A Large Loft Apartment Has 20-Foot Ceilings, Over 40 Plants, and a Motorcycle

Name: Rain and lots of plants
Location: Lawrence, Massachusetts
Type of home: Apartment
Size: 2000 square feet
Years lived in: 8 months, renting

Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: Growing up in Brooklyn, New York and partying in a lot of old warehouses in Williamsburg and Bushwick, I always wanted to have a living space where I didn’t feel the need to detach from, in order to progress in my many creative processes and pursuits. I was lucky enough to achieve that vision once I moved right outside the city of Boston, just 31 miles north to the industrial mill-filled city of Lawrence and I couldn’t be more satisfied with the outcome. My apartment is one of hundreds in my building, which used to be a huge woodworking mill many years ago before its big remodel to allow for residency in 2010.

I always hated the idea that if I wanted to work on an audio project, I would have to book studio time and travel to the location in order to produce content. Same rules applied if I required a space to conduct a visual project like a photo shoot or painting workshop. What if I decided to put my latest work on display to showcase it and grow my network? I would need to book and rent a gallery space for this and that to me seemed less intimate, less personal, and not really “me”. Then with all these new public office/work spaces where you can pay a membership fee to access, I said to heck with it all. I decided that my space will have all of these elements and I won’t sacrifice any of them for the other.

Home to me is not only where the heart is, but where the art lives! I named my one-bedroom/one-bathroom apartment the “Waterthepeople Showroom” (after my creative agency), and here you can find:

• A gallery wall with 20-foot ceilings for showcasing visual work. Opposite of that wall is another 10-foot wall for more visual creations to be displayed.
• A photography backdrop with three seamless drops for creating beautiful images at any given time, with giant windows that keep the space extremely well lit.
• A small but reliable audio recording booth, located inside of a walk-in closet, one that can fit an entire couch. This booth is connected to a “control room” that really is just a laptop, external hard drive, and other necessary recording studio devices; all lofted above the booth.
• An office space where I can get work done behind the scenes or I should say “ATS” (Above the scenery).
• A large eat-in kitchen with island space for all cooking / baking needs.
• A fully stocked and equipped home bar for the mixologist in us all. Cheat sheets and cocktail books included so you can make your own drink haha.
• Approximately 2000 total square feet that houses all of these creative outlets along with my favorite fixed gear bike I built back in NYC, a Yamaha V star custom motorcycle that lives near the galley space, a ton of vinyl records that I shuffle through often, lots of Craigslist/trash finds that are now the pieces of furniture in my home that most would think I spent thousands of dollars on and over 40 houseplants and succulents that mostly were rescued from the trash at Home Depot during the fall/winter, impulse buys or plants from friends who could no longer care for them due to relocating across the country or globe. I am more than a smart or frugal buyer. My budget starts at $0 and then slowly climbs upward from there.

I currently reside in this space alone, but that doesn’t equal “lonely” in my book. I’ve been fortunate enough to host events and gatherings like game nights, sip and paint, movie night, dinner parties, and even the unveiling of other artists work in my space so I’m never really “alone” to say the least. I do hope to adopt a of couple four-legged friends as soon as I can relocate my 9-5 job (as a product operations and marketing specialist) a bit closer to my apartment.

What is your favorite room and why? My favorite room would happen to be one that wasn’t necessarily included upon moving in, but in fact was created once the need for my office space came into play. My cousin and I decided that instead of utilizing the space above my restroom as a simple storage space, why not instead have a space where I can fine tune my digital work, while still having an overview of the “big picture” (the entire apartment space). This office houses: one small “incubating lounge” that includes an air couch that folds out into a queen mattress, a DIY half-pallet coffee table and a small flat screen TV for visual reference needs. One tiny desk and laptop. One small rack for all creative samples of merchandise. And a handful of houseplants to increase the zen and air quality.

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: A vibe like no other.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? The last thing I bought for my home was more of a find/build. It’s formally a normal trunk that would have typically been junked, but once I found it at a thrift store for $12, I drew up a blueprint on how to repurpose it and with the help of my good friend Erin over at Wreck-less Woodworks (Boston, MA), we were able to create a 3-in-1 Plant stand / vinyl record shelving / secret emergency whiskey storage shelf (equipped with two glasses).

Any advice for creating a home you love? Yes, actually. Make sure you create a space for you. Avoid creating a space catered to the idea of having guests. When the time comes and you do have your guests; allow them to literally step into your world. A museum of your elements, your passions, loves, and tastes. The zen you create for you will make anyone feel more at home and invited than ever!

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