2018 has brought a lot of new changes. After spending the last two winters switching off between Colorado and Brooklyn, I decided it was time for a change. As much as I love Boulder, CO, my life and work is in New York and I knew living there would be best for my career and all around well-being. Making the move was a no-brainer, but I worried about needing to downsize. Hello, city living! Unfortunately, being a triathlete comes with a lot of baggage (literally!): swim gear, BIKES—so many bikes—and of course, running gear. Not to mention the endless amount of ingredients and supplies I have.
I’ve never really had an opportunity to create and style my own space. Apart from the do-it-yourself furniture I always managed to mess up by skipping a step, I never had a hand in designing the places I’ve lived. I knew I wanted a fresh and inspiring start in this new space with quality and timeless furniture.
What first drew me to Room & Board was their magnificent wood pieces, but I was so overwhelmed with what to pick and how everything would come together. Thankfully, Room & Board offers free design services in their stores, online and over the phone to help with floor planning and product selection. I worked with Abbie, Design Associate at their Chelsea location and we started the design process by looking at photos I brought in for inspiration. Abbie was great because she knew exactly what to do to maximize the space and once I gave her the dimensions of my room she knew what would and wouldn’t work.
Allard End table— I first fell in love with the Allard end table. Each one was so unique and from sugar maple trees in Vermont each one has its own personality! How cool is that?!
Avery Bed—At first I was set on a wood bed but once I saw the Avery upholstered bed in person I had to have it. It was a luxurious statement piece with a subtle and feminine light gray hue that played really nicely with the woods in the room.
Slim Desk and Soren Chair—Limited space calls for a minimalist and clean looking desk so we went with this simple white Slim desk and paired it with my all-time favorite Soren chair. It has a great classic look and the Sheepskin rug we used as a throw softens it up. We then went with these fun shelving units which are a great place for me to add some greenery and more color!
Kenwood Dresser—The deep richness of the wood was one of my favorites. I love this dresser because it gives me so much more space for all my triathlon gear and another opportunity to add pops of color, fresh flowers, books and candles.
Room & Board asked me 10 questions about the big move, my background aka the girl behind the recipes 🙂
1. You’ve completed 9 half marathons, what motivated you to sign up for the first one?
I signed up for my first half marathon my senior year of high school. Little did I know that the race would change my life. I didn’t grow up running but I always loved sports. The race was to raise money for a cancer center in my community. Having battled cancer myself 3 years prior to signing up for this race, I knew it would be a big moment for me. Not only would I be raising money for an incredible organization, but I would also be pushing my body to its far limits. Upon crossing that finish line I remember feeling more empowered and stronger than I ever had in my life. My time was slow but my goal was just not to have to walk at all. After reaching that goal I knew I wanted to keep pushing my limits and see what proper training could do for my next race. And with that new goal came the search for proper nutrition. This was in 2012, back when Instagram had just begun and there were really no health and wellness blogs out there. It was really hard to find practical and honest information for athletes. I had so many questions: What was I supposed to eat before I ran? What should I eat after? Searching for these answers inspired me to dive into books and learn more about my own body and the field of performance enhancing nutrition, which I then began to share with the world via Running on Veggies
2. What’s something people might not know about you?
Most people are surprised to find out I’m only 23 😉 But something most people probably don’t know is that I am a die-hard reality TV junky. I pretty much feel like I am best friends with all the “real housewives.” My friends even submitted an application for me to be on The Bachelor without me knowing.
3. Do you have a favorite ingredient to cook with?
I love cooking with legumes. They are so versatile and you can make them sweet, like this flourless fudgey chickpea blondies recipe or savory with this 30 minute Mexican Quinoa Tempeh Salad.
4. What’s your go-to recipe for fueling before or after a workout?
I am a big fan of overnight oats. A lot of the time people complain they don’t have time to make breakfast before working out in the morning. This solves all your problems! Prep it the night before or you can make a batch for up to 3-4 days prior. It’s also my race day breakfast because I can literally make it in my hotel bedroom. All you need is a mini fridge!
5. Aside from running, do you have a favorite workout or fitness class?
I am training for an IRONMAN! To celebrate 10 years cancer free I have teamed up with Leukemia Lymphoma Society to raise money and awareness for blood cancer. An IRONMAN consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike and a 26.2 mile run. So, when I am not swimming, biking or running I’m a huge fan of Pilates. It compliments endurance athletes so well. It works on those smaller muscles to help avoid injury and help with core strength. I am also a huge fan of Fhitting Room. I love their classes because they work on functional strength. So, for example, it is never a basic bicep curl. We work on exercises that translate really well into triathlon. I tend to modify the class from time to time to lower the impact (my own preventative measure) so instead of jump squats I will do regular squats, etc. It’s really important for me to incorporate strength into my routine.
6. Who or what motivates you?
My running/triathlon coach once told me this and I think it is very true: “Some people have running coaches to help them get off the couch and run and some need running coaches to hold them back.” I have always struggled with the fine line between going that extra mile and just running too much. But I think setting goals and having races on my calendar motivates me. My one goal when I arrive at a start line is knowing I did everything I could. I am the type of person who is most of the time “over motivated.” If I could run all day I would. So thankfully I work with a coach who keeps me in check.
7. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
If it doesn’t open, it’s not your door.
8. How would you describe your personal style?
I think I would describe my style as earthy. To be honest, most days I am running around in my workout clothes. But when I’m not, I am most likely in my vintage Levis and t-shirt or chunky sweater and my leather jacket. When working with Abby at Room and Board she asked me the same thing and as I was kind of stuck describing my own personal taste. After showing her photos of bedrooms I liked she pinned me down as “Boho” and I ran with it!
9. What do you find most challenging about living in a small space?
I think the biggest challenge in a small space is having extra “things.” I look at it more as a blessing though. Because I moved from Brooklyn, where I had a lot more storage space, to a smaller Manhattan apartment, I had to get rid of a lot of things. These were things that I had in the back of my closet that I hadn’t touched in years. You know, the “one day I will use it” kind of things. Once I got rid of all that I felt so much better! Now I don’t aimlessly buy things. Everything I own needs to have a purpose. If I buy new a pair of jeans that means I am getting rid of a pair.
Another struggle is creating a space I can sleep in, ride my bike in, relax in and work in. No seriously, my bedroom is my everything: my work hub, my resting space, my workout lounge… I needed it to feel fresh, bright and inspiring. Everything in my room needs to have a purpose and bring me joy. So, when working with Abby at Room & Board in Chelsea we were very strategic in maximizing my space without it feeling cluttered. We were able to create a little corner with my desk, wooden shelfs and plants. I love me my plants! I think plants are a must in any room! They bring life and an element of freshness into a room. We were able to put a plant on one of the shelves and in a corner by the window.
Having my work space in the same room as my bed forces me to be neat and make my bed EVERY DAY. It is totally true what they say – a cluttered room is a cluttered mind – so an extra few minutes in the morning putting things away and making my bed makes all the difference in my productivity for the day.
10. Why did you choose to work with Room & Board?
When I first decided to move earlier this year I knew I wanted a fresh start and I knew I was going to downsize but also knew I would need to have a few key pieces. At first I thought about the traditional build-it-yourself furniture type of thing. But when I really thought about it I figured that if I am in NYC for the long haul, which is most likely, I wanted to invest in furniture I would have for a lifetime. I wanted to LOVE the space I am in and the stuff that was in it! So I knew I needed to start with a few quality pieces and then I could have fun accessorizing with pieces from all over the world – from far off places to local flea markets. What first drew me to Room and Board were their magnificent wood pieces. My nightstand in particular is a piece of wood from a maple tree. Each piece they offer is so unique. My new furniture is rustic and polished at the same time. And I loved their idea of mixing wood pieces with some luxury ones like my headboard and fur throw.
A big thank you to Room & Board for allowing me to create my dream space to live in, sleep in, cycle in and work in!
All photos taken by the lovely Laura Wilson http://www.lauraswilson.com
