There's small-space living and then there's sacrifices-people-make-to-live-in-NYC living. For social media maven Grace Ban, finding a spot to call home in the Big Apple meant making one of the biggest sacrifices of all — trading in a real bedroom for a makeshift one in the corner of her apartment's living room.With two roommates and a two-year lease to consider, Ban's unique challenge in the city's busy Financial District required some special attention. Enter One Kings Lane's weekend decorator, Megan Pflug.
Pflug's well-documented way with small spaces and DIY projects made her the right woman to rise to this particular challenge. Ahead, see how she transformed Ban's less-than-ideal living situation in just three days — no drill or screws required!
"I was house-hunting with my roommates, and it was a challenge finding something we could all agree on," Ban tells us. "Ultimately, it came down to location and bathrooms. I have two roommates, and we couldn’t stand the idea of three people sharing one bathroom, so that was one of the major deciding factors. As you can imagine, that ruled out most of the places we liked in the city from a budget standpoint."
"I was getting super anxious towards the end of our search, so this was the compromise I made," she continues. "Honestly, a converted room wasn’t the most welcome idea, but it's surprisingly more spacious than some of the true bedrooms I saw in Williamsburg and on the Lower East Side."
"I haven't worked on a convertible bedroom before, but I love a small-space makeover," Pflug says. "Most of the time, if you embrace what's weird or challenging about a room, it ends up working for you. For example, Grace's room was super-narrow, and that allowed me to move the bed to the short wall to make the canopy. The tension rods fit snugly between the two walls. If the room had been bigger, the solution would not have been so simple."
"Grace is my favorite type of person to design for," Pflug says. "She was super open to ideas and has great taste. I usually have people start by making a Pinterest board. After one look at Grace's bedroom board, I knew exactly what to do. Her style is fun and consistent; based on that, I was able to create a look that really fit Grace and made the most out of her small space."
Before the makeover, Ban considered her room a place to sleep — not somewhere she liked to cozy up in. "The room was very…minimal," she says. "I had the necessities, but not much else. It's still crazy to me how this happened through an Instagram collaboration with One Kings Lane!"
Pflug's tips for people looking to tackle a similar project on their own? "Start by gathering up your style inspiration, to narrow down a look," she says. "If you start out with a clear vision, making choices will be easier. Then, make a list of pain points that you need to solve for, like storage or more lighting. Then, focus on making the solutions style statements. Making functional items glamorous is key for small spaces!"
You'll also want to review your options before you buy anything. "You might find that something you really love is suddenly not working in the the context of the whole room," Pflug explains. "And, don't be afraid to edit; resist the urge to put everything you love all in one room. One or two statements per space, especially if it's a small space, is all you need. Let some of the pieces be supporting players — think of decorating the same way you would an outfit."
Ban unwinds in her new space, complete with a custom-built clothing rack made of copper pipe and wood beams. "Megan works magic," says Ban. "She broke down the process into a few parts, and each day when I got home, I was amazed by the transformation of the space that had occurred while I was away!"
To find out more about this incredible revamp, visit One Kings Lane.
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