Urbane Renewal

So many settle for the modern convention: a sofa backed up to the longest wall, a rug squared off against the sofa, an armchair on lone guard duty and, overhead, one of those snap-in lighting tracks that a friend promised were easy to install. Swell. The apartment is done. There's just one glitch. No one wants to live there. It's a thorny problem, all right: only one room, with microkitchenette and sleeping alcove (maybe not even that), into which you must fit all the needs of a man living alone--your entire life, loves, possessions, enthusiasm and comfort. Not easy. And--we won't kid you--it's a situation that calls for compromises.

A studio apartment obviously sets limits. Space is at a premium, and every piece of furniture, each accessory and object must be chosen with care. But before you rush out and throw money at the problem, think about how you spend your time at home. Don't get snookered by the rules. There aren't any.

Some designer in the Fifties may have decided that chrome and glass and motorcycle leather provided the ultimate bachelor ambience, but that's no reason for you to go out and follow outmoded prejudices. This is the Eighties, remember. No more hard-edged, right-angled lines about what makes the man. Today's style for the man about town runs the gamut from cozy nights with the VCR to playing host for glittery parties. Make sure it's your home that's being planned, not someone else's image. Be confident. Above all, trust your taste.

Strategies for space: your living-and-entertaining room

Too often, when it comes to studios, the prevailing advice is "Think small." So scaled-down furniture is installed in scaled-down apartments, and the result looks like one of those trick model rooms that make you notice how hard everyone is working to fool you. Don't fall into the trap. Instead, think trade-offs. The idea is to take the edges off the impersonal white box. Since most newer high-rise spaces have none of the character of yesteryear's, you have to import it by adding sculptural shapes that will work as interior architecture. Look for virtuoso furniture, something imposing or intricate that the eye can roam around. That can be an outsize poster, a huge, curvy sofa--a significant investment in style and space. (continued overleaf)

Leave some air around it, some breathing room, so the shape is sharp and clear. Personality counts. The more your individuality is in evidence, the more the room will feel like home. But function must count, too. In a studio, you don't have the luxury of the merely decorative.

Storage is the problem in any apartment, especially the one-room home. And it's perhaps the most logical one to be solved by a major piece. An antique or reproduction armoire with shelving and doors will hold most electronic goodies and still store books and trophies or glasses and wine. Sleek and efficient storage units now on the market have the virtue of seeming built in once in place. It's useful to choose one with both open and closed storage--drawers and cabinets as well as shelving. Some are being manufactured with precut holes in the back to fit computer cables and lines for other electronic components. Take your pick of laminates, painted or natural woods, high-tech metals, streamlined plastics or combinations. Many units are designed to stack or coexist side by side. Whatever your taste, make sure the unit will stow a good deal of stuff.

The charm of the unexpected

The most lighthearted people we know lose their sense of humor and turn earnest when it comes to furniture. Factors that never seem to matter much in other purchases--such as safety or lifetime durability--assume paramount importance when applied to a lamp or a chair. The most fashionable of men still end up with sofas that are tried, true and boring. Why? Because of a tendency to get their rooms in order and then go on to more major concerns. Because furniture is pricy and you don't discard a sofa like last year's suit. You figure, with reason, that the smart policy is to choose the unobtrusive, the neutral, the conventional. "It'll still look good in ten years," urges the salesman.

Maybe. In any case, ten years from now, you'll undoubtedly be somewhere else, doing something different, and that sofa will be, at best, an annoying reminder of where you were. Try thinking of the room the way you do your clothes--just with a longer timetable. Your wardrobe changes, gets added to, edited. You never consider it finished. Homes are like that, too.

Take a chance with an item or two. One (continued on page 212)Urbane Renewal(continued from page 142) dramatic, unexpected piece, whether major or not, can do wonders for injecting personality and presence into a small space. A burgeoning possibility nowadays is art furniture, found in galleries, designer showrooms and upscale shops. An art piece will work as furniture, storing possessions or lighting up, but it will also be startling and exciting.

A dose of wit goes a long way, too. One trompe l'oeil mural or chest, for example, or a neoclassic table with ceramic swags can enliven the room. Much of the touted Memphis design collection achieves a similar effect. Wit, as you well know, often comes from context, from not expecting some object to be in that place. Imagine an outdoor chair--perhaps a leggy Adirondack--inside. Or a column working as a divider. Many commercial objects will look witty when moved into a home from restaurants, libraries, theaters, hotels, hospitals, board rooms.

The unusual mix

In this postmodern age, when contemporary fashion means acknowledging the influences of the past, design culls from all eras. Small spaces particularly benefit from contrasts. Forget all those matched suites of furniture. They'll just make the room feel cramped and ordinary. If you fancy a Victorian sofa, fine; but then look for something in the Italian streamlined mode, too. If you're a fan of the country look, concentrate on roughhewn, woodsy pieces, and then set a few slick objects alongside them. The range now mixes metal with wood, fabric with hard edges, high-tech with traditional. Think about serious furniture next to some cartoon character--a familiar, sturdy wing chair, say, pulled alongside a classic Fifties kidney-shaped table. Watch the proportions and colors, though. A few contrasting elements are all you need.

One of the fastest ways to achieve an up-to-date mix is by combining period furnishings with the latest in lighting--which means a halogen light. The advent of the tiny, hard-working halogen bulb has revolutionized lighting design, in much the way the silicon chip forever changed the shape of electronic equipment. Lighting is now slim, elegant and remarkably versatile. And one of the first halogen lamps--the status-conscious Tizio, designed in 1972--has now been joined by an array of snazzy space-age choices that swivel or dip, go on the wall, the table or the ceiling. No matter what materials and styles you have in the room, lighting can make it feel contemporary.

Beyond the looking glass

Mirrors move in and out of fashion in living spaces, much like plants and platforms. Currently, they're back, though a decade or so ago, you didn't see many, except in dressing rooms. They're obviously useful for a studio, reflecting light and, perhaps, a view. Mirrors open up space like nothing else.

But be careful. Most people fall into one of two categories as soon as a mirror is anywhere close. Your date may be made uncomfortable by the constant reflection of herself and be unable to relax, or she may be an admirer of her own good looks, unable to stop the self-appraisal. In either case, you've lost her. Position mirrors where they'll reflect light without dominating the social arena. Often, a broken reflection will work--mirrored squares on a structural girder, for example, or a slim, horizontal bar over a long table.

The double take

We've mentioned the need for compromise in a studio apartment, but we don't mean on quality or style. We mean this: You can't afford furnishings that will do just one thing. Rigorous multiple function is the goal, without sacrificing comfort or design, of course. Don't choose a table that simply sits there, waiting for a party. A drop-leaf or gate-leg table will expand to accommodate dinner for eight, every receipt you've squirreled away for tax time or a buffet brunch for 12. At half capacity, it's just the right size for an intime breakfast for two. And when you're dining out, it'll fold snugly against the wall and turn into a sideboard for keys, mail and briefcase. A wall piece becomes a table when it comes off the wall to top the two trestles that are stored in a closet. A few handy side tables can slide into position for dining.

You're best off with chairs that will change roles, moving from social to dining modes with the mere proximity of a table. Select a design that will work for both. Or, if you're a staunch traditionalist and must have division of labor, think about chairs that stack. Three or four nestled in a corner make for sculpture--and a movable feast. A short stack will fit in a closet and appear at the right time. Many on the market nowadays will not only stack but fold, too. These are lightweight and ingeniously designed for looks and comfort.

Every space needs some definition, a way of dividing one area from another. The trick in a studio is to make those dividers functional. An open-shelved storage unit can zone sleeping and dining areas or living and cooking areas, while still providing a place for books and the baseball-hat collection, lighting and the stereo. But remember: That unit needn't tower over the room. A low-rise unit will do it, perhaps backed up against the sofa. Pay attention to the horizontal lines in the studio and try to match your horizons. That will make for a more harmonious room. If this is the place for a tall divider, be clever. Get one with access from both sides, so you won't block out light and you can reach what you want without circling the piece.

And consider a standing screen to divide space. A nifty solution, the screen is basically a movable wall that will create an instant room wherever and whenever it's needed: a private guest room, for example. Or a dining area. A home office, perhaps. If the screen has a distinct personality, you've ended your search for a major piece as well.

Off the wall

A word about furniture arrangement: A powerful tendency for anyone dealing with a small space is to push everything against the wall. Resist it. That stiff line-up of sofa, table, standing lamp and chair looks very much like a waiting room. Yes, the cardinal rule of allowing for traffic patterns does apply, but that doesn't legislate a hole in the center. Your studio's longest line, of course, is a diagonal. If you can set the living area at angles to the room's straight-edged rectangle, in one fell swoop you will gain both space and interest.

The art of clutter

Received wisdom for a studio dictates lean-and-mean furnishings: Keep everything spare, say the decorating dicta. Make sure surfaces are clean. That's a perfectly acceptable strategy for people who like to live that way. For those who have lots of tapes, books, records, clocks, cassette players and maybe even an insatiable appetite for whatnots, it's no strategy at all. While it's true that acquisitive instincts should be curbed in a studio, there's still room for the stuff of life. You can feel comfortable in a one-room home with many textures, patterns and possessions as long as you assemble everything with care. If it's pattern you crave, choose a palette and stick to it. The designs may vary--paisley to stripes--but the color theme will unify the pieces. Usually, a two-tone motif works best, but that depends on just how much pattern you want. It's personality you're after, not a formula. Pay attention to scale as well. A jumble of skyline shapes that force the eye up and down without rest will be uncomfortable and awkward to be around. When you add surfaces covered with more shapes and colors, however prized, the discomfort may well turn to claustrophobia.

Bedrooms without walls: The room within the room

It's usually about six by nine feet and it's called the sleeping alcove--in other words, the short leg of an L-shaped box. What you're looking for is a cozy bedroom, with a distinct atmosphere separate from the living area's. We suggest a canopied four-poster. With just the one piece of furniture, you create a room with a sense of presence, mood, architecture and function. If space is tight, or if window light is a problem, choose a four-poster without the top. Four upstanding posts will still work.

If you're not partial to four-posters, there are other choices, based on the same idea of an open-walled room. Consider, for example, a Murphy bed (which, by the way, makes a dandy guest room as well). The days of Thirties movies are gone forever: Murphy beds will no longer flop down of their own volition, thus spoiling seduction scenes. New technology has made a significant difference. Beds now hide in the most handsome and streamlined of cabinets, including some with closets and shelving alongside. The result is a miniroom housed in a cabinet.

A kitchen that works

It's amazing how little work space you really do need to cook. Everything important can be included in one tidy line: sink, stove, fridge and, for a work top, a butcher-block board placed over the sink. That's a worst-case scenario.

Move up from there. Don't think for a second that every bit of kitchenware must reside behind closed doors. Likewise, a drawer full of jumbled tongs and graters, mashers and knives is a waste of space. Any small niche should be pressed into service. Spaces under the cabinets and above the counters can hold shelves--ready-made systems are widely available. Hang everything you can--pots, utensils, serving dishes, glassware. Use the backs of doors and wall space above the stove (for the saucepans). It's OK to let everything show. It's also much smarter for providing access. Good-looking stainless-steel-grid systems attached to the wall have made pegboards obsolete. A few hooks and you're in business. A closet pole or two, attached high up near the ceiling in closet sockets, will perform the same trick.

You can always find space for a fast kitchen meal by hinging a shelf and tucking a stool under it. The shelf will fold down, out of the way when not in use, and will also double as a work counter.

The real-room bath

You may be lucky enough to live in a studio in an older building where the bath fixtures include real porcelain and pedestal sinks. Most studios, however, are found amid the modern high-rise hustle, and bath space in the apartment is an afterthought--a sterile white-and-chrome laboratory thrown into glaring relief by a fluorescent fixture.

Begin by changing the lighting. While halogen designs aren't a good idea in the bath (too much moisture), warm incandescent works a lot better than cold fluorescent. There's also no reason you can't have more than one. An efficient light over the sink can be complemented by others near the tub and elsewhere.

And why does the building-supplied medicine cabinet have to remain? It's usually downright ugly. Further, if not inset, why must it be above the sink? You can find a dozen varieties of wall storage units that can be hung anywhere there's space, to replace or complement the original. Perhaps an antique oak cabinet to change the mood of the bright-white box. Or, if you have the floor space, move in a low-rise chest of drawers and store towels and sundries there. Open shelving units will work just as well. Then, find a streamlined, handsome mirror--maybe a snazzy art-deco number--and hang that over the sink.

As in the living and bedroom spaces, don't forget to personalize. Little things do, indeed, mean a lot. Long-armed mirrors, well-designed accessories, the new electronic clocks, scales and radios will warm the cold white room. Small earthenware jars or ceramic urns do the same work as plastic and are just as moisture-proof. Color helps--even if you feel right only with matte black. Big, lush towels are a lot more luxurious than postage-stampsize ones. It may sound like common sense, but it's easy to forget comfort.

Remember, rules are made to be broken. Nothing has to match--it just has to look and feel good. And the bottom line is this: It's your home; make it a place to come home to.

Urbane Renewal

Items available in our room with a view: 1A. & 1B. Two Shiraz Oriental rugs measuring 6' x 9', $4000, and 4' x 5', $1400, both from Caspian Oriental Rugs, Chicago. 2. Oak 17th Century gate-leg table, from Victoria Peters Antiques, Chicago, $6000. 3. & 4. Walnut dining chair, $3415, and Ralph Lauren wicker love seat, $2195, both from Marshall Field's, Chicago. 5. Hunt prints, from Victoria Peters Antiques, $425 each. 6. Hand-colored French knight engravings, from Branca, Inc., Chicago, $325 each. 7. Victorian leather trunk, from Victoria Peters Antiques, $575. 8. & 9. Hand-colored engraving, $350 each, and French lithograph, $450 each, both from Branca, Inc. 10. Horn mirror, from Jay Robert's Antiques, Chicago, $2700. 11. & 12. Leather chesterfield sofa, $2400, and brass lamp, $490, both from Marshall Field's. 13. Mahogany pedestal table, from Victoria Peters Antiques, $1800. 14. Baker tufted lounge chair, from Marshall Field's, $1477.

Following the numbers, above left to right: 1. Georgian floor lamp, from Marshall Field's, $585. 2. Antique mahogany side table, from Victoria Peters Antiques, $1795. 3. Brass column lamp, from Marshall Field's, $475. 4. Hand-colored engravings, circa 1800, by Jean-Baptiste Audebert, from Branca, Inc., $475 each. 5. 19th Century English crewel screen, from Victoria Peters Antiques, $1500. 6. Mahogany reproduction of an antique sleigh bed, from Marshall Field's, $1855. 7. Tole book table with a lid that opens for storage, from Decorators Walk, Chicago, about $750. 8. Antique ottoman, from Marshall Field's, $2600. 9. Antique-oak hunt-board side table, from Jay Robert's Antiques, $4000. 10. Three blue-and white Chinese porcelains, from Marshall Field's, $1200. 11. Unsigned Scottish oil painting, circa 1830, from George Rettig Antiques, Chicago, $2800. 12. Steerhorn lamps, from Marshall Field's, $425 each. 13. Equestrian prints, from Milvia Swan Prints & Fine Arts, Chicago, $900 each. 14. Gothic Windsor chairs, from Marshall Field's, $1750 each. 15. Sarreid decorative wooden dog, from Decorators Walk, $375. 16. Antique Irish linen press, from Marshall Field's, $9500. 17. Hand-colored copper engravings of fish, circa 1785, by Marcus Elisier Bloch, from Branca, Inc., $625 each. 18. Brass French oil lamp, from Marshall Field's, $550. All other items pictured are the property of wealthy, worldly Playboy editors.

Playboy by Design

"A dose of wit goes a long way. One trompe l'oeil mural or chest can enliven the room."