painted the walls a warm but light grey, and we mixed some more rustic furniture elements, (like the reclaimed wood coffee table) with some classic mid-century pieces (like the womb chair) to create a multi-functional kitchen/living/dining space. Using a versatile kitchen cart with a mirror above it, we created a small bar area, which was definitely on our client's wish list! Photos by Matthew Williams

West 77th Street Apartment, New York, NY

Billinkoff Architecture PLLC

The apartment: 2,300 square feet on the 14th floor of a prewar building across from the Museum of Natural History designed for a family with two school-age children. A loft-like living room, dining room and kitchen share spectacular north facing views over the museum and Central Park. Freestanding storage cabinets with clear glass above subdivide the space and enhance the feeling of openness. The owner requested a neutral palette of colors set against white walls and rich mahogany cabinetry. Crisp details and multiple textures result in a warm and sophisticated family home. photography: Bjorg Magnea