apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Your apartment is a breath of fresh air. It has amazing charisma without being pretentious at all.

The photo of your grandmother is amazing. I wish I had something like that! (My grandma used to dance, too!)

I love it, great personal style! I really like all the framed photos, and the moroccan/middle eastern influences. Pink and orange are my accents in the living room too, though my sofa doesn not hold quite that many cushions.

This is such a cute apartment I agree with bluemamie it does have charisma. I adore all the textiles mixed together. Cute pup too.

One question the lamps in the entry way. do the lamp shades have a stripe or is that the lamp shade seam hard to tell by the picture. If seams they should always be facing the back.

Your apartment is lovely but it is your dog that steals the show !

I like it, but I feel like you need to pare down on some stuff. I would ditch the second console table with the 2 lamps in front of the window (it looks kind of silly to do that twice in such a small space) and replace it with a seating area. Also, while its nice you have so many photographs, you might consider framing them a little more thoughtfully. It doesn't do them justice to exist in cheap black frames that all look alike. What I love about this though is the bedroom (very cozy) and that adorable suzani pouf/ottoman.

Love it!

rimesq--

I think that's the radiator.

The second post recently where there is a LOT of stuff, but because it's vintage-y/thrifty, no one seems to mind. Not a criticism, just an observation.

But, I find it a bit at odds with the "don't overspend" advice. While I think you mean, "Don't overspend on any one thing," when you add up all the smaller purchases, the net result may be the same...

Shoot -- I was kinda hoping to see photos focusing on these temporary walls. I've got a large studio, and I am interested in how this was done, because I would love to have a 'bedroom'.

Love your home! Lovely colors with some Moroccan flair thrown in. Also, that photo of your grandmother is incredible.

Wow - what a great apartment. It has such character and (I think) reflects your personality. I love the use of textiles and the layering of colors and pattern, something that can be very tricky to do well in a small apartment. Also, the temporary walls are just genius. I can see where this apartment might be too much "stuff" for the average AT reader who likes spare and modern and Swedish interiors, but I like that this place is different. A breath of fresh air. Thanks for sharing.

I love the cozy feel and personality of your home, thanks for sharing. Great use of the textiles you've collected on your travels. The ottoman is gorgeous, and so is your hand painted wallpaper piece.

Just lovely.

I feel like this is almost exactly what my apartment would look like if I lived alone! I too am a big fan of family mementos, all things vintage, etc. My boyfriend keeps me in check, though, so my own space has much less "stuff." But our styles are very similar. I have to say, though, I am glad that my boyfriend is here though because I do need to be reminded not to go overboard and to keep it a bit more pared down. You have many beautiful things, and your creativity is inspiring (like the DIY dresser and beautiful painted wallpaper sample!). Your bedroom, however, is my favorite room, perhaps because it does stay a bit simpler and there is more of a focus. Nice job!

ha, thats what i get for looking at this on my phone!

rimesq--

Hilarious!

Lauren--

Looking again, I really love your color sense... love the olive-y/sage with the coral-y reds. It has to be lovely in there at night!

Were Domino still on the stands, no doubt we'd see you there too!

Lauren- I love this... I am so impressed that you've only lived here less than a year. You are truly a curator of beautiful things and have an incredible sense of style and proportion. I love the entry way- it is really perfect, and with a small apartment in NYC you are lucky to have one and to be able to take advantage of that space.

Is that mirror in the living room area, over the console table, a mosaic mirror? Can you post the source of that... i'd love to see it closer up. I make mosaic mirrors and I'm always interested in seeing what other artists are doing.

www.mydesigndreams.com

love your apt. im currently living in a SMALL 160 sq ft studio in midtown and want to move up to the UWS and live in something the size of yours!

Lauren, I can totally relate to your taste..I too collect things from places I travel to but nothing that's too souvenir-like.

Lovely apartment :)

Love it!

It's not my taste, but I am really struck by the consistency of your vision. I love the bookcases by the bed, can you tell me where you got those. Also love the vases in your bathroom.

How is an 800 sq ft apartment a studio? Because there are no interior walls? Does that make 2000 sq ft lofts studios?

And this isn't even a West Coast post, where they routine call things "tiny" which aren't even small in NY.

Ooooh, a little Danish, a little ethnic, a little Regency...I think I'm in love. This is the best kind of design to me.
http://modernhaus.blogspot.com/2010/03/all-you-can-print-free-art-buffet.html

My favorite part of your apartment is how you manage to have a lot of furniture- a console, 4 chairs, piana- yet it still looks contained and neat. That is a good thing in any space. Nice!

This is fab. I also love how the use of two matching etageres bedside replaces side tables but is still very good feng shui because they are matching and they are balanced out by the higher artwork in the center. Great job!

absolutely charming

My stupid connection is acting up and I can't get the house tour to load....but the pics I've seen here are FAB! I love it! Don't listen to anyone telling you to pare down - it's your place, and you are the one who lives with what you love. I love it too! What I've seen of it so far, anyway, here on AT. My first place never looked a quarter so good!

And I totally am in agreement on not spending lots of money on decorative items. I am a fan of making swift tours of thrift stores on my lunch break....

Two things I like about this place:

1. The use of one shade of red (bright fire engine) and multiple shades of opaque green gives real depth to the scheme.

2. The apartment is crammed to the ceiling with florals, but because they're stylised motifs rather than realistic depictions it feels as if a woman lives there rather than a girly-girl princess.

One thing I don't like:

1. The decoupaged chest of drawers. It's an interesting peice with a textured paint job - that's enough. The decoupage is too much.

what's with all the nfl stuff above?

Love this apartment.
Looks like it is crammed with stuff but also does not look oppressive or squashy- how do you do that?
Well done.

color scheme, pieces, your fab DYIs, GREAT attention to detail...jealous and loving it very much. hat is off to you.

How much time did it take to get a building permit for these 'temporary' walls?

Love the green lamps, the carved dresser by the tv, your shower curtain and your overall sense of colour. I think the pictures above the couch need to be hung closer together to create more of a coheseive grouping, besides that, great job! (Do you get free shoes as a perk? :)

This place is absolutely...sprightly. Not adorable, as that would imply too "little girly" and not be indicative of the obviously thought out use of color and pattern. But delightfully bright, cheerful and interesting. I love how the green lamps on the console table echo the rug below. The patterns—especially the one on the reupholstered chairs—are fanciful without being cloying (although I might lose a couch pillow or two) and I love the serenity of the bedroom. That floor is beyond amazing. And wow, Grammy was something, too!

Oh and your wallpaper design is gorgeous!

800 sq ft. in new york. That is a mansion not a studio!

Incredible. I would kill for that bedroom! When can I move in? ;)
Really though, very inspiring apartment. I'll be stealing a lot of these ideas in my new place.

I totally love your home! It is just gorgeous. Love the green and white lamps and rug. I just love everything.

Absolutely gorgeous apartment, made me excited!!! :)

Lovely home!! feels so cozy. I looooove the bedroom!!! This is one of the loveliest bedroom I've every seen! And She did a great job on the light mint green chair in the hallway dining area!! I think her idea of not spending too much on home decor is great.

I love the sense of history here. It looks like a much older person's apartment--in a good way.

I dig it, it's not too feminine, but feels very comfortable and put together.

Definitely a place I could live in. But seriously, the couch pillows??? Don't you just have to remove many of them when you want to sit down anyway, or are they just for show?

I think this is a wonderful and rich apartment and I really enjoyed this house tour. However, I do think that the advice about decorating on a budget feels like it fits better for someone who has a shabby chic decorating style. My own style tends more toward MCM and clean open lines, so things like donated chairs from my parents' neighbors are only useful in so far as they happen to want to give me some danish modern leftovers. I find myself collecting very very slowly and editing frequently. I still decorate on a budget, but with a small apartment (by some standards) and my particular aesthetic, I do feel constrained by trying to make sure that each visible item is exactly the right thing. While this apartment certainly isn't my style, I love the freedom in inherent in adding one thing on top of another and making it fit by virtue of the whole.

Jesikka, this may or may not be helpful, because you probably already know about this, but: I tend towards MCM as well, and make it a point to frequent 2-3 estate sales every weekend. That's where I've gotten some of my most interesting-but-inexpensive pieces at bargain prices. Estate sales tend to be a more MCM friendly version of Home Goods or antique stores.

Could you explain how you transformed it to a one-bedroom?

Jessika and MarianneT: Interesting topic there, how to achieve a collected look when your preferences are clean and modern. I'm in the same boat and I agree, I have found most of my goods at estate sales (and antiques stores when the dealers beat me to it!). I found myself thinking the same thing as I looked at this tour. I love how Lauren has masterfully created the look of a place that's been lived in and loved for years, but I think she achieved it with all the stuff. I like it in this space, but it isn't my style. I think it just takes longer to accomplish when you want a more pared-down look where every piece has to have major visual (and functional) value.

What a beautiful style you have. I love your flat. The most precious item to me (and probably you) is your fathers baby dresser, seriously sweet and original to use.
Thanks for the tour!
elise

While there are many elements of this home that I like,
there are also many that I'm not fond of.
The use of color, pattern and texture are wonderful....
but with sooo much furniture and "stuff"...it feels cluttered to me....a bit too much.
My biggest question is how do you reach the microwave?

The bed looks so sumptuous like you just want to jump in and snuggle all day long...yumm! Beautiful home. Thanks for sharing. Oh and where did you buy your shower curtain. Love it!

This home has a delightful, highly personal style.

I have to agree, though, that I've never heard of an 800 sq ft studio on Manhattan. Usually a place that size is a one- or even two-bedroom.

Congrats on having such a great place!

What a beautiful home, love it! Thanks for sharing it!:-)

Love your style! I found it totally inspiring.

That is the most gigantic NYC studio I have ever seen. Well done on such a great find (though I don't even want to know what your rent must be). Your bedroom is absolutely gorgeous. The thing that makes me most jealous is that its sound-proofed - amazing! I have to listen to my upstairs neighbour walking around in her high heels at 2am, even though I have repeatedly asked her not to, and my downstairs neighbour starts playing his techno music at 7am. What I would do for thicker floors/ceilings/walls. Sigh.

Great job on the chairs! Also - love, love, love the green vases/bowls on your bathroom shelf.

I love your apartment too, and thank you for the explanatory notes on each room above the photo. I wish everyone would do that. :)

please tell me where you got the ottoman in the living room. Please?

I LOVE IT!

Not my cup of tea. It's difficult to imagine a young person having furnished this pad.

Yes, as a former New Yorker with a one bedroom brownstone walk-up, I'm also interested in the "temporary" one bedroom detail. I also miss a more general picture of the livingroom. With that said, I found the apartment delightful from entrance to bath. I'm enthralled with the fabric on the living room lamps! I'm amazed at all the comments about too much stuff. After the oohs and aahs over apartments that one could barely walk through, I can't believe this apartment feels overfull to so many. It's not meant to be minimalist! It's an apartment with soul and heart. The entrance is especially remarkable - it's usually a challenging space in any small apartment.

Oh Lauren, I feel so comfortable looking through the pictures of your home. I love the Eclectric / Bohemian style as well so I feel like I could move right in and be very happy.
The herringbone design redwood floors are beautiful. You DYI hand on items is very clever and well done. I too enjoy preserving the past by collecting furniture and pieces that are looking for a new home. I really like the vases you setting on your bathroom shelf. Very yummy.
Your textiles are beautiful, your textile designs are wonderful too, and who knew you could rent a wall! I could go on and on. Thanks for sharing.

The bedroom walls don't look temporary to me at all. I see baseboard molding and even french doors! I too would like to know more about the temporary wall situation please...

Cute apartment. I love the green chairs you repainted shabby chic.

I absolutely LOVE your style. And what's cooler than that grandma photo??? Love, love, love.

Lovely, shows a distinctive sensibility. "Crammed" and "Too much stuff" are not part of my vocabulary. There is a light touch and a love of color and pattern which I appreciate. I have a heavy hand and do admire how resourceful the occupant was.

The past, present, and future are in this home; when I see no trace of the past in a home, I wonder whether the owner/renter has had a lobotomy.

I am a Manhattanite, aware of the lack of natural light in most city apartments, as well as limited space, but this apartment is a wonderful solution. As for the complaints, city dwelling is not for you, folks. You need a McMansion. We New Yorkers know how to improvise and solve problems.

Bravo! This is an apartment for living, not showing off.

I'm not a fan of "shabby chic," but--within that aesthetic--you did a very good job of fixing up your apartment! Nice use of textiles.

I am interested in the temporary walls, too. Please, could we have some details, maybe even more photos?

MarianneT and Dwelement: Are you in NYC? How do you hear about and get to estate sales?

Wow. I'm jealous! Oh to have a studio that big. Mine is about 135sq ft...tiny. I love those floors, they're beautiful! Wish I had the moxie to use color like that; I have boring white walls, white cabinets, white curtains.

Thanks for all the feedback! I have lived in this apartment for less than a year and am still getting everything in order. Its tough to live in a smaller apartment when you really need more space to display the things you love. That aside, I am very happy here.
Many of you are interested in the temporary wall solution. The wall behind the couch is "fake" and the entrance to the bedroom with the french doors is as well. There are many companies in manhattan that do this temporary wall work. No permit is needed. I used the New York Wall company http://www.thewallpeople.com/. They were very professional and the job was done in a day.
There are also a few others that were recommended to me...
http://www.manhattanpressurizedwalls.com/
http://www.pressurizedwallcompanies.com/

Pressurized walls are actually quite common in NYC right now. The prices aren't bad and they are a great way to change the space.

Since the very first post laughs at the homeowner's comment about not overspending on accessories, I am, of course, dying to join in and ridicule her about it. But alas, what can I say? All the accessories at my place are Ebay finds and vacation souvenirs. So bravo. Good advice.

I'm amazed that she put down "space" as her biggest challenge, when she had 800sqft to play in! Well, she does have a lot of stuff, but 800sqft for a single person is pretty decent, but especially for NYC.

Not a fan of shabby chic myself, but the textiles are still all quite nice.

I'm kind of mixed about this. I love the colours, and certainly details like the dresser by the entryway. I love the photographs, and the bedroom. I like the shabby chic aesthetic. Having said that, seems like it could do with some editing, specifically with the photos, pillows & chairs.

I agree with some of the above posts. 800 square feet isn't gigantic, but it's not small. Most 1-bedroom apartments (at least the ones I've seen in (Windsor & Toronto, ON and then Northern FL) run between 700 sq feet - 1000 sq feet.

Just to clarify...It seems that everyone is reading into the "do not overspend on accessories" comment the wrong way.
What I meant by that comment is that there isnt a single item in my apartment from accessories to furniture that I spent over $1000 on. Many of the furniture pieces are hand-me-downs or second hand, the bookshelf is from IKEA the rugs were either free or under $300. I personally cant justify spending thousands of dollars on furniture when you can make something, a little less expensive or second hand look just as good.
I in no way have a modern aesthetic and there is nothing I dislike more than a place that feels cold and like no one lives there. Clean lines are not for me. I like to feel at home when I'm at home...Not like im living in a museum. That's just how I feel.

Also...As far as the pillows go...They are usually piled in the far corner to mimic a moroccan pillow nook.
As many of you may know, pillows are an essential part of moroccan design...I wanted to try to keep that aesthetic when I put my apartment together.
http://images.jubella.com/december-08-jubella-morocco2.jpg

The suzani ottoman is from http://www.zengaragemk.com/

argh! once again, no floor plan!

a lot of people are writing in about the studio designation. they should note that the wall must be temporary and the unit must be a studio because it is hazardous, therefore ILLEGAL, to inhabit a room without a window of minimum dimensions (basically, big enough for someone 6' tall to go through) to the outside (french doors do not count). each room also must be a minimum of 8' * 10'. it would be closer to Code to divide the room so that each part had window (argh! once again, no floor plan!). after DOB does its inspections & fines & the wall gets removed, however, it still will be a great studio on a nice block.

the microwave over the 'frig also is of concern, as lifting down hot material may send the occupant to the hospital.

the decor is nice enough, but one has to question featuring a unit with multiple safety hazards.

Just beautiful, the bedroom is striking.

Lauren,

As someone who is just starting her first New York solo apartment- my hat is most certainly off to you! I cannot believe you've been there less than a year! I am always redoing and redesigning my space (and honestly STILL have one last box to unpack after months). You do have lots of pretty things (so I can see why some might feel a little cluttered), but I think you used them very well!

I love your green lamps and rug (I'll check back, but incase you didn't already say- where are they from?). Your wall paper design is divine! I'd definitely frame that or wallpaper my place with it!

Also, great use of hanging space in the kitchen. Where did you get that cool hanger line for the mugs (I am in desperate need of a creative mug place).

Thanks for sharing! Very inspirational!!
Emma

This isn't my style but it is a nicely decorated home. I reccomend clearing some counter space in the kitchen..looks a bit cluttered. Also, maybe declutter the living room as well.Overall, you have a great apt.

Oh this is just lovely! Bravo, Lauren :)

I agree with your not overspending advice. Patrick does have a point that overall you may be spending the same amount as if you bought fewer, more expensive items, but I think what Patrick (and some others) may be forgetting is that in order to do that you have to have that chunk of money to begin with. It is easier for most people on a budget to put down $20 here and there than to make a bigger purchase. There are only several things in my apartment that I've spent over $200 on, and none were accessories - all of my accessories were ebay/antique store finds or pieces from my family.

To the comment about it being hard to imagine a young person decorating like this, my room in high school was very similar to this. I stuffed it with antiques (I would ask for them for my birthday or save my allowance money to buy them). I scoured my grandparent's living room, antique stores, I would drag home things from the curb, etc.... I was obsessed with anything and everything vintage and antique. I wanted to live in the '20s. I even had the same "This Fabulous Century" books that are on top of Lauren's piano. Some people like old things. You don't have to be an old person to like old things, it's just a different aesthetic. :) What I dislike is the prevalence of Ikea and plastic furniture in most of the apartments of people my age that I know.

This is in response to "amisdotir", who doesn't seem to get that the walls put up are temporary and the bedroom has a huge french door going into it. Many buildings in NYC allow pressure walls to divide the space -you just have to make sure your building is one of them. As for the microwave on the frig--maybe she's tall or like me only uses it for popcorn. The apartment is absolutely fabulous!! This young lady should be on HGTV with a show for young people and their space--she really gets it!!!

This is for Jesikka-- I am into MCM also and you can find alot of great buys on Ebay, the resale shops all over NYC there are a few on Third Ave in the 80's and one on Columbus in the 70's that I check out once a week.

I love most of the things in this house however, putting it all together and hoping that it works, is wrong . The entrance and the green lampshades are great i can even agree that the chairs and the mirror in the entrance though they introduce another pattern and colours they are still fine together. The large blue vase in the corner does not fit with the green and the green chairs despite of the fact that the mirror and the apholstry of the chairs have blue in them this blue is not good and also the carpet in the living room is fine but the rest needs to be subdued all the colourful pillows are completely out of place and the wooden chest those really do not combine and feel out of place. You start off right, matching colours and patterns but you go all wrong in the living room. you obviously like flowers which is great and in some places you even manage to create a certain feel, but you ruin it with too many different patterns and colours the eastern
decoration pieces are nice but do not go so well with this carpet which is very beautiful and dominant and should be the main attraction .

This seems much smaller than 800 square feet, though hard to judge without a floor plan. I live in a small 2 bedroom, which I know to be 630 sq ft (it's zoned as a condo, and has been assessed by the city) and it looks larger than this.

That said, great job decorating and creating an awesomely cohesive space in such a short period of time! We've been in our place for over 6 months now and it still isn't even close to "done".