"The closet is definitely something to write home about," says interior designer Lindsay Pumpa. "It's got two big floor-length windows, an island in the middle, shoe racks, tie storage, a built-in ironing board and a lot of open shelving."
Before you embark on an apartment hunt, write down a list separating your needs from your wants. Needs are those things without which you just can't live. For example, my husband and I own just one car, so for us, proximity to work or to public transportation is a need. Wants, however, are those things that would be nice to have, but you could live without for the right price. For example, you may want a gym or a first-floor unit, but they may not be deal breakers.
The most important design feature of a room is functionality. Don’t get me wrong, I am all about detail and finishing touches, but if a room does not function well, all the vignettes in the world are not going to make it a happy place. So, I would start with determining how that room needs to function. Ask yourself, “What is going to go on in here?” Then decide how to furnish the room. From a purely design sense, every room, no matter what the function, will benefit from beautiful molding. Molding is also relatively inexpensive to install. The impact it makes when done right is definitely worth the minimal cost.
