They were going to have to furnish this two-bedroom, 800-square-foot apartment from scratch, and so sometimes rent their space on Airbnb on the weekends to help fund their improvements. “Using Airbnb money, we managed to update a few things, starting with the hallway, kitchen, and bathroom,” she writes. In the living room they added shelves, a new curtain rod, fresh furnishings, and wall paint. They also installed wallpaper and painted the door, adding new handles and locks.

In the bedroom they added new clothing rods, painted the door, installed new curtains and a curtain rod, and hung shelves beside the bed in place of nightstands. The office got new paint and wallpaper design on the walls. In the bathroom they re-did the floors (including skirting boards), added terrazzo tiles, and painted the walls. But they’re not done yet. “Everything is always a work in progress; we are still looking at re-doing the bathroom, but over the past year, we’ve gotten it to a place we love,” Lusanda writes.

But designing a home is more than just surface updates. “Being adopted, I moved around a lot, so I’ve always had this urge to create a home that represented who I was,” Lusanda writes. “There’s a difference between having a home and having a place to live. If you want to have a home, you need to think about who you are and the elements that represent you. If there is one piece that you really love, and that you can use as a starting point, let that be your guiding light. What colors complement it? How can you extend the palette to make your whole place feel comforting? It’s important to remember, the answer isn’t always color, but focusing on something that brings you warmth.”

A gorgeous green wall color they chose after an extensive paint swatch search brings warmth into several rooms of the home. After “[h]opping on and off trains through London getting paint swabs and samples, we finally decided on ‘Matt Green 20’ from Lick Paint,” Lusanda writes. “We spent all afternoon and evening painting that wall. The next morning felt like Christmas morning staring at and putting together our masterpiece with all the frames, images, and shelves. It worked out perfectly, and thus the decor journey began.”

• Living Room, Bedroom, Office and Doors — Lick Paint “Green 20 Matt”
• Bathroom, Office and Doors — Lick Paint “Pink 05 Matt”

• Friheten sofa — IKEA 
• Pampas — Pampas Living Recycled Glass Vases
• Vases and glass sculptures — Wearable Glass Art
• Candles — Bruler Candles 
• Obama Change print — Shepard Fairey (bought during the 2008 campaign)
• Mr Bingo — Purchased at Nelly Duff Gallery
• Wines — South African brands Klein Goederust 
• Paint — Lick Paint
• Doors — Reclaimed and stripped from a local renovation, painted by Lusanda

• Wooden Slats — Bear & Rose York
• Plants — Beards and Daisies
• Paint — Lick Paint
• Doors — Reclaimed and stripped from a local renovation, painted by Lusanda

• Reed diffuser — P.F Candle Co 
• Bottle holders — Amazons
• Pampas — Pampas Living 
• Paint — Lick Paint

Thanks, Lusanda and Victor!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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