queer by design

Spoak: Need Inspiration for a Design Project? Look In Your Closet

The outfits you curate daily are unique to you because they meet your needs and reflect who you are. You deserve to have a home that does the same thing. Keep reading to learn how to use your closet as a mood board for your next interior design project.

Apartment Therapy: Here’s How I Express Queer Joy in My Home

I reached an epiphany as I scrolled on social media: Quarantine could allow me to face my queerness and apartment like a blank canvas. Without external expectations, I could shape my home to represent an honest version of myself. Looking around my studio — about the shape and size of a freight shipping container — it felt like I could only move up from here. So I did. 

Apartment Therapy: I Tried This $49 IKEA Shelf for Shoe Storage, and Now I’ll Never Use It for Books Again

I wanted a budget-friendly alternative to custom closet organizers and shoe cabinets. As I googled organization tips, I realized I could kill two birds with one bookcase and some extra shelves. It was simple: Instead of books, I would display my shoes in my trusted IKEA BILLY Bookcase — the bookcase you know you’ve heard of and maybe even used before.

Spoak: Designer’s Guide on How to Build a Gallery Wall From Scratch

Consider the purpose of your gallery wall. Is it to harness a focal point in your room while still achieving an eclectic style? Are you trying to elicit a certain feeling with neutral tones or calming pastels? Or perhaps, this is simply a chance to curate what makes up your interests and personality. When you’ve determined your goal, keep reading to learn how to build your collection and incorporate pieces you already own.

Spoak: 6 Designer-Approved Ways to Create an ADHD-Friendly Home

Diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, I’ve learned that what I need to thrive in my environment might look different to a neurotypical person. As an interior designer, it became evident that the latest design trends don’t consider neurodivergent symptoms. To my relief and surprise, there are easy ways to optimize your home for ADHD while avoiding the dreaded “organization tools” that tend to fall short for us.

Men’s Health: The 9 Best Closet Systems to Keep Your Clothes Organized

To give you the best closet systems to suit any and all needs, we turned to Melanie Whyte, a New York-based interior designer for her expertise.”When used effectively, it can provide a specific home for each of your items without sacrificing space or style,” she explains to Men’s Health. “I recommend a closet system for anyone who is working with a small space or simply looking to build a more organized lifestyle.”

Coveteur: Inside Our Beauty Editor’s NYC Apartment Transformation

She enlisted interior designer Melanie Whyte to speed up the process. “I have a very strong aesthetic but when it comes to interior design; I really wanted someone who could help me envision the space and see all the different uses for it in ways that I couldn’t,” she adds…Working with [Whyte] allowed Kwarteng to realize how much her rental small space could actually hold. “She really saw that I could have a dining area and a living area and a kitchen all in the same space,” says Kwarteng.

Breaking Down the Natural Borders in My Home Gave Me a Welcoming Layout

When my partner and I moved into this two floor, railroad-style apartment in the UES, I went to work establishing cozy vignettes with specific purposes. Instead of one long room, I utilized a bookshelf to create a natural border between the living room and the kitchen. While I still adore a good nook, I’m now an open layout convert since we pivoted our couch a simple 90 degrees.