A 580-Square-Foot NYC Studio Feels like 1,000 (Thanks to Hidden Storage Everywhere)

published Feb 5, 2026

A 580-Square-Foot NYC Studio Feels like 1,000 (Thanks to Hidden Storage Everywhere)

published Feb 5, 2026

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About this tour

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Home Type

Studio Apartment

Location

Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York

Style

Industrial

Mid-Century Modern

Bedrooms

Square feet

580

Sq ft

580

Ivangellys sources rare vintage furniture for clients; she even has a warehouse filled with pieces she’s collected over the years, which she rents out for production sets, photo shoots, events, and staging projects. “Because I’m constantly rotating inventory, furniture naturally moves in and out of my home as well,” she writes of the 580-square-foot Bushwick studio apartment she’s rented for five years.

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“I’m a collector first, and my space reflects that,” Ivangellys continues. “I also specialize in white-glove upholstery services for intricate vintage pieces that require a deep understanding of craftsmanship, construction, and materials. Often, clients come to me needing a very specific piece or color for a shoot or interview, and I’m able to offer not just the furniture itself, but the ability to customize it to fit their vision.”

Credit: Kiritin

"Something unique about my home that most people would never notice is a clock on my plant wall that never changes from 12:30," Ivangellys begins. "My entire life in New York was shared with my golden retriever, Arlo, and he played a huge role in my apartment-hunting process. I would honestly say that about sixty percent of the decisions I made were for him. I chose this apartment with him in mind. He was extremely active, such a good boy, truly one of the best boys, and this space was meant for both of us. Even the furniture choices were influenced by him. Golden retrievers shed, and as the king of the house, he had full range of the apartment, so I chose leather upholstery for many pieces because it was durable, easy to clean, and practical for living with him. The clock itself represents the moment he left me. My life was never the same after 12:30, and because of that, the clock will always stay there. It’s become an art piece to me. To some, it may look like just a clock, but for me, it holds his memory and the impact he had on my life and this home. Like art, it can mean one thing to someone else, but to the person who lives with it, it carries its own truth. His energy is still here. It lingers in the space, and I wouldn’t change that for the world. He loved this apartment just as much as I did, and when we first moved in, we were both scared, but he comforted me. And in many ways, he still does."

Ivangellys had a vision when it came to finding a place to live, too. With a tight budget and three main priorities (space, transportation, and location), Ivangellys toured more than 20 apartments but ultimately picked this studio because it has the right amount of space, price, and nearness to transit. It was the “open, flexible, character-filled home” that she was looking for.

Credit: Kiritin

"People always ask about the marble and the dresser cabinet area and whether it’s a built-in or something that came with the apartment. And the answer is always no, because that’s exactly how I wanted it to feel," Ivangellys explains. "It flows seamlessly from the kitchen into the entryway and looks like an intentional extension of the space, which was the goal from the start. I really wanted everything to connect while still having a clear purpose and a place of its own. The marble elevates the entire area and makes it feel thoughtful and permanent, even though it isn’t. That balance between function and intention is what makes people pause and ask about it every time."

The building is from 1923, and the unit offers lots of windows — something that mattered a lot to Ivangellys. While not south-facing, she says the windows provide consistent light throughout the day. “Natural sunlight affects my mood, my energy, and how I live day to day,” she admits.

Credit: Kiritin

"One of the more unique things about how I use my home is how multifunctional everything is. I have two retired airline beverage carts, one from American Airlines and one from Canada 3000, and they still show their history in the best way. They’re a little banged up, clearly well-loved, and I use them as mobile mini bars that I can roll around the apartment depending on how I’m using the space."

“Growing up on a tropical island, being outdoors and surrounded by light is one of my strongest childhood memories, and while outdoor space is a luxury in New York, having an abundance of natural light felt like the next best thing. I still remember the feeling of seeing those windows for the first time, and that feeling stuck with me.”

Credit: Kiritin

"The oldest thing in my home is a 1932 Bruno Weil Thonet cabinet, which is almost the same age as the building itself," Ivangellys explains. "What I love most about it is how modern it still looks you would never guess it’s nearly a hundred years old. It feels completely timeless. It’s also incredibly functional. Inside, it holds over 15 bins filled with art and craft supplies, which always surprises people. It’s one of those pieces that perfectly represents my home: beautiful, practical, and built to last."

But while there were lots of pluses to the rental space, Ivangellys unfortunately quickly realized the apartment “needed a lot of TLC, more than I initially noticed during the walkthrough.” Undeterred, she says she had an honest conversation with the landlord about what needed to be addressed before ever signing the lease.

Credit: Kiritin

"I’ve reupholstered several pieces in my own home, including a Knoll Wilkes chiclet sofa in a rare Knoll leather that’s become a one-of-a-kind statement. My work is niche, and that’s something I’m proud of. You can see a lot of what I do reflected in my apartment, from the furniture to the way the space functions. Beyond sourcing and upholstery, I also create content around DIY projects, renovation, and the nuances of small-space living, sharing how to make a home work for you, no matter the size or limitations," she writes.

“They installed a newer secondhand stove, since the original one was ancient and barely functional; you literally needed a match to light it,” Ivangellys explains. “For everything else, I was given permission to make changes myself, which I actually loved. I knew that with the right care, intention, and vision, this could be a place I’d want to live in for a long time. At its core, it was exactly what an old industrial building in Brooklyn tends to be: raw, imperfect, and very much ‘you get what you get.’ And I was okay with that.”

Resources

Credit: Kiritin

PAINT & COLORS

Closet area — Tonester Off Neutral
Behr — Phantom Hue
Bathroom — Tonester Poison

Credit: Kiritin

ENTRY

IKEA — Brimnes dressers tall and short
IKEA — Billy cabinet

Credit: Kiritin

LIVING ROOM & DINING ROOM

Sofa — Hella Jongerius’s CUSTOM Polder Sofa
Sofa — Wilkes Chiclet sofa CUSTOM
Coffee Table — Lacchio stack table by Marcel Breuer for Gavina (not new edition this is vintage)
Room divider — Fritz Hansen ‘Viper’ by Hans Sandgren Jakobsen
Rug — Nanimarquina Losanges rug (medium)
Trio globe lights — Robert Sonneman
Side tables — Knoll Studio Tulip
Side chair — Harry Bertoia Bird chair
Planters —Self-watering Marlygarden.com
Bookshelf — Kartell Bookworm
Table — Frank Gehr Faces table Knoll
Chairs — Poul Kjærholm Pk8
Placemats — From The Souce NYC
Cabinet — 1932 Bruno Weil for Thonet
Planters — Self-watering Marlygarden.com

Thanks, Ivangellys!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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Studio

Midcentury Modern