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A Small Boston Apartment Has a Cute Renter-Friendly DIY Headboard Wall

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Bedroom with white bedding, a brown throw, macramé wall hanging, and hats on the wall.
Credit: Lauren Ecker

Name: Lauren E Ecker, my fiancé, and pup, Pancake
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Type of home: Apartment
Size: 675 square feet
Years lived in: 3 years, renting

Credit: Lauren Ecker
I love the mix of boho and mid-century in our living room.

Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: This apartment was new construction when we moved in so we were lucky enough to have a blank slate and good bones. The ceilings are super tall, 12′ high, and the windows are ginormous. I’m an interior designer and my fiancé is a computer programmer so most of the time, I’m the one making design decisions.

Credit: Lauren Ecker
Sometimes when I'm feeling extra funky I pull out this shibori dyed rug and layer it. I picked it up at a flea market and just love it.

It’s got lots of boho flair, plants galore, and is nice and bright with geometric patterns. I also brought in some touches of mid-century in our furniture and DIY wainscoting headboard. At the end of the day we just want our space to feel calm and relaxed. We have a lot of handmade pieces in our home as well as photographs of past trips that really bring a personal touch and make us feel at home.

Credit: Lauren Ecker
More shibori! This blanket is from West Africa, also found at a flea market. It's too delicate to use as an actual blanket so it lives here most of the time.

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: An eclectic boho oasis

Credit: Lauren Ecker
I love styling hats! I will admit I only wear one of these but they seem to make every move with me.

What is your favorite room and why? The bedroom! I created this renter friendly DIY headboard wall. I was sick of seeing it on Pinterest and knowing I couldn’t glue to the wall so I recreated it myself!

Credit: Lauren Ecker
The bedroom! I made this macrame piece above the bed and you can spot my DIY wall paneling.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? I designed the peel and stick wallpaper for our bathroom and purchased it online. I love that it’s my own design and again, renter friendly!

Credit: Lauren Ecker
This is the wallpaper I designed for my bathroom! It's definitely loud but I think you can go for it in a bathroom.

Any advice for creating a home you love? As a designer I always look at the bones of a space before depicting what kind of style the interior will have. If you have a lofty industrial apartment, lean into that. If you have an apartment by the beach (I’m jealous) then make it beachy. I think your surroundings can inform a lot of design choices.

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