Pictured above: The Dune Sofas in Creme Performance Linen and The Bowery Coffee Table Ottoman in Camel Lincoln Leather and Whitewash, and The Hayes Chairs in Snow Hair on Hide and Beech frame.
This Brooklyn apartment embodies all the hallmarks of an industrial-chic Williamsburg apartment: sunlight pouring through oversized windows, luxuriously high ceilings, and a textured material palette of wood and marble. It is the kind of modern space many New Yorkers dream of inhabiting. The catch? Nobody lives there.
This loft-like setting, run by lifestyle and content agency Village Studio, is designed to function as an aspirational backdrop for brands' and influencers' photoshoots and experiences. So we were beyond excited to have the chance to team up with them and designer Maggie Lydecker to help transform this 3-bedroom apartment with some of our favorite pieces.
We sat down with Maggie to chat about her tips for designing an open floor plan, her approach to creating a flexible, home-like environment for Village Studio’s many clients, and how she deftly brought the space to life with pieces from Maiden Home’s collection.
Pictured above: The Essex Bed in Slate Performance Velvet
You started with a completely empty apartment. Where do you begin?
I start by thinking through the functionality of the space and where I am going to draw inspiration from. I wanted to juxtapose the busy cityscape that is visible from much of the space with a serene design scheme. I began by selecting my neutral color palette of tonal shades and sourced different velvet and linen fabrics that I knew would make the space feel warm and inviting.
How do the bones of your space inform your design ideas?
As you can tell this apartment is architecturally stunning with large windows and high ceilings, so I knew I needed to break up the space in order to prevent it from feeling cold and oversized. The windows and entry door provided inspiration for some of the furniture selections. For example, the pair of Mercer Chairs in the living area are also framed with black metal and have a really chic silhouette.
Pictured above: The Mercer Chairs in Camel Lincoln Leather
What was your inspiration behind the design of this space?
For this apartment, I was inspired by California-modern interiors that have an air of understated simplicity (think clean lines, lots of linen, bright and airy). I decided on the neutral palette to allow the space to be malleable for whoever occupies it and tried to strike a balance of using soft colors without the space feeling too sterile. A way to achieve this was to layer in various textures with light fixtures, rugs, and furniture finishes as well as to add subtle pops of color throughout.
Pictured above: The Hayes Chair in Snow Hair on Hide and Beech frame.
The main living area is an open floor plan that feels like a few different, yet cohesive spaces. What are your tips for decorating an open floor plan?
When designing an open floor plan I typically like to start with the rugs which help to ground and divide up the space and layer in some warmth. I then think about how the furniture will be laid out in a way that feels cohesive and I try to avoid making any part of the space feel closed off. I designed the living area to be divided into two parts: One side of the room has a more relaxed, cozy feel with the two Dune Sofas facing each other, and the other side, a sitting area that feels modern and fresh with a pair of Mercer Chairs in Camel Lincoln Leather. Additionally, I knew that the hallway was going to be an immediate focal point - and its size definitely posed a challenge. I decided to place larger furniture in this area to allow it to feel more purposeful and less of a pass-through. The Hayes Chair flanking the oak bookshelf provided a bit of symmetry and draws your eye in immediately as you walk into the apartment.
What did you do differently knowing this space would be used to create backdrops for photoshoots?
When thinking through this space I needed to consider ways to make it easy to play around with the layout of the furniture as well as the accessories. To do this, I sectioned off two individual spaces in the master bedroom and living areas, and layered shelves with small scale objects and books that would be easy to change out. I knew I wanted to have the "library" room be a real moment, and I selected a deep green paint color for the walls and The Irving Sofa in a Camel Lincoln Leather to create a modern take on the traditional study. Lastly, I made sure to include several seating areas to provide variety in shoots without having to move a camera set-up very far.
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