Leslie’s Lovely, Lived-In Austin Apartment

Name: Leslie
Location: Hyde Park — Austin, Texas

My apartment is wholly imperfect. It has full brick walls, a beige-everywhere approach, and our bedroom doesn’t have a proper door. We chose it mostly for location. The neighborhood can’t be beat with quiet, tree-lined streets and our favorite Tex-mex restaurant is two blocks away, next to an out-of-this-world bakery.

Decorating this home has been a challenge and a joy. I want to show that your apartment doesn’t have to have perfect bones in order to be beautiful. I have triumphed over the all-brick walls with brick hangers—a fantastic product that allows me to break up the beige with some of my favorite things on display. If I could fill every inch of my walls with something, I would. I love gallery walls because they offer such an interesting insight into a homeowner’s personality and identity. It’s fairly clear from my home that I am a French teacher. My husband’s in chemistry (hence our Restoration Hardware-hacked periodic table posters). I love vintage things and rooms that feel lived-in.

My goal with our home was to create a comfortable, beautiful space full of our favorite things—and not to break our bank. I’m proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish by trolling Pinterest and saying “I can do that myself!” I am most proud of what I’ve created with my own hands and the skills I’ve learned in creating our home. The vintage spool cabinet in the living room was my first DIY project—under the tutelage of my very-handy dad. I built the tables that flank our bed after nothing came even close to filling the space (or meeting the budget!) at the stores. I cruised the internet for DIY art and free printables. I made the chalkboard by the TV out of a thrift store painting and the books in front of it hide remotes. I re-covered old pillows and collected vintage French books. The upholstered headboard and the coffee table in the living room are both proof that you can wield power tools and build from scratch even when you don’t have your own shop and the parking lot in the alley will just have to do.

I submit these photos to you to show that an apartment can beautiful AND inexpensive to decorate. That the Pinterest DIY’s CAN happen in real life, and that the less-than-perfect bones of the apartment you rent don’t have to put limits on your style!

Thanks, Leslie!

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