A 452-Square-Foot Buenos Aires Home Fits a TON of Inspiring DIY Projects
Name: Carolina Lorenzo and my roommate, Milonga Estefanía (AKA Mili when she is in a good mood, or Supervisor. She is a cat.)
Location: Palermo — Buenos Aires, Argentina
Type of home: Apartment
Size: 452 square feet
Years lived in: 6 years, owned
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Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: The apartment where I live is over 50 years old, and I live in a second floor in a very busy street in the middle of a very loud neighborhood. I moved here six years ago and Mili (my cat) came right after. Since COVID I have worked to make my apartment as cozy as it gets (during a very long lockdown and all by myself).
I’ve come to realize how important it is to me to have a calm and cohesive environment (since out there it is really loud!). I’m very far from being minimalist because I love to do a lot of crafts (my dream is to have a workshop) and it was very challenging to get a nice calming space with a lot of stuff and supplies.
I guess my personality is very reflected in my home. Everybody that enters my apartment for the first time tells me that my home “is very you.” So either they are paying me a compliment or they are saying that my personality is filled with stuff.
Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Cozy, scandiboho, cheerful, and DIY packed (you can say elder millennial too)
What is your favorite room and why? My living/dining area is a multipurpose space, since I’ve being working from home since March 2020, it is also my chill space, where I have dinner or do some yoga, and my workshop/craft room space. Also, the bathroom was the last space I’ve tackled, and now it’s my favorite one (used to be blue and very dark), and I was very intimidated about doing it without help, but now it’s very bright.
What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? I’ve been crafting a lot. And since I’ve been staying at home, I have come very aware of the number of things I have. So I’ve been trying to reduce my purchases, and recycle or repurpose whatever I can find at home. I’ve been thrifting myself! I’m very proud of my lamp. In Buenos Aires, cane is pretty expensive, so every DIY you found with that material, I’ve tried it with burlap. But my latest one is a little dresser that used to be inside my wardrobe since I was a child.
Any advice for creating a home you love? Don’t be afraid of any mistake you can make. Almost everything has a solution and during the process, you always learn something. My apartment looked totally different two years ago, but living in it 24/7 made me realize what I’ve been postponing all this time. So try every little thing you feel drawn to, and then if you don’t like it, try something new! Happy DIYing.
This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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