A 480 sq ft Brooklyn studio divided by a single shelf

Isabelle moved from Toronto to New York about five years ago. Her 480 sq ft studio in Williamsburg is her second apartment in the city and her first time living alone. When we filmed, she was about to move into a bigger place with her partner.

One piece does most of the work. A large shelf, custom built for a doctor's office, divides her bed from the rest of the room. She found it on Facebook Marketplace and hired movers to bring it in. It's open, so light still reaches the bed, but she doesn't see the bed while she works.

The rest of the studio holds a kitchen and dining area and a living room. Her office sits by the big south-facing window. Her round dining table expands to seat six. She hung a paper Noguchi lamp in the living area herself. A Herman Miller chair came from an office clearing out its furniture.

Family and travel fill the walls. Her grandfather wrote out a poem by Li Bai in calligraphy. Her partner made collages from brochures they saved while travelling for almost half a year. A poster from an estate sale advertises a Kurt Vonnegut art show.