A Tiny 800-Square-Foot Brooklyn Home With Big Style

Meet Leyden Lewis, the New York interior designer who is both the name and creative force behind the Leyden Lewis Design Studio. For the last 16 years Leyden has made his home in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, in a beautifully appointed apartment that he shares with his partner, Lazhar and their dog, Nika. For many, creating the feel of a whole home in an 800-square-foot, open-plan space would pose a daunting challenge. But for Leyden the challenge has been a nearly two-decade-long opportunity to test his small-space superpowers and try out new ideas.

When Leyden and Lazhar first found the apartment in 2003, the former factory had just been converted into apartments, and they were the home's first residents. Describing his design aesthetic as, "curated, layered, modernism," Leyden embarked on a design journey in the space which has continued to this day centering around the couple’s extensive collection of art, which can be found on nearly every surface and adorning every wall.

It's easy for a small space to feel cramped even with little or nothing in it. Yet throughout this space Leyden mixes many different forms, styles and types of art, tying them all together in a color palette that not only accommodates his various collections but makes the space feel larger and more airy. The living room is a study in warm neutrals with pops of blue and black that set the stage for the oversized black-on-black artwork that is the room's centerpiece.

Finding room to seat six around a dining table is a challenge in just about any New York apartment. But Leyden remembers his dining room as being one of the easiest rooms to design. The live-in art gallery feel of the home continues in this space with artwork dominating every wall and a cute ceramic banana centerpiece adding a touch of conceptual whimsy to the table. Though directly connected to the living room, the dining room feels distinct and separate, which is an intentional result of the design. "It’s all one space," Leyden maintains, "with visual links and details to designate one area from the other."