This Austin Rental Has a Vintage ’70s Pink Kitchen and Surprising Storage Mini Fridge
This Austin Rental Has a Vintage ’70s Pink Kitchen and Surprising Storage Mini Fridge
Name: Rachel Ramsower and Ethan Troxell
Location: Austin, Texas
Type of Home: Duplex
Years Lived In: Less than 1 year, renting
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“When I came across a home with a pink kitchen, a ’70s tiled bathroom, and old character, I knew we had to move in!” exclaims Rachel Ramsower, thrifting enthusiast. “I’ve always had a love for older homes that have their fair share of quirky elements and that was what immediately drew me to our now home. My boyfriend, Ethan, could tell you he is more of a modern guy, but to my surprise, he fell in love with our little vintage space!”
Rachel continues: “I always love seeing a new space completely empty and imagining what you will put where and how you can bring the space to life. Sometimes you really struggle with this vision but that wasn’t the case with this home. I immediately felt inspired by our belongings and how they would fit in our new place. It truly felt like I was meant to discover this home!”
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: If you were to talk to me for less than 30 minutes, you would probably guess that I have a love for unique things. My style is no different! Whether it be my personal style or decorating eye, I truly love bringing together random, quirky, and unique things to create something special.
Inspiration: I take inspiration from lots of different elements. Antique stores, color theory, artwork, nature, fashion… There is endless inspiration in this world. While most of my creativity is sparked by vintage elements, I also pay attention to all sorts of design, from trendy to eclectic.
Favorite Element: The kitchen! I mean, how cute is the pink kitchen! This tiny ’70s kitchen is without a doubt my favorite element of our home. A huge bonus is just how perfect my vintage blue bar cart looks in there.
Biggest Challenge: I would say the biggest challenge for us was actually blending our two styles. This is mine and Ethan’s first time living together, which meant bringing together both of our stuff meaning two completely different styles! I’m lucky to have a partner who is so easy going and allowed me to decorate really however I wanted. I still had a goal to make our space feel like both of us though and that challenged me to get inspired by things I normally would avoid.
Proudest DIY: While this isn’t a DIY project, I am in love with my purse mini fridge!! This isn’t something that takes skill, but I guess it just really inspires me. It gets me thinking on how to decorate in unorthodox ways to truly make a space feel unique!
Budget: To be honest, we work with a small budget on the daily. Rent in Austin is expensive, and it seems like just waking up in the morning costs you $5! Our strategy though has been to thrift and get most of our pieces secondhand. It helps that I absolutely love thrifting so I seem to always find more eclectic pieces for our home! But what about the pieces we couldn’t thrift? We worked slowly on investing in more expensive yet classic pieces that we know we will love for a long time. Our bar area for example was an expensive purchase. But it’s one of our favorite areas of the house so it was totally worth it!
Is there something unique about your home or the way you use it? Well, I’ve already talked about my beloved purse fridge, but I haven’t mentioned my dress-up room! Basically, our second bedroom could be whatever we wanted as long as we had a sleeper sofa for guests. There was more space to work with, and I was imagining how I would fill it. I have always loved exposed wardrobes in homes so there was no question I wanted one of my own. This room now showcases some of my favorite quirky and fashionable clothing and accessories. While this isn’t the most unique use of a bedroom, I think it’s just another addition of what makes our space so special to us!
Please describe any helpful, inspiring, brilliant, or just plain useful small space maximizing and/or organizing tips you have: I won’t pretend to be the best advice giver, but I will say I have a few tips for decorating a space! 1. Don’t over analyze it. Thinking too much blocks the creative process! 2. Be open to shopping and sourcing at places you normally wouldn’t. This will help break up your home from being just one style (if that is your goal). 3. Decorate for you and your needs! Your space is yours, which means you have the power to fill it however you want.
Finally, what’s your absolute best home secret or decorating advice? Stay true to yourself! There are so many tips and tricks that work and there are so many resources that will tell you the do’s and don’ts of home decorating. But the only person you need to please is yourself! Take inspiration from what you love and trust.
Resources
LIVING ROOM
- Morabo Couch — IKEA
- Kora Wood Shelf — Urban Outfitters
- Marte Media Console — Urban Outfitters
- Coffee Table — Snagged on Facebook Marketplace for $25 and painted it!
- Vintage Arc Floor Lamp — Found at a local antique shop here in Austin!
- Food + Drink Art Prints — Bought from a local artist
- Starburst Gold Mirror — Homegoods
- Bar Storage Shelf — Urban Outfitters
- Retro Lightswitch Covers- Mindflowers Shop
KITCHEN
- Vintage Bar Cart — Austin Antique Mall
- Kitchen Storage Cart — Amazon
- Tea Kettle — Le Creuset
- Matte Latte Bowls — Anthropologie
- Cigar Boxes — I find all of them in thrift and antique stores
BEDROOM 1
- Vintage Vanity — Local secondhand marketplace
- Vintage Full Length Mirror — Discovered at Roundtop Antique Show
- Art prints — Amazing artists I found on Tik Tok (BeKindBella and INPRNT)
- Nightstands — IKEA
BEDROOM 2
- Wardrobe — Target
- Retro Mini Fridge — Snagged it for free but you can find on FB Marketplace
- Green Sleeper Sofa — Wayfair
- Vintage Candlesticks — Downtown Antique Mall
Thanks Rachel and Ethan!
This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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