Skipping a Kitchen Reno, This Designer Cleverly Concealed Her Lackluster Cabinets

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.

Sign Up for Domino’s Newsletter

The first thingOlga Naimanddid upon moving into her Brooklyn condo was dress the bare, bland walls of the narrow entry in a floor-to-ceiling Fornasetti wallpaper and bright pink curtains to match. “I wanted each room to carry a distinct color imprint, a different feeling,” notes Naiman. The interior designer and prop stylist, the creative force behind spaces featured everywhere from Anthropologie toVogue, draws on a background in theatrical set design and channels that work as a major source of inspiration within her own home. “On a set, you turn a corner and you’re suddenly in a different place,” she explains.

It’s a practice Naiman readily applies in her apartment, which she shares with her partner, Michael Smith, and 3-year-old twins, Laszlo and Lucia. Color is threaded throughout, with touches of pattern cleverly layered in. A hue that serves as a secondary shade in one room takes decorative command in the next, and graphic prints contribute texture and depth. “I would never call myself a traditional designer,” says Naiman. “I love bold decor that comes with moments of magic—everything in my home has symbolism or meaning.”

Balance a small bedroom with a low-platform bed—the inverse consumes vital real estate spatially and visually—and treat nightstands and table lamps as compelling accessories. The cobalt headboard, which Naiman crafted herself after falling short of finding the ideal one, delivers a bold stroke of color. Layering in soft textures, such as a leopard-print pillow, offers another inexpensive way to weave pattern into the space. The final touch? “A throw always breaks up the monotony of a bedspread,” says Naiman.

Since a full kitchen renovation was both impractical and unaffordable, Naiman chose to concentrate on one standout moment: the cabinetry. Inspired by a wallpaper she encountered in an Art Deco exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, Naiman refinished the existing oak veneer kitchen cabinets with a graphic color-block featuring a silver leaf detail. The smaller surface means you can splurge on a design that might prove too pricey elsewhere.

Naiman treats her bookshelves as stackable still lifes (and a means of keeping items out of reach of her little ones), using each square of the shelving system as a frame. The shelves earmarked to hold decorative accessories are lined with a graphic wallpaper, while the shelves reserved for books are left bare to avoid an overly crowded feel. The loose checkerboard effect lets the eye travel freely from one composition to the next. “It’s an easy way for renters to add depth to a wall,” she points out.

White walls are a rarity in Naiman’s home. Instead you’ll find panels of vibrant fabrics draped throughout the space (more often than not concealing an unsightly surface), a tendency she attributes to her roots: “I’m Russian, and Russians love rich textures—especially silk—and fabric on the walls.” In the bedroom, a series of curtains mask 19 feet of closet doors and a wall-mounted television. “Rather than painting the walls, tack up some beautiful fabric,” Naiman suggests. “When you move, take it with you, and you’ll have curtains for your next place.”

Primary hues establish the tone for Laszlo and Lucia’s room (a nook Naiman carved out from the originally one-bedroom apartment). The walls dressed in chalkboard paint serve as a grounding neutral—as well as a creative outlet for the twins. “I told them they could draw on any wall that is black,” says Naiman. She bypassed big patterns in favor of displaying the children’s art, which, unsurprisingly, brims with color.

Borrowing from principles of photography, the rule of three—or what Naiman calls triangulation—follows the notion that the dominant color of a chosen palette should surface at three points within a room: high, low, and eye level. In her living room, Naiman echoes the turquoise, pink, and blue from a painting, re-creating the hues through the counter stools, lounge chair, and sofa, respectively.

Anna has a penchant for travel, fresh flowers, and books. You can usually find her on some sort of culinary adventure, seeking the best burgers or waffles in the city.

Learn more about Domino.comEditorial Standards