Downsizing Into a Studio Full of Its Original Historical Elements
Name: Daniel, his partner, and Eloise the cat
Location: Lower Queen Anne — Seattle, Washington
The basics: Under a month, rented — 490 square feet
Daniel’s deco-y studio packs a lot of punch for a small space. His tastefully restrained design plays well with the historical charm of the apartment, giving the studio a clean look that is well thought out and welcoming.
Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: We just recently downsized from an 800-square-foot, brand new, one-bedroom apartment to a less than 500-square-foot studio built in 1930. We couldn’t be happier! My partner and I have always had an affinity for older apartment buildings and we love the character and charm our unit offers with all of its period pieces. We live in the space with our 11-year old tortoiseshell cat, Eloise. She’s the queen but lets us live there.
Although our home is small it still offers ample space for the three of us. One thing I like older buildings is that they often provided storage for just enough of what you need, which really allows you to live lean and think about your belongings. It’s been a fun challenge to design for a small space and after settling in the positives seriously outweigh the drawbacks.
What is your favorite room and why? My favorite room is the bathroom. The mint and white tiled floor is original from 1930 and has aged beautifully. The bathtub is also original and in great condition. Coming from a new apartment with a shallow plastic tub to this giant, cast iron tub will be a treat in the winter. I also love the original medicine cabinet and art deco light fixture.
If you could magically change something about your home, what would it be? I would love to have the original Murphy bed mechanism in the closet! The wall mounts for the bed are still intact but the bed frame itself is gone. I know they take up quite a lot of space in the closet but it would be an awesome historical feature to still have.
What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? The last thing we purchased is a fold-up desk for the dining area. This will provide a space to work on our computer or eat meals. When we’re not using it we can fold it up to take up less space.
Daniel’s words of wisdom: Create a space that you crave coming home to every day. Also, don’t try and make it happen over night! Your home will evolve and change as your taste and preferences do so if you try to get it all together at once you may not like it in a few months.
Also, don’t be afraid to let things go. I love to thrift/antique hunt but I also enjoy giving those belongings on to someone else who will cherish them. It’s important to realize you can change up your space and that it’s actually quite freeing to cycle through the things you love!
Thanks, Daniel!
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