Name: James
Location: Jersey City, NJ
Size: 660 sq ft one bedroom
Years Lived in: 2.5 years
This week's tour comes to us remotely. James is proud of all he has carved out of his Jersey City apartment and wanted to share.
So he got in touch and sent me these shots of his home. He has a lot to be excited about...
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James has put together a very personal home on a very limited budget. The pieces come together as a result of patience, a willingness to search, and the ability to DIY to the extent needed. Inside Out is most impressed with James' DIY grasscloth installation on his bedroom wall!
Renovating, redecorating, rethinking a home is "in his blood" as James says. Growing up, his parents were always changing a room or two, and would ask for James' thoughts and input along the way. From them, he learned to take a traditional approach but add a surprise here and there--a bold color or an unusual texture and to enjoy it! Never regret.
AT Survey:
Style: I always used to say my style was eccentric--boozy Grandmother moves in with Andy Warhol.
Inspiration: My collection of 1970's Better Homes and Gardens I used to tear through as a kid (in vinyl binders!), more currently Thom Filicia and Jonathan Adler
Favorite Element: right now it's my "Tomato" leather "Theatre" Sofa from DWR... before you get excited, I got it from the OUTLET in Secaucus, NJ which is the SINGLE BEST resource for values in the entire area.
Biggest Challenge:painting 10 ft ceilings myself, working around granite and cabinets I wouldnt have picked (kitchen was done 3 years before I moved in)
What Friends Say: "I cant believe this is in Jersey City!" (hello, it's only 10 minutes to the West Village); "Where did you FIND all this stuff?" "I never thought this would work together, but somehow it does."
Biggest Embarrassment:That star over the bed is completely overplayed and borderline "countrified" but I love it.
Proudest DIY: All of it.... this apt really is my pride and joy .
Biggest Indulgence: It's the sofa, but I have to say it was reduced to $1200 from $3600, so it's not even that crazy a spend. I don't think anything in the house was more than a few hundred bucks.
Best Advice: When you see something you like, BUY it. It's NEVER there when you go back. And trust your taste.... 95% of the time you're right.
Dream Source: garage sales, flea markets, anyone's parents house, DWR (when I can swing it), HomeGoods (Dont laugh! It's worth seeking out. It's Marshalls/TJMaxx's "all home" division.)
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
Finally, a nod to HomeGoods! While maybe not good for furniture, it's a great resource for candles, frames, knick-knacks, etc.
I also recommend Gordman's, which may be a Mid-Western thing.
view mplsjacob's profile
What color paint is that gray?
view Jess2nola's profile
homegoods also has lots of great cookware.
view elizabeth in AL's profile
Which gray? The bedroom is Ralph Lauren "Manor Gray". The Living Room dark gray is some Behr color that I really can't remember right now... it's considerably darker in 'real life' than the poor photos I took! *sorry kids*
view matchjames's profile
Great place...so many fabulous details. My favorte--I LOOOOOVE that secretary! I have seen so many of those that have not aged well. If I see one again, I may have to do a riff on that!
view Christine (the one in DC)'s profile
HomeGoods is the best! I love that place! I got my 2 chairs from there for a great price and I LOVE them! I also get all of my decorative accessories, kitchen goods and linens from there! Great place to shop!!
view BklynTee's profile
I absolutely love that bedroom, including the star.
view silvarga's profile
Surprised to find so many HomeGoods fans here, although based on what James has found and what he's carefully collected from their shelves, I can perhaps understand why.
LOVE the color of the sofa against the wall color.
view patrick (the other one)'s profile
Fantastic job James! I wish I had some design sense. That place has much depth and chracter.
view nolastudent's profile
I absolutely love/hate the mustard ottoman, who would've thought it would work so well with the sleek orange/red sofa and the grey wall.
I love pieces like that, when you first see them you go "urgh", but you are somehow drawn to them.
view Sparklehorse's profile
Wonderful. Where does one get the sense that one can hang both black and white curtains in the same room (unless they're not, of course.) This is wonderful. I could have looked at more pics, quite happliy.
view Alana in Canada's profile
interesting mixture. suburbia has never been so sleazy.
i got a nice candlestick at homegoods once.
view godsfool's profile
thanks for all the kind words folks.... much appreciated. PS- the bedroom IS a separate room, and Jersey City is right on the Hudson across from Manhattan... it AINT suburbia! :)
view matchjames's profile
Great choices in wall colors
view Francesca's profile
Great space! You managed to create a warm, inviting, yet sophisticated space - well done!
view GeminiGuy's profile
LOVE that orange sofa!!
view Kathryn's profile
tres chic!
view chris_94131's profile
sorry - i didn't mean it WAS IN suburbia, just that it looked suburban.
view godsfool's profile
no apologies needed! It DOES kind of look suburban... but in a crazy-lady kind of way... that's what I like about it.
view matchjames's profile
Nice job, matchjames. 1 on the DWR Annex. If you like Homegoods, there's also The Great Indoors in Woodbridge.
Linking this on wiredjc.com's architecture and home desgin thread.
view MCA's profile