Debbie’s Mix of Colors & Style

Name: Debbie Saslaw
Location: Brooklyn, New York

I have lived in New York with roommates for ten years, most of which were spent in a rent-controlled Williamsburg apartment that had every problem imaginable: bedbugs, mice, leaky ceilings, fires in the building, sketchy neighbors, a revolving door of couch-crashers, etc. I held onto it for a long time because of the price, and never thought I could find another deal in the same neighborhood. But when it was time to make the move, I scoured the internet and pestered brokers and found a perfect one bedroom.

It was a clean slate, and I pretty much got rid of everything I owned — including a lot of great Brimfield flea market finds that didn’t quite fit the style I was going for. It was hard to give them up, but they’re all resting at my parents’ house upstate. I didn’t want to look like West Elm came and threw up all over my apartment, but I ended up getting most of my larger furniture from there because with their discounts (I’m a grad student), their prices are pretty comparable to IKEA.

I wanted a pristine white place with tons of neon and pastel accessories. I was very inspired by Kelly Lanza of Studio DIY and Bri Emery’s home renovation which you posted a while ago. A lot of my friends are design aficionados (Mary Nelson Sinclair and Nick Olsen), so I lurked their Pinterest boards and websites to see what they would do. But ultimately, the space really reflects my eclectic taste and sense of humor.

I ended up having a lot of time before I ended up moving, so I did a lot of research and price comparisons on Pinterest. My boyfriend even created a fake account so he could leave comments on pieces he thought would fit well. Honestly, without a second or third opinion, this place would have looked like a circus tent or Dorothy Draper’s college dorm.

Also completing this home’s look is Debbie’s newest roommate, the kitten Chloe! From Debbie: “She’s 12 weeks old, she was found on the streets of Brooklyn, rescued by a woman in Long Island who was a friend of a coworker, and I brought her back to a permanent home in Brooklyn!” Debbie wanted to include the link to the shelter in case anybody else was looking for a furry roommate this weekend.

Thanks, Debbie Saslaw!

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