A Cozy 1920s Studio Apartment in Philly
A Cozy 1920s Studio Apartment in Philly
Name: Jen Nolan
Location: Rittenhouse Square — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Size: Roughly 500 square feet
Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting

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When Jen moved to Philadelphia from Washington, D.C., she didn’t have any connections in the real estate world. Like many young professionals, she turned to Craigslist. Thankfully, she stumbled across an ad for a beautiful studio apartment in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood of Philadelphia. Built in the 1920s, the apartment has 12-foot ceilings, original hardwood floors, huge windows, a fireplace (sadly, non-working), and tons of character.
Although the tenants before her were not exactly tidy, Jen could see through the mess to the charm of the apartment. For a studio, the apartment is quite spacious, measuring in at around 500 square feet. The fact that the kitchen was in a separate room from the rest of the apartment was a deal maker for Jen. Since moving in, Jen has made this once-messy studio into a peaceful and cozy retreat.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: Minimal design and muted tones with some vintage and worldly elements mixed in.
Inspiration: Scandinavia and 1970s California
Favorite Element: The 12-foot ceilings, the bathtub and the big windows that let in the perfect amount of afternoon light.
Biggest Challenge: Keeping it organized. I have three (!) closets that are somehow all filled to the brim.
What Friends Say: My friends say that it’s cozy and are all insanely jealous of me and my good taste.
Biggest Embarrassment: How quickly I murder my plant babies.
Proudest DIY: It’s not really a DIY, but I’ve managed to make the drop-leaf table function as a breakfast table, desk and nightstand, which is pretty neat!
Biggest Indulgence: The couch. It’s super plain, but it’s the first couch I’ve paid for with money and hasn’t come from my parents’ basement.
Best Advice: Don’t try to buy everything at once. I have a lot of blank space on my walls because I’ve been taking my sweet time trying to find the right pieces of art. You definitely don’t want to be stuck with anything you feel lukewarm about in such a small amount of space.
Dream Sources: Ritzy vintage stores
Resources:
ENTRY
Coat Rack — vintage from Etsy
Kilim runner — vintage from eBay
Key Dish — Cloud Terre Ceramics
Mirror — Jinxed Philly
LIVING ROOM AREA
Couch — West Elm
Bookcase — Urban Outfitters
Rugs — Jinxed Philly
Breakfast/bedside table — Jinxed Philly
Chairs — IKEA
Kilim pillows — Woven Treasures & Jinxed Philly
Antlers — Stole them from my dad. He doesn’t hunt or anything; I actually think he bought them at an auction.
Radio — vintage from Etsy
Twinkle lights — local hardware store, but you can find them on Amazon
Blue and white planter — Nature’s Gallery (a local florist)
White planter — Anthropologie
Off-white planter — IKEA
Terracotta planter — Home Depot
KITCHEN
Rug — Salt & Sundry (DC)
BATHROOM
Shower curtain — Urban Outfitters
Cart — IKEA
ART
Black and brown ink abstract — Thomas Bunnell
Audrey Horne cross stitch (I can’t remember, but I got her at an art show in DC and I absolutely love it and wish I could give the artist credit!!)
‘Lion Around’ Print — Katrin Coetzer
Poster — vintage from Spain, found in my grandmother’s attic!
Thanks, Jen!
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