Per your request, I’m curating more home tours this year, and I’m making good on that promise! I’m excited to share a beautiful apartment with you today. This small Italian inspired apartment proves you don’t need much space to achieve a well designed home. Located in Jersey City, this one-bedroom apartment belongs to Caitlin Cavagnolo and her husband, Tyler- but there’s a fun plot twist… it was designed by her talented sister, Hayley. Click through to tour this gorgeous 650 square foot apartment, packed full of interior inspiration! I’ve also included an interesting Q&A with Hayley, where she dishes what it’s like to design for a sibling (a task I could only dream of)…
Design & Styling: Hayley Bridget Interiors | Photography: William Laird
Before we dive in, be sure to follow Hayley on Instagram, as well as Will– who beautifully photographed this project. They both have stunning portfolios that are worthy of a browse, bookmark, and follow!
Living Space
This living room is what led me to discover Hayley’s portfolio (I’m a new fan). One day, I was perusing Pinterest and those pistachio outline painted doors stopped me mid-scroll. Paired alongside freshly reupholstered lounge chairs, a plush rug, and repeated piped details throughout… Hayley shares her love of stripes & linear design elements (which echo my own design sentiment).
“I just love a stripe- it never goes out of style. And when I’m designing something for my brother-in-law, I need to really think about what’s going to be classic for years.”
I also appreciate the collected furniture and decor found throughout this space, all of which is carefully and casually styled. You can find side tables, vintage lamps, plenty of well curated artwork, and the show stopping tapestry that balances the sofa, and fireplace across the room. There is plenty to discover that add to the inviting nature of this small, high style living space.
In addition to the painted doors, I also took note of the sofa styling. Perhaps that’s an odd place to find inspiration, but I love the way Hayley styled the throw over the seat with double patterned lumbar cushions. For homes with pets, this feels (and looks) genius! It’s also a great way to add a splash of repeated color for cohesion.
Speaking of color, the paint color throughout the apartment is Elephant Tusk by Farrow & Ball…. it’s the perfect warm neutral.
Kitchen & Dining
Before enlisting Hayley’s help, Caitlin & Tyler replaced the existing laminate flooring throughout the apartment with hardwoods. They also installed new marble countertops. With an Italian heritage and love for pasta & cooking, they truly made the most of this small kitchen. I really like seeing the built-in open shelving to display cookbooks, dishes, and their beautiful pottery collection. Despite the lack of square footage, this kitchen is the best of both form and function.
The cabinetry adds to the monochromatic whole-house palette that gives a perfectly soft color drenched feel. They’re painted in Farrow & Ball’s Hay… a desaturated yellow.
The creative floor plan also makes the best use of this space. With an eat-in dining room off the kitchen, the modern dining set gives a Euro chic aesthetic, something you’d expect to see in an artistic city flat. Hayley was also able to add an island, giving the couple another work surface and extra storage.
Two of my favorite styling notes about this space? The gorgeous art and pottery collections! You can tell Caitlin, Tyler, and Hayley have impeccable taste.
Bedroom
Aside from the striking green bedding, the first thing I noticed in the bedroom was the window treatments. With soft shades and pinstriped drapery panels, the tall windows allow for ample natural light.
I think the border beneath the crown moulding and tiger oak wardrobe also deserve a round of applause in this bedroom. In addition, I’m admiring the vintage appeal of the bedside tables styled below the modern sconces.
One thing I have to point out (that I feel we don’t see often)... a color drenched, monochromatic bed vignette. The upholstered headboard perfectly matches the bedding. Rather than seeing pillows piled high with a duvet folded down, it’s styled in a classic European way- with the matelassé tucked around the bed pillows. It feels easy and inviting, while looking luxe. I think it’s a refreshing take- I’m into it!
Bathroom
I’m giving this bathroom a 10/10… from the ticking stripe shower curtain to the toilet seat, brass plumbing fixtures, stunning tile work, and marble vanity, this small bathroom is expertly designed. When asking Hayley about the bathroom and storage challenges this small apartment presented, she said…
“In the bathroom, I really wanted to focus on maximizing storage, so we swapped out their pedestal sink for a custom vanity with ample storage and we snuck in a medicine cabinet to put to the left of the sink. We installed a marble shelf that runs along the sink and toilet wall. It acts as storage while also a display for her products that I deemed pretty enough.”
The tiny bathroom also houses the laundry units. It turns out, the vanity doubles as detergent storage. They certainly crammed functionality into this small space. I love the sconce mounted directly on the mirror. It’s a stunning bath- no matter the size! I’m actually even more impressed, because of it.
FAQ
It definitely had its advantages and disadvantages. I loved that I could be honest about the designs and was very vocal about what could stay and what had to go. I did at times have to remind myself not to push too hard since after all, I am stuck with them! Luckily, Cait already had amazing style, so it was really just about pulling everything together to make her space feel cohesive.
Cait came to me with great inspiration she had saved over the years. We took what made sense for her current space and I suggested we save the rest for her next home!
This was definitely the biggest challenge of the whole project, aside from convincing Tyler that we needed to renovate in the first place. Maximizing square footage in the kitchen was super important as Cait has a love for cooking (and Tyler eating) so we added an island to gain counter space and a built-in in the dining area for her toaster, serving bowls, and overflow from the kitchen.
That Cait trusted me and gave me the reigns to do what I felt was best for the space. I also really enjoyed getting to reuse and repurpose many of their existing pieces – it made me think outside of the box.
Yes! Our two main projects right now are a townhouse and duplex apartment both in the Downtown Brooklyn area. Both are in the construction phase, one nearing completion and the other not too far behind. It’s always so exciting seeing the progress at each site visit.
Related
If you’re interested in browsing more home tours or posts covering interior design inspiration, I’ll link some favorites for you below…
- Home Tour : Sycamore House by Josh Young
- Home Tour : Mill Road by W Design Collective
- The Best Interior Design Books for Timeless Home Inspiration
- Home Tour : Central London Townhouse
- Home Tour : Aldourie Castle
- Designer Tips for Making Outlets & Light Switch Plates Look Better
- The Best Interior Design Magazines
- What It’s Like to Work With An Interior Designer
- My Favorite Interior Design Books
- Design Discussion : Nude Art
Sometimes I feel small spaces or project limitations (budget, architectural elements, square footage, etc) force us to become more creative. Rather than parameters causing limitations, it’s a creative challenge to make the most of what you’re working with. Would you agree? Mark my words, Hayley Bridget Interiors is one to watch! I hope you enjoyed this one.
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