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J. MICHAEL MOORE: I kind of feel that a small space, you
really have to make the space work for you, as opposed to
letting the space work you.
I'm J. Michael Moore.
I'm an interior designer.
This is my 225 square-foot apartment in New York City.
When I first came in, it was this horrible hospital green
color and no detail, no molding, and a very
predictable rental apartment.
I thought, well what could I do to make it really put my
name on it design-wise and also wanting to be comfortable
living in the space.
So I added the crown moldings and also changed out all the
base moldings.
The main thing really is the paint color.
As a designer, I really just got so tired of seeing gray,
and beige, and black, and white, and this whole
monochromatic kind of feeling.
And that's just not me.
And so I knew I was ready to just do something really bold
and really strong.
I didn't want to do any pattern.
All of the fabrics are solids, and they're also kind of in a
color-blocking method, where you have the floor being a
neutral, the walls being one color, the ceiling being
another color.
And so everything is blended, although
it's very strong color.
Nothing particularly pops out at you
because it's all strong.
Everything is movable, and that's really
key to a small space.
And especially working and living in a small space,
that's very important to me.
This space really is my living area where people come in, sit
down, we can talk.
And then I kind of defined the back space as what is my
office area.
But again, because everything is movable, I could create
many different spaces.
The island was a bookcase.
And I kept thinking, how can I get a working
surface in my kitchen.
So I moved the island just to the edge of the painted wood
floor, and there it is.
I have a workspace.
I didn't want to close anything up, so it really
works as far as having it open.
It kind of creates a larger space for the kitchen, and
plus it displays the things that I like to look at.
I added the sleeping loft because I knew in a small
space, it just would not be comfortable to have a large
bed to maneuver and work around.
I knew I had to work with the kitchen.
Being six foot four, I thought, well I have to have
it set to a height that I can clear underneath it.
Well the bathroom I wanted to be a completely different
contrast from the rest of the apartment.
It started with the shower curtain, and from there I
matched the paint and painted the walls.
And then the medicine cabinet, I found
everything that matched.
Keeping it a solid color, it makes that small space feel
like it is bigger.
I love small spaces, and I have lived in small spaces
since I've lived in New York.
The people that have been over have been just really shocked
at how I've made this space work, in that it is such a
small space.
Putting your hands on everything, knowing where
everything is, that leads to less frustration in living in
a small space.
And keeping it neat and clean, it really makes
you feel a lot better.
I have no plans to leave, and I really will probably always
want to live in a small space if it's in New York City,
because it's just a very cozy place for me.
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