“I treat my home like my playground.”
You don’t need to know exactly what your home’s style is the moment you move in. For interior designer Sydney Moss, her one-bedroom apartment in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, is an ever-changing creative space where she can test ideas, play with color and make each corner feel more personal.
Moss shares the apartment with her husband, their cat, Nala, and their lively dog, Percy. Instead of treating the space as something that must be finished all at once, she sees it as a place to experiment. Her home is full of thoughtful design choices, many of them handmade, upcycled or budget-friendly.
The moment you step inside, Moss’ creativity is clear. She has filled the apartment with DIY projects that make the space feel unique without requiring a huge budget. For her, making things by hand adds character and gives the home a warmer, more personal feeling.
Before becoming an interior designer, Moss worked as a seamstress in costuming and later moved into upholstery. That background shows throughout the apartment, especially in her use of colorful and patterned fabrics.
One of her favorite recent projects is a cozy shelf built into a living room window. She padded it, covered it in green velvet and added striped trim. The result is a stylish window perch where Nala can lounge, watch birds and squirrels, or keep an eye on everything happening inside.
Moss also makes design decisions with her pets in mind. For example, she chose velvet upholstery for the sofa because its tight weave holds up better against cat claws. And because she knows how to upholster furniture herself, she can always refresh or recover pieces when needed.
In the dining nook, Moss turned Percy’s dog crate into part of the decor. Percy loves having a cozy den-like space, so the crate was important. Instead of covering it with a plain blanket, Moss made floral curtains that attach with Velcro. They can be removed easily, and they make the crate look intentional and charming.
The kitchen also reflects her playful use of fabric. To hide the brackets on a wall-mounted shelf, Moss sewed triangle-shaped bunting and wrapped it around the shelf. With leftover material, she made small curtains for kitchen storage, helping conceal appliances while also keeping dust and crumbs away.
For Moss, living with pets doesn’t mean giving up on a beautiful home. It means designing a space where everyone — humans, cats and dogs included — feels comfortable.
Her apartment is stylish, practical and full of personality. It gives Percy room to play, Nala places to perch, and Moss endless opportunities to keep experimenting with paint, fabric and creative ideas.