Discovering Interior Design and Roommate Solutions With TriBeCa’s Chicest Young Talent
Lia Wayman and Josie Hubschman are changing the way urbanites make one of the most vital decisions of their life, that of finding the perfect housemate.
The Room Ring aims to connect users within their extended network by introducing friends of friends. When Lia was moving back to Boston, MA after living in New York City and working in finance, she faced the daunting task of both finding a new roommate in Boston and filling the New York City room she was leaving behind. Lia’s frustration led to the conception of The Room Ring, and she partnered with Josie to bring the company to life. The two can attest to the benefits of connecting through your existing network, as they met through a mutual friend. As a team they have created an App which caters to hundreds of individuals who find themselves in a similar position every year.
Deborah Fribourg, Josie’s roommate, is one of the city’s up and coming young interior designers. Deborah is a New York City native and the founder of DMF Interiors.
Deborah and Josie live in a beautiful two-bedroom, three-bathroom apartment in TriBeCa. The bones of the apartment are contemporary, and Deborah designed the space to exhibit a relaxed, polished, and worldly ambiance.
Join us in their home, as we speak to the trio about the solutions they are creating for the challenges of finding a roommate and settling into an apartment in New York City.
Describe The Room Ring
The Room Ring is a roommate matching service which operates much like the dating app Hinge. Potential roommates can view listings based on mutual friends they share; the application uses Facebook profiles to help link users with their friends’ friends. The app takes you through a variety of preferences to help match you with your ideal counterpart.
Why did you decide to move to TriBeCa?
Deborah: When I moved back to New York City after college I lived farther west in Tribeca. I was close to my family but I felt like I was in the middle of nowhere. I moved to Chelsea because it’s in the heart of the city, but it felt too commercial. I was living alone at the time, but found I missed having a roommate. When my lease was up, initially I had wanted to live in Greenwich Village. While searching for an apartment we came across this place and fell in love. I’m so happy here.
Josie: I lived in Chelsea with a roommate after I moved to New York, and I then lived in Murray Hill with a two roommates. Last year I quit my job to pursue The Room Ring full time and was fortunate enough to be able to move in with my mom on the Upper East Side. We looked at a lot of places before we found this apartment. At first, I was weary of moving this far downtown. I wasn’t too familiar with the neighborhood, but this apartment is amazing. We really couldn't pass it up. Within 48 hours of living down here I had fallen in love with the neighborhood. It felt so peaceful and quiet at night, yet there's always somewhere to go. It really feels like a neighborhood. I also love the fact that every single subway line comes down here, which is extremely convenient when you're starting a business.
How would you describe your style, and what is your greatest inspiration?
Deborah: My style is very eclectic. I love a touch of bohemian, but am also partial to clean lines and contemporary shapes; mixing old and new. I love color but use it sparingly. I like using neutrals as the base and then adding pops of color with accessories. I’m a huge fan of knickknacks and decorative objects, I have bowls of matches everywhere. Accessorizing is the hardest element of designing a space, because it is so personal and they bring the entire apartment together
Accessories elevate a project from being a beautiful space, to belonging to the client and feeling like a lived in home. My mom has been a huge inspiration as my design aesthetic develops. She's Jewish Moroccan and has a very eclectic sense of style, blending French, Moroccan, and Spanish. She has passed down so much wisdom to me that is a constant as my taste evolves.
What are some of your favorite furniture stores to shop at?
Deborah: My favorite home shop in New York is Flair. They have a wonderful mix of styles. For big furniture pieces like a plush sofa, Restoration Hardware can be great. The Citizenry is also an amazing online shop. They work with master artisans in countries such as Guatemala and Mexico to bring ethically created and unique products directly to the end user. Finally, I love to accessorize with pieces I’ve found from around the world. Whenever I travel I always bring back a few things for my own home and also the projects I’m currently working on. An ideal space has a blend of high end and less expensive pieces. Drawing from a wide variety is key.
I also love collecting art. You can’t simply go for expensive pieces. It’s all about falling in love with a piece and buying it because you can’t live without it. Some of my favorite pieces I have found at flea markets.
Lia: I’m much less well versed on this topic but I also love Restoration Hardware and West Elm. I think Wayfair is fantastic. My apartment is pretty tiny but I love finding pieces that fit well together. I like mixing and matching; I really enjoy pieces that remind me of my childhood. I grew up on a farm so I have a few equestrian pieces. I really like old antique signs, they add a lot of character and personality.
People always have ideas of how they want their space to look and feel, but often they cant envision how to make it reality; what advise can you give them?
Deborah: When you are designing for a space, it is really important to consider the architecture. Most people consider everything they want and then struggle to make it work, rather than having an idea of what will work and setting out to find pieces that you love to fit within those dimensions or restraints. Good design is a blend of the person and the space in which they live. Sometimes the challenges you face in a small New York apartment make for the most creative and inspired solutions.
New York City is full of opportunities, and if you believe you have an idea that can change the way in which we as humans interact with one another, take the plunge and follow your dreams. Make life simple for those around you. You can now download The Room Ring application on the Apple App Store to find your next roommate.
Check out some of Josie, Lia, and Deborah’s favorite spots in TriBeCa
