apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time


East #38: Sarah's 783 in Cambridge

Oh, no, we're not done yet.....

Name: Sarah
Location: Cambridge, MA
Size: 783
Rent/Own: Own

What is the advantage of SMALL? The best part of living in a small apartment is that it forces you to edit your belongings down to those things that you really love and use all the time...

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What's your favorite resource for your home?

kea is always great for the basics but we've gotten a lot of favorite things from my family. I like to mix old pieces with new, modern things and I love when objects have a story.

What is your one favorite element in your small, cool home?

I love the rounded bay window wall in the bedroom. It's a lovely place to wake up every morning whether its sunny or snowing.

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Comments (48)

the lilac and teak? chair is off the hook!!

posted by orangered on 2008-04-25 23:56:41
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Nice merge of traditional lines and clean modern silhouettes. Also, can you tell me which paint color you used in the shot with the drop-leaf table and lilac chair? I crave it!

posted by Lisa S. on 2008-04-26 00:03:10
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I love everything about this apartment except one thing. Lose the orange rocker in the living room, and you've got perfection.

posted by nazrd on 2008-04-26 00:07:26
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your place is beautiful. It looks very homey and cozy.

posted by desertflower on 2008-04-26 00:16:15
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Agree... homey, cozy, yet uncluttered and modern. Seems comfortable and clean. Warm with individual choices in furniture.

posted by lolax on 2008-04-26 00:54:39
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Somethng interesting is going on here....

posted by Alana in Canada on 2008-04-26 01:05:06
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yeah..i have to say i love this place too! really nice :) A ..and i think the orange rocker adds a little SOMETHING cool to this place...KEEP IT! and besides...umm IT'S YOUR PLACE! LOL

posted by luuve on 2008-04-26 08:37:56
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Gorgeous! I love the Marimekko cafe curtains! And the selective pops of bright color are great.

posted by farmhousemoderne on 2008-04-26 08:59:08
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Really nice, what is that paint color? I love it too!

posted by oona24 on 2008-04-26 09:34:20
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That orange rocker gives your whole wonderful apartment a jolt of visual surprise that makes me happy I saw it.

posted by Kate (NC) on 2008-04-26 09:59:22
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this isn't really doing it for me except for the awesome vinyl chair (amazing little thing). so i'm suprised at all the super cools. the place looks pretty ordinary to me though perfectly fine. it feels uninspired and not well designed/decorated or creative. like the things on the table next to the chair - they seem more appropriate for a suburban soccer mom's home. are all these entries starting to look alike with their expedit shelves and west elm items? i think you could do better with your 800 sq ft.

posted by bmorebent on 2008-04-26 10:18:22
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Love the cafe curtains! Very beautiful. You did a wonderful job, this is a place I would love to call home.

posted by suzy8track on 2008-04-26 11:52:03
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Nice photos, lovely home!

posted by oakland on 2008-04-26 12:35:28
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I absolutely love your apartment. Can you tell me where you got that wonderful brown and white rug in the living room? Absolutely beautiful.

posted by kristenatcal on 2008-04-26 13:14:00
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Lose the orange rocker?? No way! Without the fun modern jolts, you'd just have neutrals everywhere. This is way more fun.

posted by Lisa Hunter (Montreal) on 2008-04-26 13:24:57
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i too vote for the orange rocker :-)

posted by aad on 2008-04-26 13:41:10
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Love it. Well accomplished.

posted by martita on 2008-04-26 14:15:54
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I like the color of the walls. Could you tell me what color that is?

posted by importer on 2008-04-26 14:22:00
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lovely! this is one of my favorites!

posted by erinpearce on 2008-04-26 14:33:06
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This place really appeals to me. And I just stole your idea of diplaying the Zeisel teapot next to the creamer, etc in your kitchen! Looks good in mine too. ;)

I love the photo of your kitchen with the light and air coming through your wonderful curtains.

Really nice job.

posted by mollyk on 2008-04-26 14:33:27
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The danish modern chair next to the maple drop leaf table is a nice contrast.

I like places like this. It's small but not too small.

Good luck.

Weasel Dearest is Mr. Dangerous

posted by Weasel Dearest on 2008-04-26 15:06:37
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I want to move in! What a great, comfortable and stylish without looking sterile place! <3

posted by La Loca on 2008-04-26 16:17:09
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Wow, I LOVE your place!

And whatever you do, do NOT lose the orange rocker!!!

posted by Birdy on 2008-04-26 16:29:22
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Hi! Sarah here. Thanks everyone for the nice comments! I'm happy there's so much orange rocker support because I made it in school (it's got some sentimental value)!

Sadly I can't tell anyone the exact paint color here because we were lucky enough to move into this place with that color on the walls already. I love it too so when it comes time to touch up or repaint I'll have to take a chip off the wall and have them match it!

kristenatcal, the rug is from West Elm.

posted by Sarah122 on 2008-04-26 16:41:16
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Wow, I was going to say that the orange chair was cool but now that you said you made it, it is really super cool.

I loved it all!

posted by Emmm on 2008-04-26 17:55:35
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where did you get your couch? looks like it could be room and board...

posted by lieschenmueller on 2008-04-26 17:57:29
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I think this is my favourite so far because it is exactly what I would like to accomplish in my place, which has neutral colours like yours but is lacking the pops of colour and the overall serene feeling. I'll be saving your pics for inspiration . . . Sarah I would love to know where you got your dining chairs and if you had them reupholstered, and also where you got the rug in your bedroom.
Great looking place!

posted by azaleasmoke on 2008-04-26 21:13:14
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Hi lieschenmueller, The sofa is the Petrie sofa from Crate and Barrel.

Azaleasmoke, thanks! The dining chairs are form Ikea (Roger chair) and I did reupholster them. I got the fabric from reprodepot.com. The bedroom rug is also from Ikea but I got it several years ago (2001 I think).

posted by Sarah122 on 2008-04-26 21:40:47
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I love the orange chair! Can you please tell me where you got your dining table and also the bedroom curtains? Thanks Sarah.

posted by kimm on 2008-04-26 23:26:34
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Beautiful apartment! The paint colors are great. Saving this entry for ideas.

posted by smalltowner on 2008-04-27 07:29:01
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I want my home to look like this!

posted by heatherosej on 2008-04-27 09:19:35
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Love everything except the dining room, but that's probably just the angle of the photo. Fantastic space, and the bedroom is gorgeous.

posted by meg_ues on 2008-04-27 11:15:45
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Great place! The modern chair next to the antique drop leaf table is fresh, and it works. I love the kitchen! I like the way everything is organized and displayed. I like the layout. The last picture of the bedroom (cozy) with the owner (?) on the bed reading a book pretty much sums up the feeling of the home.

posted by junklover on 2008-04-27 13:41:33
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I love the whole thing, but especially the bedroom curtains and MOST especially that blue chair. I want it so bad! Where did you get it?

posted by kuroneko on 2008-04-27 20:32:28
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Kimm, the dining table (Bjursta table) and the bedroom curtains are both from Ikea.

Kuroneko, the blue chair was made by Thonet, although I don't know what year, and was a lucky find in a vintage store in Providence, RI.

posted by Sarah122 on 2008-04-27 21:46:01
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I really hope that vinyl upholstery on that chair REALLY is that shade of periwinkle blue, because I love it.

I'm also wild about the lighting in the kitchen, AND I love how the pattern on that bed spread has these dot things that echo the bead-like bits on the chair to our left in there. That's just a fantastic little touch that ties that traditional chair in with that modern pattern. It's a very, very satisfying look.

Good job! I think this is Super Cool.

posted by Curtis on 2008-04-28 00:42:29
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Thanks Sarah.

posted by kimm on 2008-04-28 01:23:59
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I LOVE this place. At first I didn't care for the rocker, but now knowing that YOU MADE IT, makes all the difference. You did a GREAT JOB. Kudos to you!!

posted by Sleek on 2008-04-28 09:04:30
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Love the lilac chair! And good job of designing around two bay windows.

posted by Melinda on 2008-04-28 10:15:30
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I like this apartment a lot, probably because it reminds me so much of my own! I have so many of the exact same things (sofa, lamp, bedspread...) but I am definitely going to steal some of your other ideas!

Which bed is that? It's hard to tell from the lighting, but it also looks a lot like my bed (C&B "Loop").

posted by cat on 2008-04-28 11:13:24
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Hometown Holla! I love this because Sara has worked with the often crazy floorplans that happen in Cambridge. Also - a nice mix of tradish and mod.

The one thing (besides the rocker) that jumps out at me is the drop leaf table. I think natural wood is one of the overlooked beauties of the world - with so many veneers and wood patterned things its easy to overlook a beautiful slab of wood like that.

posted by Modfan on 2008-04-28 12:47:49
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So nice. Love it.

posted by kellylj on 2008-04-28 15:02:25
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Love your place! Where did you get that step ladder in the kitchen?

posted by spottieottie on 2008-04-28 16:59:34
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Hi Spottieottie, the step stool came from target a few years ago and I reupholstered it in a coated Marimekko fabric.

posted by Sarah122 on 2008-04-28 21:32:45
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The orange rocker "rocks"!!! It adds an element of unexpected surprise, and is what puts the room in the "super cool" category. Without it, the room wouldn't be a interesting. Love the mix of old, new, and the unexpected.

posted by misohungry on 2008-04-28 22:59:05
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I think this place is absolutely gorgeous! It feels like home (a very hip, calm, well-designed home). Did I see the orange rocker on display at the Milan furniture fair a few years ago? It looks a lot like one that I've always remembered.

I also just have to say that bmorebent doesn't know what he/she is talking about. There is nothing suburban or soccer mom-y about this beautiful place. (and if you look at bmorebent's profile, it's full of other nasty, undeserved comments). Lighten up, buddy!

posted by kclo on 2008-05-05 02:59:33
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I love you for loving Eva Zeisel!

Really nice way of pulling the traditional elements (wood, porcelains, etc) with fun colors and shapes.

(after loving this site for literally years, this is my first post ever... hope you bask in the honor :)

posted by YakkoDot on 2008-05-07 11:16:55
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love the pops of color!

posted by 335ktt on 2008-05-19 15:30:08
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