A Designer’s Layout Hack Created Two New Rooms In A Cramped NYC Home

TL;DR

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Designer Annie Galligan reorganized a family’s main room in a Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn, rental by swapping the positions of the sofa and television. The furniture change made room for distinct dining and reading areas while keeping the layout reversible for renters.

Designer Annie Galligan reorganized the main room of a family’s two-bedroom rental in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn, using a furniture-layout change to create distinct areas for dining, reading, lounging and music without altering the apartment’s architecture. The project addressed a room that had been serving as the family’s living room, dining area, playroom and one parent’s office.

According to Apartment Therapy’s report, the family of four—Grant and Julia and their two young children—had struggled to use the room comfortably for several purposes. Toys spread into the office area, and although the room already had a small round table, family meals often took place at a kitchen bar or on the sofa. The couple asked Galligan, founder and creative director of Studio Curatory, for more storage, a grown-up living space that could accommodate children, a reading nook and room to display art and records. Because the home is rented, they wanted changes that could be reversed.

Galligan’s main move was to swap the sectional sofa and television. The sofa moved to the wall where the television had been, and the television was placed across the room in a freestanding media bookcase. The opening along the window wall became available for a dining area and other uses. The report says the Peloton bike was moved into the couple’s bedroom; the designer did not change the room’s architecture.

The redesigned room also uses existing pieces in new ways. The old media console became a children’s bookcase, while the sofa anchors the lounging area and can fold out for movie nights or overnight guests. Toys are kept in baskets during the day and moved to the children’s room at night, with extra storage in an ottoman and banquette. A desk that was already in the room stayed in place.

How the Layout Adds Separate Uses

The project shows how a change in furniture placement can make a crowded shared room easier to use, without the cost or permanence of construction. For this household, the reported result is not additional floor area but clearer separation between activities: family meals have a dedicated place, and a corner can serve as a reading area while the room remains connected to the kitchen and living space.

That distinction matters for renters, who may not be able to alter walls or install permanent built-ins. Galligan chose a freestanding media unit instead of custom millwork, according to the report, so the piece can move with the family. The family also reused its former console and kept the existing desk, illustrating that a redesign need not require replacing every item.

Grant and Julia told Apartment Therapy that having a dedicated dining space made dinner a more central part of their daily routine. That is the family’s account of the change, not an independently measured outcome. The layout’s broader relevance is practical: in a small home, defining zones for different activities can make one room feel less like a collection of competing demands.

A Rental Room With Many Jobs

The home is a two-bedroom rental in Brooklyn’s Windsor Terrace neighborhood. Before the redesign, the family’s main room had to accommodate lounging, meals, children’s play, Julia’s work area and occasional exercise. The family’s dining setup was present but not functioning as the regular place for dinner, while toys were spreading through the room.

The design brief included storage, a reading corner, space for records and art, and a comfortable place for family movie nights. It also came with a practical limit: the work had to be reversible. The article describes a project based largely on repositioning furniture and adding movable or removable elements rather than renovating the apartment.

Among those details, the report mentions peel-and-stick wallpaper behind the sofa and peel-and-stick tile in the adjacent kitchen. Galligan used the nearby kitchen as part of the visual arrangement rather than trying to conceal it. These finishes, along with the freestanding media unit, fit the rental constraint described by the family and designer.

“By rethinking the furniture layout rather than changing any architecture, we gave the family distinct spaces for lounging, dining, reading, and listening to music all within the same footprint.”

— Annie Galligan, founder and creative director of Studio Curatory, as quoted by Apartment Therapy

What the Report Does Not Establish

Apartment Therapy presents the project as a home-design feature, not a controlled comparison or a cost breakdown. The report does not give the total budget, the time required, or measurements showing how much usable floor area changed. It also does not quantify how often the room is used for each activity after the redesign.

The claim that the arrangement created more usable zones rests on the designer’s account and the family’s description of their experience. The article does not provide an independent assessment of whether the layout would work equally well in other homes, which can differ in dimensions, door and window positions, household needs and furniture sizes.

Although the article describes the changes as suitable for a rental, it does not state whether the landlord approved the removable finishes or whether the family encountered any restrictions. The source also does not identify a move date or say how long the family expects to remain in the apartment.

How the Room Will Be Used

The published report does not announce a follow-up project or a future renovation. The next test of the arrangement is its everyday use: whether the family continues to use the dining nook for meals, keeps toys contained through its day-to-night routine, and finds the reading and work areas practical as the children grow.

Because the apartment is rented, the furnishings and removable finishes can be adjusted or taken down if the family’s needs change or they move. Neither the family nor Galligan is quoted as outlining a specific next step, and the article gives no timeline for further changes.

Key Questions

What was the main layout change?

Designer Annie Galligan swapped the sofa and television positions. Moving the sofa to the television wall and placing the TV in a freestanding media unit opened space along the window wall for other uses.

Which areas did the redesign create?

The report describes more distinct areas for dining, reading, lounging and listening to music within the same room. It does not say the apartment gained additional floor area.

Did the project involve construction?

According to Apartment Therapy, Galligan changed the furniture arrangement rather than the apartment’s architecture. The report also describes removable wallpaper and kitchen backsplash tile, alongside freestanding furniture.

How did the family handle toys?

The family kept toys in baskets during the day and moved them back to the children’s room at night. An ottoman and banquette provided additional storage, according to the report.

What is still unknown about the redesign?

The article does not provide a project budget, room measurements or a quantified before-and-after assessment. It also does not report landlord approval details or a timeline for any future changes.

Source: rss