Name: Arden
Location: South End — Boston, Massachusetts

I live on the top floor of a Boston brownstone that was built in 1890 (and turned into 4 separate condo units 100 years later). The 680 square foot space has an unusual layout — other than the bathroom, there are no doors. The front room is a kitchen/living room/dining room, and has a sleeping loft tucked away in the peak of the ceiling which has acquired a number of nicknames over the years, including "the cabin" and "the bed of death."

The entire place is very light-filled. There are 3 skylights, and a bay window in the front room. I, however, do not like light, so I have used a lot of darker shades of paint inside, and chosen dark curtains for the front room, and when I re-did my kitchen last year, against the advice of everyone, I chose black appliances, black granite, and black cabinets.

But even would-be vampires need some light, so the backroom is a very bright contrast to the front — there are custom-painted Italian landscape murals on either wall, and the ceiling and ladder to the roof deck are painted the palest shade of blue found in the mural's sky.

I do not have a decorating aesthetic, but rather follow the wise words of my Danish step-mother: "If there is room in your heart, there is room in your home." Everything inside is there b/c I found it (most often at an antique store), fell in love, and later figured out where to put it.

Thanks Arden!

Images: Lara Kimmerer

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