Janaé and her roommates Simon and Angela share this beautiful, bohemian-inspired apartment in the 19th arrondissement in Paris. Decorated with a mix of thrifted furniture and salvaged objects, this apartment is so perfectly cozy and eclectic that you might mistake it for an Anthropologie catalog! This apartment went through a number of roommates until the current trio decided that it was easier with just the three of them, and throughout the roommate turnover, lots of furniture got left behind. Thankfully, this mix-and-matched style speaks perfectly to the roommates’ eclectic tastes and personalities.

The front door leads to a long hallway that extends the length of the apartment with doors opening to each room. The brightest and warmest room is the kitchen. Janaé and Angela like to spend time there sipping tea and soaking up the sunshine during the winter months. Since they are both from warmer climates (Janaé is from Florida and Angela is from the Dominican Republic), the two decided after their first grey winter in Paris that the apartment needed some plants to remind them of their homes, so every room is bursting with beautiful greenery.

Unfortunately, Angela and Simon were both out of town during the photo shoot (so I wasn’t able to tour their rooms) but the common area says a lot about their personalities. The friends all share a love for travel, which they incorporate as décor throughout the apartment. They love to intersperse their own travel sketches with artwork purchased from international artists.

Janaé, an artist herself, describes her style as bohemian and prefers to decorate her space with objects that she finds herself connected to. When showing me her apartment, she had a story to tell about each piece of furniture. She is currently studying Anthropology and Ethnomusicology, so it isn’t surprising that she finds a lot of her interior design inspiration from music and stories!

Our Style: I don’t even know what my style would be called! But we all have a little influence in the shared spaces. Maybe it can be called Bohemian Eclectic. As for myself, I just like objects that already have character, and that I find some connection to.

Inspiration: My inspiration comes from my memories of home, and the tropics (Florida), the community we live in, music, and nature.

Favorite Element: Light and color

Biggest Challenge: Trying to make so many different pieces of furniture work together. AND Dust. In these old apartments, dust is the most difficult thing to keep away.

What Friends Say: That our home feels warm, welcoming, and “homey.”

Biggest Embarrassment: None!

Proudest DIY: With an old roommate, we created a shelf with a wooden crate and door from a chicken coop with chicken wire for my plants to climb. So far the plant in that space has happily climbed every inch of the door.

Biggest Indulgence: Plants (I am from Florida). I love the tropics and after living in a not-so-tropical capital city which has little to no green in the winter, I need green in my life.

Best Advice: When you’re renting, find other ways to add pops of color. I used to feel that I needed to paint walls. But after living here I have found new ways; using books, plants, paintings, photographs, tapestries, etc).

ENTRY
Wine Rack — Source unknown, was here before any of us
Mirror — Ikea
Side Table/ Stand — Found in the Brocante (open air sales) on Avenue de Flandre Plant
Dieffenbachia (aka Dumb Cane) — Saved from the street
Bike Puzzles — purchased from Leboncoin

LIVING ROOM
Sofa bed — Source unknown, left by an old roommate
All Pillows — Left by an old roommate
African Wax Fabric — Marché in Chateau Rouge (18th arrondissement)
Drawings/Paintings — by myself, roommates, and friends, from travels
Peacock Chair — Found in the Brocante (open air sales) on Avenue de Flandre
Coffee Table — Left by an old roommate
Woven Basket/candles — from the bazaar downstairs
Brass Candlesticks and Incense holders — Goodwill, Florida
Folding Dining Table — Left by an old roommate
Wooden Folding chairs — Ikea
Shelves/Entertainment area — Ikea
Poof Cushions — Found in the Brocante (open air sales)
Large Spathiphyllum/Large Peace Lily “Big Bertha” — bought from a nursery nearby “Espace Fleurs”
Pineapple Plant — given to us as a Christmas gift
Dieffenbachia (aka Dumb Cane) – given to me by a friend
Pothos plants — 1 bought from a nursery nearby “Espace fleurs,” and re -rooted and re-planted into smaller Pothos by myself.
Zee Zee (Zamioculcas Zamifolia) — Given to me by friends
Pots/Wooden crates — Found on the street

KITCHEN
Most items in the Kitchen were either given to us by friends and old roommates or were found in the Brocante (open air sales) on Avenue de Flandre
Fine China Tea set — found in Emmaus (thrift store)
Plant — Pothos (re-rooted and grown by me)
Giant Jar — Ikea
Publicity Ad Picture — Given to me by a friend
Rack/Utensil holders — Ikea
Pineapple Bowl — Yard sale in Miami, Florida

JANAÉ’S BEDROOM
Bed/Comforter/Sheets — Ikea
Gold Blanket — Hand made original by a family friend
Poof — Found in the Brocante (open air sales) on Avenue de Flandre
Moroccan Brass and wood stand — Found in the Brocante (open air sales) on Avenue de Flandre
Jewelry holder — Handmade by myself (Florida beach wood/ acrylic paint/ hooks/yarn)
Clay Knick-Knack holder — Le Comptoir Général boutique (now at Marché Noir)
Mamiya Camera — passed down to me by my grandfather (from Korea)
Shelves — Ikea and Castorama
Woven Basket Cubes — Castorama
Clothing Rack/Cubes — Ikea
Mirror — Ikea
Square rug — Ikea (found outside)
Small runner carpet — Found at Emmaus
Monstera (Big Mo) — given to me by friends
Orchid — given to me by friends
Spider plants — rerooted/ propagated by me
Pothos — from a nursery nearby (smaller pothos plants are rerooted/propagated from the larger one).
Rubber Plant (Alma) — from a nursery nearby “Espace fleurs” Purple Calathea (Penelope) – from nursery in Belleville
Bird of Paradise — given to me by friends
Golden Pineapple — H&M
Small Colorful Woven Basket — TJ Maxx Store,
Ecuador Photograph — by Photographer Sara Isabelle Tillaria
Wall Art — Postcards from Travels and Museums
Poster (Jamaica, Jamaica) — Philharmonie Paris Exhibit
Pineapple Print (Original by Artist Mardi Hartzog)
Drawings by myself

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