I’ve never thought of myself as a decorator. I’ve had a few apartments in my 20s, but usually during times of transition and in a city I knew I never wanted to settle in for too long (but which I ended up staying in for 9 years!). We took our time with planning the apartment we just moved into this month (but not our time moving in – too many long hours!). I did my research (*cough* Pinterest *cough*), and spent time browsing catalogs (some way over my budget, *cough* Pottery Barn *cough*).
Like most spots in big cities, space is always something you want more of, although this felt quadruple the size of spots I had in New York. That said, below are examples of ways we saved space and extra little touches we took creatively to make it all the more comfortable and improve the atmosphere.
The best part is – it truly, it feels like home.
WELCOME WALL
Polaroid pictures of our guests in the entryway, signed & dated.
INDOOR PLANTS
Not only are they beautiful, but they also clean your air & reduce noise pollution.
OUTDOOR SPACE
Opted for comfy chairs…
OUTDOOR SPACE
…and put up white lights along the railing.
CREATIVE CORNER
On the left you’ll see a Buddha Board next to crossword puzzles.
COFFEE TABLE
Adding a small, personal touch like collected seashells to a coffee table brightens an ordinary piece of furniture.
BAR & BOOKS
We carefully placed items in narrow furniture to help save space (matching colors a bonus).
SHOWER SHELVES
The shower lacked any shelves or holding space, and the bathroom barely had any drawers and no shelves – so we added a shower curtain with pockets & installed a piece of furniture behind the toilet, both great ways to transform a tiny space.
Not pictured –
CHARGING STATION: A small table by the center of the living room holding multiple types of plugs and near wall outlets.
WORLD MAP: We put up a good amount of art, but swapped another painting for a map with pins of all the places we’ve been.
GAME TABLE: We placed games on two shelves in one of our tables so you can view all of the options without having to dig around in a closet.
BEDROOM SETUP: We added rolling drawers under the bed (two per side), two narrow dressers & a mirror on the wall with an ironing board inside of it (as the mirror opens a board folds out at waist-level).