Creative Furniture Placement Makes a 450-Square-Foot Rental Feel Larger

Ashley Paige Marmaro has been renting this apartment for four years: I first moved in when I was a medical student, and my home was featured on Apartment Therapy shortly after. Since then I’ve slowly made more updates that really reflect my personality and bring life into my home. Although the space is tiny, having a lofted bedroom makes a huge difference and makes my apartment feel much larger than it actually is. When I first moved in and had boxes everywhere, I remember looking at my mom like, “What have I done?” It seemed impossible to make it work, but with creative furniture placement and storage solutions my place came together perfectly. I love what I’ve done and cannot imagine living anywhere else.

The biggest change to my place is the kitchen. The white subway tile started yellowing after just a few months; I took it down and opted for black tile, which I feel added some much-needed contrast and depth to my tiny space. I also used stick-on tiles to cover the floors and add more interest to the room. “Framing” my TVs using gold washi tape also made a big difference in my space.

I love the frame TVs, but at this point in my career (I am a medical resident!) it’s just not attainable. I found a way to adjust my screen-saver settings to dim the display and showcase art pieces that I really like. Studying in Italy was one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had — especially my first time seeing “The Birth of Venus” in person.

I have this painting on my bedroom TV and also have several nods to the painting throughout my home. Another major upgrade in my home was lighting. All of the lights in my home are Bluetooth-enabled, allowing me use them to wake up in the morning and to set the mood when I have company over. My favorite lighting change is the new pendant I have above the table in my living room. It’s unique and gets the most attention from guests.

My biggest identity is my role as a physician and healer — after all, I spend most of my time at the hospital finishing my residency training. I have lots of nods to medicine and anatomy in my home, the newest being anatomic heart glasses gifted to me by a friend from home. I also have a gorgeous beaded skeleton pillow, skull salt and pepper shakers, and art prints of the Vesalius anatomy drawings, which decorated the science building where I got my biology degree. Music is another important part of my life. I grew up going to see shows almost monthly and still try to go whenever I can. I upgraded my speakers to Marshall and love how it looks like a guitar amp. My friend also gifted me a Marshall key holder which I love — it even came with little keychains that plug into the “amp” to hold my keys. I used to keep my record collection upstairs because I thought it would look too cluttered in my already-tiny living room. I recently moved them downstairs and find it brings more personality into my space. Plus, having them readily accessible means more listening time for me.

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or fewer: Cozy, chic, and historic.

What is your favorite room and why? My living room! It gets amazing natural light during the day, and it’s the room that shows off most of my home’s historic features. The exposed brick really drew me in when I first went to see this apartment and is what made me have to make this place my home. I also love the built-in bookcase to show off my book collection and other trinkets I’ve collected over the years. Even though my desk is upstairs, this room inspires me most creatively and is where I do most of my writing and projects.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? LED light strips to cover the back of a bar mirror. I feel like this type of lighting has been played-out recently, but when the strip is hidden it can be really beautiful. I have it behind my TV too and love the way it lights up the exposed brick at night — so moody.

Any advice for creating a home you love? Take elements from different interior design styles you like and combine them to create something that’s all your own. This is the biggest piece of advice I can give. When I first moved in, Scandi-inspired design was everywhere, and while I have some pieces in my home that reflect that, if I had stuck to that theme everywhere my home would now look dated and boring. Patience is also key — it’s important to find pieces that reflect your personality. You can learn so much about me and my interests just by looking around my home, and I think that’s what makes it so special.

Thanks, Ashley!

This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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