Téya Kepila exits her $2,800 Brooklyn studio after rent hike

Téya Kepila did not just rent a 575-square-foot apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn; she lived in a creative ecosystem. The space held her bed, a clay reclaim bucket, and a pottery wheel. To produce 800 ceramic pieces annually in a studio apartment requires extreme design intentionality. It is a grueling, 24/7 lifestyle. Dusting and mopping are daily rituals. Yet, Kepila transformed her home into a sanctuary of warmth and functional beauty.

The Art of Mental Boundaries and Faux Closets

How do you separate your sleeping quarters from a messy pottery business? Kepila used a simple, floor-to-ceiling curtain originally sourced from IKEA to divide the living and sleeping quarters. She even styled the curtain tie-back using a chunky, handmade ceramic cuff. In the living room, a second curtain hid her "faux closet"—a storage strip that housed heavy glazes, tools, and her pottery wheel. The furniture choices also prioritized comfort. A plush Sixpenny Couch couch welcomed guests, while a hand-carved Naga chair offered a quiet place to drink morning coffee.

Building Custom Shelving and Supper Clubs

To accommodate the sheer weight of her ceramics, Kepila and her father built custom wooden shelves using adjustable dowels. This area featured a raw work table used for wedging clay, filming content, and eating dinner. To keep her business solvent, she turned her home into an intimate, six-person supper club. Guests gathered around her work table for ceremonial dinners. Kepila squeezed behind the custom shelves to serve them, creating incredibly tender, communal memories.

Priced Out of the New York Dream

Just as Kepila's business expanded to an external studio, the harsh realities of the New York rental market intervened. Her monthly rent, which started at $1,950, had climbed to $2,800. Shortly after showcasing her home, she was priced out entirely. She relocated to a new apartment with a staggering rent of $4,750 per month. The transition was emotionally taxing. Clay, she notes, teaches you that as soon as you get attached to something, it changes.