Go inside a Facebook product designer's bright New York studio apartment

Claire Esparros for Homepolish

For product designer Derek Bradley, coming home from Facebook's gorgeous New York City office to a drab studio apartment was not ideal. Beige walls and poor lighting had Bradley calling on Homepolish, a startup that has designed spaces for other startups and homeowners. Working with Melissa, one of Homepolish's interior designers, Bradley was able to transform his 400-square-foot home into a bright and beautiful space.

Taking inspiration from the Facebook offices and Bradley's graphic design background, Melissa was able to play with bright, bold colors and patterns. "[Derek] knew he wanted his space to be hip, modern, and minimal," she told Business Insider. Let's take a look inside his transformed seventh-floor apartment near Union Square.

Upon first walking into the space, Melissa immediately knew the walls needed to be painted. "The walls were [originally] a yellow-beige and it looked like stained teeth," she said. She suggests her favorite paint: Benjamin Moore Super White.

Melissa has two basic techniques to help make spaces feel bigger: organization and utilizing natural light. "Rather than cover the windows with ornamented window treatments, I opted to filter the light with a minimal and functional solar shade application," she said.

Melissa recommends that furniture items each have their own "zone." "When furniture and activities are organized into their own zones, the size of a space magically falls into the background and it no longer feels spatially challenged," she said.