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Name: Rebecca
Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Size: 553 square feet studio
Years lived in: 10 months

This is Rebecca's first solo apartment after living with a string of roommates. It is also her first time attempting to design a home. But, because she is efficient, driven, and pragmatic, she studied up, learned the ropes, and jumped right in.

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Rebecca read all she could find, researched online and off, and realized that she could put together a home inspired by her new couches — clean lines with a bit of mid-century flair. Once she had a style roadmap, Rebecca was empowered, moving boldly into new territory.

The result is a striking pallette of color, some great flea market and excavated craigslist finds, some well researched new stuff, and IKEA to fill in the gaps. It's simple, accessible, and instantly appealing.

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Apartment Therapy Survey

Style: My style seems to fall in the realm of mid-century... a mix of different styles from that era, a little bit of Hollywood Regency, a little bit of the clean lines of the Danish mid-century modern, and a little bit of the classic colorful floral from the mid-sixties.

Inspiration: The very first items I purchased for this apartment were the couches. I went to Macy's with a good friend who is an interior designer. I fell in love with the clean lines and tufted backs of these couches, which my friend informed me were reminiscent of mid-century modern design. Once I had the couches, I researched what this mid-century modern style was, as I was a complete design virgin. From there, I fell in love with elements of this style, and found that I could express myself within it. I was sold.

Favorite Element: The Expedit Room Divider — it provides not only a separation for the sleeping alcove, but an amazing amount of storage and shelf space. Because the shelves are so deep I'm able to use one side as a book case and the sleeping alcove side as a shelf for bedroom type things that I want to hide, like body lotion, Kleenex, etc. Since I don't have a door to the bedroom, it's important that things can be hidden.

Biggest Challenge: Putting things up on the wall. I will buy a print or piece of art I love and then spend weeks figuring out what to do with it, where to put it, and how to place it. This is something with which I could still use a great deal of improvement.

What Friends Say: My friends are really impressed with what I have done with the apartment — how warm and welcoming it feels even though it is such a small space. Everyone says it feels like a home.

Biggest Embarrassment: My closets, don't open them, stuff will fall on your head.

Proudest DIY: The painted walls. I single-handedly (or shall I say single-brushedly/rollerly) painted every single darn wall in this apartment, save for the gumdrop wall. Prior to moving into this apartment, I had never painted a wall or a shelf in my entire life, so this was a big step. There is a rhyme, reason, story, and tale for each color chosen. I agonized over it all, and am so proud of how it turned out.

Biggest Indulgence: The Herman Miller Eames table in the dining room. It's not the most expensive thing in the apartment, but it was something I just had to have and it was totally not in my budget. I use it all the time and love the way it works, so it was totally worth it.

Best Advice: Don't buy the first thing you see. Bookmark it in your head and do research online. Ebay, Craigslist, and Google similar items. Sometimes with a little bit of research you can find a better resource, a lower price, or realize it's not the right item for you. However, if you can't stop thinking about it, get it!

Dream Source: This is not a real source in that it is not a real store, but I am absolutely in love with the sets of Mad Men (shocking, I'm sure). If the set designers were to open a store that would be my dream source. I mean did you see those red and blue couches at SCDP?!?!? They're amazing!

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Resources:
Entryway

    • Purple Circle Rug: Flor Tiles
    • Hutch: Craigslist
    • Overhead Light: Restoration Hardware
    • Paint: Meditation, Benjamin Moore

Living Room

    • Couches: Macys.com
    • TV stand: Ikea
    • Nesting Tables: Ikea
    • Pillows: Ikea and Pier One
    • Rug: Crate and Barrel
    • Paint: Gumdrop, Benjamin Moore; Meditation, Benjamin Moore
    • Floor Lamp: CB2
    • Side Table and Lamp: Go Green Village Antiques

Dining Room

    • Table: Highbrow Furniture.com
    • Chairs: Ebay
    • Rug: Flor Tiles
    • Sideboard: Ikea
    • Mirror: Ikea
    • Cake stand: Target
    • Candlestick Holders: Ikea
    • Paint: Gumdrop, Benjamin Moore
    • Plates: My mom
    • Cupcakes: By me

Bedroom/Sleeping Alcove

    • Bed: Macys.com
    • Dresser and Lamp Base: Go Green Village Antiques
    • Boxes: Ikea
    • Lampshade: Lamps Plus
    • Headboard: Target.com
    • Sheets/Comforter/Shams: Dwell Studio for Target
    • Frames: Urban Outfitters
    • Rug: Ikea
    • Paint: Back wall — Wadsworth Gray (Regent Metallics), Ralph Lauren Home; Side Walls — Coventry Gray, Benjamin Moore
    • Room Divider: Ikea

Bathroom:

    • Toilet: Toto
    • Fixtures: Grohe and Restoration Hardware
    • Towels, Rug & Shower Curtain: Macys.com
    • 1957, 1958, and 1959 Playboys: Ugly Luggage
    • Frames: thepaperframer.com
    • Clock: CWS Stores
    • Paint: Splish Splash, California Paints

To see details on Rebecca's kitchen, check out Rebecca Bakes Up a New Condo on the theKitchn.com

Images: Jill Slater

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