We’ve been in our 1-bedroom apartment in Astoria Queens for 10 years! If you know anything about NYC you know once you find a “cheep” apartment in a good location you stay put! We love our apartment, but there was a lack of proper function. So we decided that it’s finally time for a major revamp! Check out below to see how we were able to create a major update to our beloved space and to finally make it more in tune with our needs!

We have partnered with Raymour & Flanigan and received product in exchange for this post. All expressed opinions are 100% our own.

Our Apartment Shortcomings: 

We LOVE our apartment! It’s in an incredible location and neighborhood with everything we need just a few feet away. We moved into our apartment with the intention of creating our space and like so many, we just never really got around to it. So, we kept buying pieces of furniture that didn’t serve us as well as they could have. Unfortunately, the function of our space wasn’t up to par with what we needed. We have spent the past decade crafting and working mainly on the floor and have never had a proper craft table. We’ve been using a folding table! We spent more time setting up than actually doing the work.

With so many jobs going virtually this past year, a super popular trend has been to convert spaces in the home to offices. With no other space in our 1-bedroom apartment to transform into a working office our eyes turned to transforming our living room.

Before:

After:

Our Renovation Plan:

After lots of brainstorming, it was time to hatch our plan!

The Main Goal:

Create a multipurpose living room, craft room and office all in one!

The Plan:

• Find a big craft table with storage to keep all of our supplies within reach and still be use to work on our computers…and dare we say eat dinner? (We’re coffee table eaters.)
• Upgrade our couch, rug, chair, bookshelf and TV unit.
• Add much more storage throughout our space.
• Focus on balance and stylistic cohesion.
• Upgrade the look with a fresh mid-century vibe.

While the project seems a little daunting, outlining it gave us a clear path toward multifunctional success!

5 Tips on How to Make Your Space Multifunctional:

1. Think of how you want to use your space – Brainstorm on what functions you need out of your refurbished space.
2. Get rid of clutter that’s unnecessary – Pare down any extraneous things that are taking away from your room goals.
3. Find pieces of furniture that can serve many purposes – Multifunctional furniture, such as a dining table that can function as a workspace, will help streamline your space!
4. Storage Storage Storage – Ensure you have enough storage in your space to tuck away supplies and belongings when not in use. Have things at hand, but not always visible!
5. Get personal – Having a space that’s multifunctional means you’ll be in there often. Make the space that is aesthetically and physically comfortable for you!

Raymour & Flanigan To The Rescue!

To see our vision through, we turned to our friends at Raymour & Flanigan!

Raymour & Flanigan prides itself on standing in a category of it’s own within the furniture industry. Their brand lends a truly unique shopping experience to their customers by:

• Having a wide range of styles and price points for everyone.
• Provide a custom shopping experience through their knowledgeable and personable staff.
• Delivering pieces in 3 days or less, 7 days a week, and with no assembly required.
• Offering free shipping (a MUST)!
• Being community driven with local involvement and impact.

Their furniture offerings, superior guidance, and shipping perks made the shopping process such a breeze! We went to the showroom and were shocked with the size of it. It’s massive. What should have felt overwhelming didn’t. The staff introduced themselves when we walked in and let us know they were here for any questions and let us do our thing, which was really refreshing…nothings worse than being followed around. We had lots of questions throughout our visit and they were more than willing to answer any questions we had. Together we ordered some really fun and FUNctional pieces to help us create the living room of our crafting dreams!

To help build our craft space and boost our storage, we chose the Lorimer Office Desk and Drafting Stools, the Simon Bookcase and the Miranda TV Console. These pieces offer a sleek design with plenty of space to display, store and work on all of our projects! And to round out our room, we ordered the Carmine Sofa, Summer Accent Chair, Miranda Rectangle End Tables and the Naples Rug. The comfort and style of these will work perfectly in our new space!

Storage tip: Use the space under the couch for extra storage. We found flat bins and have so many craft supplies hidden from sight…well if you look closely sometimes you can see something peeking out. Whoops!

Out With the Old, Prepare for the New!

While feeling bittersweet about changing out the old, our focus on the excitement we had for the new style and function of our living room got us through! With the furniture ordered, we had to prepare our space for it’s arrival. Luckily, Raymour & Flanigan offers these great tips to prepare for the delivery process:

5 Tips on Preparing for Furniture Delivery:

1. Be sure to clear the surrounding area where the furniture will be place. This includes pictures, mirrors or other items in the delivery path.
2. If you live in an apartment building, check if your building requires and insurance certificate. If so, have your building management’s information handy to complete the process.
3. Double check the measurements to ensure a successful delivery.
4. Secure your pets in another room.
5. Do not hesitate to contact them if you have any questions about the functionality of your furniture.

And Viola!

After a seamless delivery process it was time to get our living room set up. (Love this part!) We were really hesitant at first about having so much furniture in our space, but because everything has a purpose it really split up the space in a way where it actually feels bigger. Our multipurpose space is complete and ready for many many more craft projects to come!

Thank you Raymour & Flanigan!