How I Built My Dream Studio in a One-Bedroom Apartment

And a spectacular giveaway with Herman Miller!

I am so excited to share that today’s post was created in partnership with design powerhouse Herman Miller, whose team was an absolute pleasure to work alongside! I hope you feel inspired, immersed, and equipped to make a workspace you love.

In even more exciting news: Herman Miller is here to help a reader of Feeling! make their space come to life with a new office chair in a spectacular giveaway, too!

The first time I saw my apartment was on move-in day. It was a lovely, sunlit, small white box in the sky. It felt smaller than the pictures I had memorized from the listing. I timidly watched it shrink as we filled it with our boxes and belongings.

The superintendent handed us the keys, showed us a few things, and the door shut behind him.

It was just us. We caught our breath. The sun faded across the walls. I felt like a little kid. Stranded in some unfamiliar place, far from everyone I knew, far from familiar street names.

Connor and I ordered takeout from somewhere we didn’t recognize and pushed two cardboard boxes together as a table. We sat criss-cross, eating off the boxes. Between bites, we pointed to the walls and schemed where things would go. Our things are the only familiar part of this whole endeavor, after all. We dreamed of the life we would live, the new chapter we’ve found ourselves in. We guessed which window the dog would prefer to look out. The potential was palpable.

We found the box with blankets and made a bed on the floor. No bed frame yet, no couch, no mattress. It was a true inaugural night in New York City.

In the weeks that followed, we tried many arrangements to fit a living, dining, and working space in our small home. Arranging, living, re-arranging in a constant loop. A small space becomes a canvas for experimentation, as every event, even simple daily routines, disrupts the delicate balance of placement.

Behind the chaos and clutter of our space was an anxious heart. I was in a pivotal moment in my work. I had transitioned from a full-time in-person job to a fully remote curriculum writing fellowship. Not only was my high-intensity, people-filled work setting gone (14 hours away), but my new position also had a time stamp. I knew it would end after one year…and then what?

We watched the leaves fade to orange with wonder as boxes began to empty and disappear. We finally got a mattress, then a bed frame, and our belongings began to find their places.

I’d often run through the exact same conversation with Connor each night. What will I do after the fellowship ends? I still had many months to go. It’s probably all going to work out. But it may not! What will happen? Do you know? I don’t know.

I had been in education for four years, after closing my small business during COVID. My very reasonable and safe plan was to find a job in education in New York when my position ended.

But something strange and sparkly was looming inside me.

What if I reopened that box I had buried my dreams in? It was a nauseating thought. There was a lot of grief, bad memories, and hurt packed in with those dreams.

I decided it was best to keep the box tucked to the side.

But sometimes ideas chase us despite our best efforts to play it safe.

One idea, in particular, wouldn’t leave me alone.

A magazine.

I had wanted to make a magazine since elementary school. I had a stagnant Substack sitting there. I had an itch to write again. I’d jot down ideas in a notebook for articles, but never actually write them.

The spring sunshine arrived, and we had settled into the space. Our apartment had come together colorfully, and I figured out ways to still host friends despite the confined space. It began to look like us, and even the city started to feel right. Simultaneously, something in me shifted. I started to believe the ideas I had been avoiding could possibly work.

I had a reckoning with myself. Who is stopping me from making a magazine? Who is stopping me from making an editorial schedule, pretending to be an editor, and just going for it?

I would give myself until the end of my full-time job to burn the candle at both ends. I would keep my job and build my dream in the evening train commutes, weekends, and early mornings. I was going to try hard.

This meant the apartment had to change, too.

If I were really going to do this, I needed a space that supported me. Good design invites us to arrive fully and functionally as ourselves, and then prompts us to aim for who we aspire to be.

I knew I needed a space that encouraged me to write and design if I was really going to stick with it. I wanted a workspace that looked and felt like it sat the writer I was aiming to be. I really wanted a magazine studio!

It just needed to fit in my one-bedroom apartment somehow.

I believe anyone’s space, within any budget or size constraints, can be tuned to support their dreams — whether that be writing, art, cooking, parenting, fashion, anything! All it takes is good design.

I got to work on both the magazine and designing a space that would make the dream feel possible. Here’s how I did it:

Start with a palette. (I always start with color.) I recommend choosing 3-4 colors you really love, and staying within their color family. You can use a balance of all four colors, evenly. Or if you really want to make a statement, lead with a main character color that takes over a bit! I have a whole archive of color palettes here, to help.

✷ For more color inspiration, the iconic picnic posters of Steve Frykholm are my favorite.

Identify the design motifs and themes I wanted to be represented. I’d grab a pen and write down an intention for the space, clearly, just for you. This can be very practical, or very abstract. For me, I wanted a clean space free from distraction that makes me want to immerse myself in my art. I wanted it to feel like me (colorful) with an edge of New York magazine. Modern, bold, and clean.

✷ For inspiration, I look to Alexander Girard’s work.

Invest in one serious piece. You do not have to furnish the space all at once, and certainly, it can be a mix of things you already own, or hunt and gather. But one piece needs to feel extremely considered. The focal point, if you will. That perfect piece that represents both your color and your intention best — that’s the one to invest in. My signature magazine studio piece is my Herman Miller chair. I have been bewitched by Herman Miller’s designs for a very long time — the midcentury legacy, the work of their graphic designer Steve Frykholm, and the colors of Alexander Girard. I also have to sit for many hours at a time to do my work, so I knew my comfort was a priority. The Sayl chair design, with a “berry blue” seat, was the perfect editor’s chair for me to build this dream from. It feels midcentury (modern), the blue pops against the white desk (bold), and the sleek back design supports my posture (clean).

✷ For chair inspiration and a history of ergonomic work chairs.

Use light to your advantage. Are you a cozy, work-by-lamp person? Or a natural window light person? Or maybe a mix of both? Consider carefully what natural light your space will get, and arrange accordingly. Light is a very impactful design tool, and window light is free!

✷ For inspiring images of natural window light that make me want to live near a giant body of water.

Create a visual boundary. In a small space, framing off your work area will help it feel distinct — even if your couch is sitting right there. You can make it feel like its own space with a rug (especially a solid color one), shelves above your desk, a large framed artwork, a room divider, or a bookshelf.

Choose objects that inspire, not distract. Of course, if you are designing a space to encourage a dream, you need to surround yourself with pieces that feel as if they call you to that aspiration. The words of a writer you love, a scent that reminds you of somewhere you want to go, a meaningful photo, or modern “heirlooms” from your field of work. Inspiration bolts!

✷ For inspiring organization as a creative practice.

Edit constantly. Be meticulous about visual clutter. There is a way to make things feel eccentric and colorful while still focused. Sort by color or type, tuck things in drawers rather than having them sit out, stack neatly (even big stacks) — but most importantly, keep your direct working space clear, whether that’s around your keyboard or a notebook. Give your imagination some breathing room.

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My apartment is still a small white box. It requires a lot of compromise, sorting, and late-night re-arranging to make it work. But it is, truly, the place where I do my work best, and where the magazine I’ve dreamed about making since I was a kid is coming to fruition.

It took intention, a willingness to get gritty and creative, and a belief that creative space isn’t just reserved for down-the-road spaces, careers, or budgets, but can happen right now.

You can always just decide to make a studio of your dreams!

Giveaway!

This is so exciting, I can hardly believe it!

I’m partnering with Herman Miller to give away a Sayl Chair. Yes, we can be Herman Miller chair twins. The winner will be able to select their preferred finish and upholstery color, to make it custom to you.

To enter, ensure you are subscribed to Feeling! Magazine, and leave a comment about your dream creative workspace in the comments. The winner will be announced on 4/30.

(For an additional entry, you can also follow the instructions on this Instagram post!)

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This giveaway is hosted and administered by me. The prize is provided by Herman Miller. Herman Miller is not responsible for the administration of this giveaway, including entry collection, winner selection, or communication with entrants.

No purchase necessary. Open to U.S. residents, 18+. To enter, follow me and @hermanmiller and tag a friend in the comments on this post on Instagram. For an additional entry, comment on my latest Substack post. Giveaway ends 4/30 ET. Winner will be selected at random and contacted directly.

This giveaway is not affiliated with or endorsed by Substack or Instagram.

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