Beautiful job! I love your artwork and restrained decorating style. Would you please tell me where you purchased your fish tank? Thank you.

i like it even though it reminds me of an ikea showroom display.

I got a showroom vibe, too. And I guess I missed the "sense of humor". It's just so cold and static, and lacking in personal items. Sort of like a furnished (luxury) rental. The fish tank is cool, though. It's hard to find we good looking fish tank.

I wonder how they're liking Brentwood/Brookland. It'll only be a matter of time before Bloomingdale spreads into Eckington which spreads into Brentwood.

The fish tank is the Fluval Edge and I purchased it from wag.com. It is a beautiful tank, and we are currently converting it to saltwater.

We like the neighborhood so far, and yes, it is a only a matter of time before it becomes meshed with Bloomingdale.

I love the space! Very nice. Just limiting with the lack of color and when you see it like the books or a photograph it feels weird.

@fishgrease, @Cowdogs- If you know of an Ikea looking for two part- time showroom decorators, I guess we are your people ;-)

Hey, I didn't say anything about Ikea. But no one will ever know because my comment was bounced. You know what, AT? I'm outta here.

holy Ikea batman

I love it! @cowdogs - Some people like to put away their personal items. Like myself. So when you ooh and ahh about something that I may feel is cluttered, I respect that you like that style and that I don't. But I don't feel the need to make a comment about not liking it. To each his own taste. Some of us like things streamlined, and some of us don't.

People (some) love to feel superior to Ikea. That attitude, IMO, gets way more boring than the furniture does. It's simply because they've seen it, I guess. Unlike Eames chairs and tulip tables and Shaker cabinets and stuff, y'know. The fact is, much Ikea furniture is very tasteful. And it speaks volumes that you've gotten almost everything for under $5K!

Anyway, I applaud your taste and how you've brought it all together. And just to underscore that comment, I'll add that "it's not my style, but..." (That's intended to make my compliment more weighty, not to inject negativity!)

I got a kick out of the fact that you're both dressed so colorfully - LOVE the argyle socks and bright pink dress! It's like you're your own changeable accents!

Unlike another commenter, when I saw the colors on the wine bottles and books, I thought they were great little pops of color, not "weird." What's weird is when people cover all their books with white covers or whatever. And I'm sure that when more personal items are lying out here and there, they'll have the same positive effect.

Where did they get the cool bookcases with no sides? I don't see those on the Ikea website.

They are in the "Lack" series, marketed as shelves meant to be hung horizontally. We have flipped them so they are tall and thin. I think they are 50 dollars or so.

I really like it - it's very calming. Personally, though, I just don't have the discipline to put away things out of sight that do not fit the color scheme, e.g., books, magazines, etc.

It feels very sterile to me, hardly any evidence that somebody lives there (except for the wine bottles in the kitchen).
The individual pieces are nice but it feels like a hotel.

Fantastic Job !!! Benchmark of how to decorate in white with class.

i applaud you for putting your home out there - we did something similar for a local publication and you need tough skin for this type of display. :) love black and white and really love Ikea. nice work.

kelly of www.twentysixeast.com

Love your B&W look and applaud your bravery of kitteh + white sofa. Your apartment certainly seems very big and airy, though also like a very under-accessorized Ikea showroom. I don't have anything against Ikea--I love that their pieces are affordable and so simply designed that adding a few of your own accessories gives them an undeniably personal feel.

I think your home would really benefit from some artful photos on the wall rather than the same Ikea stock that's in my office building lobby and my Dr's waiting room. DC is gorgeous, why not tap a local photog for something in their portfolio?

Black & white is always right! Thanks for sharing your home. Love the "political" pillows and cleverly-named cat! (couldn't see in the photo if her eyes are violet).

I think it's lovely, but I agree with the other "showroom" comments. It kind of looks like no one lives there. I would be afraid to touch anything for fear of messing it up ;)

I would LOVE to know how you keep the cat hair off of all that white stuff!! I have two cats and would never dare have a white couch or bedspread. And we have to sweep almost every day!

Okay, I need to never read the comments on these house tours, because people can be incredibly rude and it is infuriating. Didn't your parents ever teach you, "If you haven't got anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." And regarding "it looks like a showroom" or "it looks cold ... no personality," these people always make comments like this when a home is put together, streamlined, or appears professionally decorated. This home is beautiful, as are the homeowners, and they have done a fantastic job with this space. It's light, bright, modern, open, and has some great art. Bravo!

LOVE those political pillows on the bed!! Do you have a source for those?

I thought this was a beautiful home and I am sure, that the longer you live there, more of your personal touch will shine through. I do not understand why everyone is making negative comments regarding Ikea; many people (including myself) use Ikea products, Ikea is famous for a reason! I think this is an excellent example of what you can do on a limited budget and I hope that you guys, plus kitty, are very happy there! Great job and thanks for sharing your home with us!

Critique is good for everyone- negative and positive ones. I don't think anyone was being rude. Shouldn't honest opinions should always be accepted? I personally like to see comments that are real and not just comments that are to flatter.

I love the idea of an all-white apartment but I know it would be a disaster for me. I do have an off-white wool rug in the living room and hope it will not prove to be a huge mistake. Anywho, this apartment seems so airy and calming with all the different shades of white. I love the DC neighborhood print.

Well, i loved it. This is what I wanted but with a kid in the house that's just impossible. Bravo

Love your home! So fresh and so clean. Thanks for sharing.

The pillow shams are from CB2- they are called the Left and Right Shams.

@emmaleechou - Yes! Critique is what design is all about! I wouldn't have learned anything in six years of design school if all I got was flattery. We as students develop a thick skin when professionals and professors are honest with us in critiques, and negative comments further the design process more, imo. Design a cyclical process that never ends, you can always improve. We have to remember our "work" is our work and nothing more. It's not me you're critiquing, it's my work. An idea is idea, nothing more. But "home" is a more personal representation of ourselves and is maybe hard for some to take criticism.

"Favorite Element: Stefanie: The feeling our place has when it is filled with all of our friends on a Friday night."

Love this! Design is also about creating a mood or feeling...You killed it! NIce job!

Love the elephant and donkey shams! So appropriate for a DC apartment. :)

I like your clean and modern aesthetic, although I need more color in my own environment. We live in a townhouse in Shirlington but love the idea of a DC loft. And we have the same pendant light from Home Depot--ours hangs in our dining area :)

I absolutely love everything I see in pictures. I can live there...love neutral and minismalist style, so clean and perfect. Good taste!

While I prefer a much more colorful style, I do really like this apt. It seems so fresh and clean. I also love that they dress is such a colorful and fun way and their apt is so white. I'm the opposite I pretty much only wear black, but have a bright pink wing chair and am on the hunt for the perfect shade of Chartreuse to pain as yet undiscovered end tables...

The responses to the 'favorite element' question somehow feel so representative of their respective political views.

I like this space. I love Ikea for it's affordability and design and you have been able to mix in Ikea with other items. Great job. I would only add some more color to your space though. Maybe some happy colored throw pillows. But to each their own.

Stefanie, you win: Go with the humor! More fun little touches like the political pillows would offset the lack of color. I actually think the spare bedroom with the color photo works best. The pop of color is a huge relief. Even adding some vibrant, colorful flowers to the rest of the house would give a similar effect. At the very least, use the b&w scheme as an excuse to keep wearing bold colors!

I find it very calming and soothing,and I have never liked all white decor before,well done! I bet its lovely to walk in there after a stressful day,kick off your shoes and snuggle on the couch with a glass of wine.

Boyfriend stopped buying all his furniture from Ikea when friends would come over and started naming all of the furniture. Ikea is still a guilty pleasure because of it's proximity and price.

Hi, I really enjoyed viewing the pictures of your loft. It reminds me a lot of my own space as I chose white for my decor as well and I brought color in using various accent pieces. I love how clean and fresh your home looks. It is very nicely done and the placement of the furniture makes your place look very spacious.

Another vote (haha) for the political pillows. Can't stand our two-party system, but I do love the pillow art.

Strenuously disagree with the platitude re "say something nice or not at all." This IS a site for people to discuss design, right? It might include designs that people don't like, or would suggest changes to, right? Right? Though of course polite disagreement and critique generally seem like good internet communication strategies.

This is probably the first tour where I kept showing the laptop to my partner and saying "Look, they have that too!" We are guilty of having a lot of IKEA, but we like to think we blend it well with our non-IKEA items like you guys did. Another odd bit of info is that we went to the Woodbridge IKEA last month when we stopped in DC on our vacation--it's the only one we've ever been to besides our local one in Stoughton, MA. Fell in love with the cherry blossom wall art and came home to find similar ones of Boston at our store! *stops rambling*

I am really loving the look of this apartment and I am quite keen on Ikea myself.it's great when you see furniture in House Tours on Apartment Therapy and know that you can actually purchase something you really like here in Australia. I also rent and really like my Black and White colour scheme with a little pop of colour here and there. The cat is the perfect accessory

Constructive criticism is where you tell people what they did well and what you think needs improvement and why. Telling someone, I think your place looks cold is merely an opinion. Is the place cold because it lacks personal details that speak to the owner's personality? Or do you think it is cold merely because it is white and modern? In which case why did you bother to look through this tour anyway? Personally, I love this place but that is because I love uncluttered, minamlism and white. When I see a tour on AT where someone has lots of stuff I cannot help think cluttered and messy. Do I say that? No, just because it is not my style personally does not mean someone else is not allowed to love it.

For me, the category of "what I like" is much broader than "what's me & I'd want to live in". For my own home, I prefer warm colors, open/visible storage, etc. But I still like this house-tour a lot.

And I disagree that it looks like an impersonal showroom. Sure, I can recognize most of the IKEA pieces, but so what? I think a lot of personality comes through, in an understated way, in the way they decorated. It doesn't look "generic" to me at all. And the decor puts more focus on the *people* in the space than it does on the *objects* in the space or the space itself. Nothing impersonal about that!

I like it, clean open and must give them more time for enjoying friends, doing things and not all about constantly searching for, getting 'stuff' for the house. Would I personally prefer less sparse and more color? Yeah, a bit and the underwhelming aquarium would be gone. But I applaud them for their 'less is more enjoyment' attidude.

Love the cat. I also think IKEA is great!!! Furnishing a home on a $5,000 budget is an accomplishment. Note to Taylor: the leasing office can arrange to give you a little jar of paint to do touch ups. Did it in my last rental...

Love the bright and airiness of your home. Normally I'm all about warm colors but the white and black really works here, I think because they managed to obtain the airiness without the modern sterility, not an easy thing to accomplish. Love the unclutterness, love the cat even more!

Stefanie and Taylor,
Fantastic job! As a doctoral student who works full time and has a husband and four young sons, spaces like yours are the reason I turn to AT everyday during my coffee break. While "visiting" your apartment, I felt transported to a calm, serene organized space. I disagree that your space looks cold . It looks cared for and well planned. All of the white is beautiful. Color is not the only way to express yourself. Using Ikea furniture was a brilliant move that allowed you to beautifully furnish your entire apartment on a budget in a short period of time. Great apartment! Especially after only 3 months....enjoy!

Ward 5 represent!

This apartment is NMS but it is well done and I do have to say that one of the things I love about Apartment Therapy is that it is a place I can go and not feel bad about the fact that Ikea is just about all I can afford! There are PLENTY of other websites, blogs and publications for the wealthy design snobs out there. I like to see what people can do on a budget and in sometimes temporary/rental situations.

"I made about five trips to the fish store because our fish kept dying during that first week. Who knew keeping a fish tank requires such great attention to the chemical composition of the water and the tank ecosystem."

If this is the case, then please do NOT convert the tank to saltwater. It is way too small for a beginner to fishkeeping, and you are killing animals by tossing them into an uncycled tank. Do your research first or get a professional to set the tank up for you.

Having lived and worked in DC, a quiet,serene decor and enviroment is very refreshing and renewing for the people who live there. Their guests probably love it too for that very reason.
I'd also like to add that these pictures probably reflect an evolving work in progress. People comment as if these photos are the finished and final look. Of course they're not...nor any other house tour.

Love it! Amazing for only three months.

Love that your cat also "matches" your home! Liked your pops of color. Couldn't tell you if it looked "Ikea" since I was only ever in one about 20 years ago. There just aren't any around me. Whether it's Ikea (or not), I think your home looks very comfortable and I like it! Like the little pops of color in your pics and books! Thanks for sharing!

We don't have an Ikea by us, so I didn't recognize the photo canvas's as Ikea products. Regardless of where they are from, I love them! You might, as years go by, find some original work or limited prints to replace some of them, just to have something that is more unique, but I would definitely keep to the same style and overall feeling if you do. They are great statement pieces. I personally would keep the one over your bed forever, even if a million other people own it too, as it is just such an amazing photo.

I love the direction your apartment is going and can't believe that you have only been there for 3 months! Wonderful job.

Folks, these people have only been in this apartment 3 months -- of course it's fairly bare. Until you've lived in a place a while, it doesn't develop personality, patina, etc. I think it's amazing that they found a place with good bones, furnished it for 5K and it looks as good as it does in 3 months.

I think your home is lovely and if some people think it looks like an Ikea showroom so what, you should see my place! Wonderful job and I think you handled the Ikeahaters with style :)

Oh my word... I always look at photos before I read the text, so I squawked when I saw the Karl Rove book on shelf, with his close friends. Then I read the text - okay, I get it. But is Ms Stephanie's last name Truman? Too perfect!

Even better -- I just noticed Swindler as the last name of the R in the house!

On the other side of the bookshelf are books by Albright, Clinton, Gore, and Carville.

"I just want CLEAN CLEAR SURFACES. And one flower." - Edina (AbFab)

If I just wanted clean clear surfaces, this would be the place for me! But I would feel as though I had to carry Oxiclean and a towel with me everywhere and only drink water, white wine, and sprite.

p.s. LOVE the last photo w/the stretched out cat - aren't cats the best? :)

Republicans represent! I do believe that they are a rare find on AT...
I love that you have used humor to play up your differences and that you can STILL get along~ that seems to be almost unheard of lately(just kidding of course...kind of.).
Having to decorate my own home on a budget is one of the reasons I keep coming back to AT and you have done an amazing job in doing that with this home.
It's welcoming, calming and even cozy. I love the light and I love how clean it feels. I think that the books, wine bottles, outfits even, bring out pops of color that look even more brilliant because of the contrast.
My favorite part of the survey: (I just learned to swim this summer!)
I think this is absolutely fantastic and I believe it's only just a glimpse of what I am sure is a very interesting person!
Thanks for sharing.

I love this. Personally, I feel most homes have too much stuff and it drives me crazy to see all of the clutter. To some, this is a showroom - to others (myself included), it's calming and relaxing. Too many personal items means the responsibility to maintain them. Nice job.

I think the responses to this home raise interesting questions about what comments do for a blog. Saying that you merely love something is not constructive either. I miss the dialogue that used to happen here at AT in the comment section. It has become much more design sponge-esque, lots of simple applause but not much substance in the comments. I used to learn so much about design from reading this blog with it's passionate approval as well as dissing dissent. I think feisty, opinionated comments can educate, show trends, and at the very least provide entertainment.

It makes me jealous. I want to live there, I want an Ikea store u.u

Black and white is a very safe choice as it will always look cool even if it isn't very personal. My friends did the same when they were newly married but have since moved up to black and white with two accent colours.

Why the close up photo of political novels though? I don't want to see political statements when I come to Apartment Therapy - surely there were other items on the shelves, or at least photos that weren't so close, to choose from?

Those pillow cases are very clever. And there is nothing wrong with IKEA.

OK, I've had it with the negative Ikea comments; but I won't even go into a rant about my disdain for those who bash it. You're entitled to your opionion is all I will say. I do agree with those that feel that this apartment, while it is nicely decorated, is devoid of personality. And thats simply MY opinion. I also agree with those, mostly @eemmaleechou that not all comments need to be positive, but they don't have to be negative either. I like the space, not my style in terms of lack of color, but it still looks very nice. I wouldn't turn down an invite if I were given one. Thank you guys for opening up your home to us!

Nit-picking from a former inhabitant of a converted warehouse: this isn't a loft. "Loft-style" is pushing it as well.

That said, it really is a beautiful space (so much light!) I love the pillow shams. It'd be great to see the space in another year or so, to see how it progresses as you live with it.

cold but well-designed showroom. looks relaxing.

I think Taylor needs to let Stefanie's whimsical side come out and play a little more!

They're capitalists. The pillows are a dead giveaway.

There's nothing wrong with Ikea at all, and they've done a great job with the place furnished mostly from that store, but I had to laugh - if you click on their names you are taken to their ad on AirBnB - you can rent their second bedroom if you're traveling through town! It was pretty funny to read about the "high end furniture" they have listed in the description of the place.

Lacks originality in my opinion - this looks more like an Ikea catalogue; generic.