Small Space, Great Place

Creating a style of her own in her urban studio space nestled in the flurry of the downtown rejuvenation, Julia Moskoff embraced her move to the city with a sense of excitement and adventure. Living within walking distance to her job in management consulting, Julia thoroughly enjoys all that city life brings. And with the help of mom, Judy, the shopping for Julia’s new place in her “just perfect” urban locale began at the Moskoff family’s suburban home. With her parents downsizing and moving to a cozier residence, the timing was ideal for Julia, her sister and two brothers to choose pieces that would fit into their own spaces.  With a smile, Julia says, “I got to take everything that my older sister, Mary, hadn’t already taken!”

As the transformation from a new, empty studio to a warm, comfortable loft-like space evolved, Julia saw possibilities for entertaining friends and relaxing in a space that could live larger than it appeared on paper. Her favorite piece from her family home is the stable table that adds a touch of color to her space and serves as one of the unique and functional focal points in the studio by holding Julia’s TV.

Merging vintage, heirloom and newer furnishings has been an exciting process for Julia. She stacked Japanese antique bedside tables that her parents found in a shop in Hawaii years ago next to a recently purchased four-poster bed. It is the centerpiece of her space, and Julia considers the striking bed a piece that she will always have, no matter where she lives. She advises, “Buy pieces that you love and you will find places where they look great in your own surroundings.” Mom and daughter frequented antique and other specialty shops to find items that Julia loved for her studio, and she looks forward to taking each of them with her to any and all of her future homes.

With a blend of newer, contemporary pieces, her selection of functional yet comfortable furnishings lend themselves to a casual, relaxed lifestyle. Structured furnishings are softened by layering textured fabrics and using soft rust as the accent color and springboard for her serene color palette. A museum-framed prayer cloth that Julia's great-grandparents brought back from Greece in the early 1900s is a focal point in her small, yet functional kitchen.

While Julia loves a monochromatic look, the area rug and other earth-colored accessories suited Julia's taste  and allowed the warm, inviting feel that Julia wanted. “I love having friends over, and with a roomy outdoor patio space in the building, it's the perfect spot to get together. It drew me to the location. And it's a great place to watch fireworks on the 4th of July. My brothers and sister and I grew up in the suburbs, and I've been the first to branch out into urban living. It's so much fun being here. My brothers like to come by before Cardinals games,” she says.

“There's always something to do, and I really enjoy the opportunity to check out new restaurants on Washington Avenue,” she says. When Julia comes home at the end of the day, she is surrounded by a variety of special pieces and keepsakes from her own family history that have great stories of their own. And in keeping with the tradition of giving a “new life” to old favorites – treasures that are part of her family history – Julia hopes to help write the next chapter. She already has a jump-start on the narrative by combining special elements from her past and finding her own “future heirlooms” that fill her great city space with personality (hers!) and one-of-a-kind style.