The ’50s and ’60s Inspired This 485-Square-Foot London Apartment Makeover

When you know, you know. And after four-and-a-half years of renting an apartment in a Victorian building in London, content creator, writer, artist, and director Rosie Dart decided she wanted to buy a place in the building.

“It has gorgeous high ceilings and lots of funky levels to make the most of the vertical space. You come into the living area and kitchen on the ground level, the bedroom is down a few stairs, the bathroom is up a few stairs, and the mezzanine level is up a few more,” Rosie says of the 489-square-foot home. “The levels make it feel like a tiny house and help separate the spaces, which I love.” 

Since moving in a year ago, Rosie has made some serious changes to the space. She worked with House of Lozi on all the woodworking, and Building Best Limited to help with some of the bathroom restoration. However, Rosie tackled a few DIY endeavors on her own, too. 

“I DIY’ed the kitchen backsplash with leftover tiles from the bathroom, spray-painting half of the tiles blue — don’t get too close, or you’ll probably see some patchy work,” Rosie explains. “I also made my own coffee table out of glass bricks rather than buying a brand-new one, which was a fun if not slightly stressful challenge.” 

When Rosie first moved into the one-bedroom apartment, she described the space as being “bland and dated.” Inspired by the ’50s and ’60s, she wanted to reference the past in a modern way. Today, she says the home is a “[c]urated mid-century modern and space age-inspired cozy, eclectic loft with a clean, Scandinavian base.”

• Bedroom — Farrow & Ball’s “Cooking Apple Green“
• Living Area — Farrow & Ball’s “Wimborne White”
• Bathroom — Farrow & Ball’s “Dorset Cream“

• Armchair — Dunelm
• Cushion 05 — Swyft (Gifted)
• Coffee Table — Custom
• Togo Sofa — Ligne Roset
• Knot Cushion — Dunelm
• Piper Table Lamp — Made
• Alma Table Lamp — Made
• The Frame TV — Samsung

• Table — Custom
• Chairs — Thrifted
• Side Table — Thrifted
• Lamp — Facebook Marketplace

• Toaster — Smeg
• Kettle — Smeg
• Microwave — Russell Hobbs
• Refrigerator — Candy
• Drying Mat — Amazon
• Crockery — John Lewis

• Nightstands — IKEA
• Clothing Hangers — Yetch
• Mirror — Thrifted

• Storage Bins — HAY
• Sink — Kast

Thanks, Rosie!

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