Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

How Marissa Bero Turned This Cold Apartment Into an Inviting Home

How Marissa Bero Turned This Cold Apartment Into an Inviting Home

A kitchen reno turned into a complete home makeover for a design-loving couple.

While some may love the clean, modern lines and sleek finishes of a contemporary new build apartment, there are a few things these so-called "white box" spaces often lack: One, a sense of personality and two, ample storage for books, object, and any other knickknacks the non-minimalist among us might treasure.

            

That was the issue presented to designer Marissa Bero when she signed on to renovate an apartment on Fulton Street in Manhattan for a design-loving couple. While the duo initially tapped Bero to renovate their kitchen, it soon became apparent that the builder-grade apartment wasn't working with their lifestyle-which includes a love of books, music, travel, and entertaining.

"Their biggest issue was not having enough storage for the things that were important to them," says Bero. So, instead of starting with the kitchen, "the first order of business was to design a built-in bookshelf," explains the designer. The resulting full-wall shelf system (inspired by one at the Soho House) set the tone for the rest of the house: collected yet elegant, eclectic yet orderly, and somewhere between modern and traditional.

"It’s an interesting relationship because one of the homeowners leans more traditional and the other is more modern," Bero explains. "They wanted to hire a designer to sort of help them bring those two styles together-and that’s my MO. I love an eclectic mix."

Merging those two styles became the jumping-off point for Bero to create a design that transformed the white box into a welcoming, personal home. Here's how she did it.

Living Area




While the wall-to-wall shelving was initially conceived as a method of dealing with the apartment's lack of storage, it ended up becoming more of a design statement in itself. "It was a fun way to display a lot of their collectibles," which otherwise might be stashed away, says Bero. The couple are avid travelers and have a lot of "tchotchkes picked up around the world," explains the designer. Here, those objects take pride of place alongside an extensive book collection, assortment of records, and mix of art.

Bero designed a custom sectional for the space to allow for plenty of flexible seating, making the room as comfortable for a house full of guests as it is for the couple and their dogs.

Dining Area




Clients coming into a project with a baby grand piano is a major consideration in a not-huge apartment. But instead of stashing the instrument away, Bero decided to make it a focal point. "It was fun to figure out how to create a more defined dining area with the piano," she says. Plus, with it out in the open, it's more likely to get used-especially during dinner parties.

Kitchen




The couple's traditional-modern balance might best be on display in the kitchen, where counters and a backsplash in classic Carrara marble are juxtaposed with sleek white cabinets. To add sone visual interest alongside the minimal hardware, Bero swathed a row of shelves in architectural mesh. Floating shelves in marble also maintain that balance between classic and modern.

Bedroom




The bedroom is where Bero's "eclectic mix" really comes to life. "They had some pieces already that they wanted to incorporate and then the wallpaper and accents really bring it all together," says the designer. She repurposed certain pieces (the armchair was once in the living room), and spotlit others, like the Queen Elizabeth artwork above the bed. The subtle wallpaper provides texture without competing with the mix.

Guest Room




In the guest room, Bero focused on establishing luxury within a small footprint. "It’s not large but it has all the bells and the whistles," she says of the space: "The luxe finishes, custom drapes and wallpaper, the beautiful accessories-I think it feels very special and unique and like a place I’d want to spend time as a guest."

To maximize space, she swapped nightstands for two floating shelves, each fitted with narrow lamps, and employed a campaign-style chest to serve as combination console/dresser. In space that size, she says “it’s important to make every piece count.”


Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
×