apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

what a happy looking, fun fun home. Thanks for sharing!

S H: beautiful space (ah... those windows!!!) that you've filled with things you clearly love. Very nice. Thanks for sharing.

These women kill it! Great baseball mitt chair!

Really like it, all the better for not having any of the splashy midcentury. I'm so over seeing all the pricey items, it's just not interesting. You're place is perfect as is!!!

gahhhh so beautiful. I love how cozy it looks!

I love it!
http://girlwhimsy.blogspot.com

Wow - great job. This isn't really my style but I think it's excellently executed. And what a lovely bright space.

so many great acessories. I love the dining room table. The mint green couch is cool. I think it's kinds neat you put a dresser in the living room.

Proof that good taste can be done on the cheap. Either you've got it ot you don't, and these girls definitely have got it.

Love the dining area. Great chairs and table.

This place has character and charm to burn! And it's all the more personal and character-filled for skipping the (seemingly mandatory) DWF catalog pieces. Whew! Keep it real ;-)

I love the dinner table. Beautiful.

I love all the collections and pretty things here and there... but I have to wonder, isn't it a pain to dust?? My love of things on display and parade has dwindled (in my home) due to the meticulous nature of dusting it them. But I tend to be a neat freak, so maybe it's just me? S& H, do you guys have that problem?? Even if you do... I hope you ignore it! I love looking at all your things :)

The place is really cheerful and fun. I feel the inhabitants must be full of life. I really loved the "atomic" dinnerware set. And the cat clock.

Great job...i am very impress with house and i want to decorate my house form this decorator.

Cellulite

A breath of fresh air!!!

(Le Lotus Bleu brings back some of the fonder memories of my teens & early 20s - I had mine in my bedroom on my white bookcase and I thought it was just the coolest ... I still do. Herge fostered my lifelong love of graphic art.)

This is really beautiful, so full of character and balanced to look at, I love it.

Fantastic place! Thanks for sharing your inspirations, I'm heading to Etsy right now...

I love love love this house tour.

I have wondered away from AT for quite some time, mostly due to the sameness of the tours ('splashy mid century items' as someone said above describes it perfectly) but also.. reading yet another comment about all the 'dusting' a place must need that has decorative items.... Arrggh!
It is SO offensive. If a person collects items worthy of display, then usually they love them enough to look after them and keep them looking good. Stop applying your own lazy can't-be-bothered-dusting attitude to the rest of us who care about our spaces.

Gosh I love it.

Thanks for the sweet and thoughtful comments, AT readers! H and I were a little nervous about this part, but everyone has been very kind! I really appreciate all of the comments on the 'as-is' nature of our decorating style. A lot of the furniture we found has a funny story attached to it, and the pieces of art are mostly all originals -- straight from the etsy artists we love. We're both enamored with our space, and like to fill it with things we adore.
Dusting hasn't really been a problem for us. A quick zip around with a duster once in a while seems to do the trick. Plus having an AT photographer coming to take snaps of your place is a good incentive to straighten things up!
This has been a fun experience.

There is so much about this apartment I love, that I can hardly stand it. And it is not my style at all. Or at least not what my style used to be. I may be heading in this direction after just buying a bright orange vintage sectional though.

My problem is, I am not quite sure how to go from here (much more minimalist) to there (or almost there) with some quirkiness. We literally had an amazing Harvey Probber coffee table (a la CL) in our living room and absolutely nothing else for nearly a year. Then along came the orange sectional. But finding every perfect piece to actually fill the room is going to take forever!

Anyway. I'm jealous. Love it. It feels like a smile.

love it.. refreshing to see after one too many minimalist lofts devoid of any human presence.

Very nice!

On the window openings in the bedrooms--could you get plate glass to fit into them? Or would that be too pricey for your budget? It would cut down on the sound but still let light in.

Love your vintage kitchen accessories! I have the same Hamilton Beach mixer, passed down from my grandfather. Also love that you've done all your decorating from thrift stores and free finds, etc. I get so sick of seeing perfectly decorated expensive houses on a place called "Apartment" Therapy. Kudos!

Oh my gosh, Sarah & Hillary your place is stunning! I really love the way that your personal items and decor work with the industrial and absolutely gorgeous living space. I'm dead jealous, it looks increcible.

And, I heartily agree with those who point out how warm and non-minimalist your styles are. I love that! I see uber clean spaces and admire them from afar, but cannot seem to fall in love, the way that I do with beautifully and expressively appointed places like yours. And, thank you so much for featuring my posters so prominently in your love home. I'm flattered beyond words.

Congratulations!

What an amazing space. Beautiful bones, incredible windows. What you have done with it is delightful and inspiring. I love the living room, which is so funny because if I had that red sofa I'd be selling or donating it, but it works in your unique and fun collection. How great is it having a roommate who shares your good taste? Rare and wonderful indeed.

elevating Pawtucket!
Fun space.
Sarah R., I feel this post better reflects some of the vibe & energy of our area than some of the previous ones.
Thanks for finding them & giving us a tour!

Fabulous! This is the kind of look that I strive to get in my own home, but of course I don't have nearly as lovely a structure to work with as you do. Love all the vintage items! Your home is very inspiring. By the way, my favorite elements are the cat clock and the geese print in the dining room!

Very Cute!
It has a very cheerful feeling!

Can you provide paint colors in main room kitchen/living room/dining room. They look great with brick wall.
Thx
K

I was looking around my loft apartment and thinking I just have too many things - but I have a hard time thinking of getting rid of much, since it means so much to me! Thanks to this post, maybe I can make it work, and not be apologetic about it! And I'll finish my postcard collection display I've been wanting to finish...

Thanks ladies, very nicely done!

This is wonderful. The undressed windows really make it. You left enough undecorated space to keep it from being too busy. Great home!

Wow! My parents have that exact same canvas that you have in your dinning room!

Exposed brick gets me every time!

I thought the knives would be out on this one. It's the home I lived in right after college. I've been in so many places like this, except that they were small NYC apts. THe mix between expensive real estate and whats in it is perplexing.

those chrome and sheepskin chairs truly are something to proud of. if i had even an ounce of talent and/or ambition i would make ones like them tomorrow.

where did you get that clothing rack and how much did it cost? had to put my king size bed inside the closet since that's the only wall it would fit in, now i have piles of clothing on my floor.

I LOVE MID CENTURY FURNITURE!!!! Especially that dining set. Oh goodness. And that brown leather chair. This is exactly my style, except I would have chose more robust and vivid colors vs. these pastel ones. But overall, FANTASTIC style.

i would have appreciated more layout photos and fewer collection close ups. i like to see how colorful maximalists, like myself, design flow. ah well...maybe next time.

Thanks again everyone for your comments. The apartment is an ongoing work in progress for both of us. I'm actually in the middle of painting the mirror that is perched on the living room bureau an "orange slice" color! Sarah Rainwater did a fab job of taking snaps that reflect the personality of our place. We couldn't be more psyched, and I'm really enjoying reading your thoughts.
A few responses:
Cosmotosis -- I too love vibrant colors and am slowly collecting and making bright adornments, such as throw pillows, to spice things up.
Loca -- the clothing rack cost $60 from a place called Business Surplus in Providence, RI. http://www.bsiri.com/ It is the kind that you find in clothing stores and is solid as a rock. I bought mine two years ago, so not sure of the price today.
HurricaneKate -- I don't know the name of the paint color on our walls, but I've left a message with our property manager to get back to me with it. I'll keep you posted. It is a great neutral color, though I think it's painted on quite thin as it's super easy to leave marks just by brushing against the walls.
Asinner -- your orange sectional sounds fabulous, now I'm the jealous one! Just keep adding the things that you love and you can't go wrong. Since these pics were taken I've moved stuff around again -- it's a constantly changing canvas. Your quote that our apartment feels like a smile is our favorite, so thank you for making our day!
Spanky -- we have considered putting some fun glass in there -- we just have to come across a good deal, to stick with our under $100 policy! Thanks for the suggestion :)
Ssmith -- your parents must be pretty cool! I found this at the Salvation Army for $25. It is from the 1970's.
Criv227 -- I'd love to see your postcard collection. I've been thinking of doing something similar with postcards hung on vintage clothing (pants) hangers.
For those of you who love the dining table and chairs as much as we do, it came from a delightful fisherman in Narragansett. He posted it on craigslist a few years ago, it had been in storage for 40 years and is in perfect condition! We just got lucky.
Happy Labor Day and happy homes to you all.
xo,
S

although nothing really matches...it seems like a great space

So beautiful. Who needs things to match? It's lots of fun. I wish I had the energy to thrift and find like you ladies.

Emily

Looks very cool ladies!! I believe I see pieces of "paws", the PawSox mascot, throughout=)