This Renter Brilliantly Tackled Common Apartment Issues (Like Lack of Storage and Bad Lighting)

published Jun 19, 2025

This Renter Brilliantly Tackled Common Apartment Issues (Like Lack of Storage and Bad Lighting)

published Jun 19, 2025

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About this tour

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Home Type

Apartment

Location

Downtown Pittsboro, North Carolina

Style

Eclectic

Mid-Century Modern

Vintage

Bedrooms

Square feet

1280

Sq ft

1280

Sam Hill found a deal in this 1280-square-foot, two-bedroom rental apartment in Downtown Pittsboro, North Carolina — he only pays $1,000 a month in rent! But while the home is big on space, there were some downsides to consider before he moved in a year-and-a-half ago.

Credit: Marcella Kingman

"Getting this apartment felt like winning the lottery!" Sam exclaims. "Pittsboro is growing very rapidly, and I was really struggling to find something cute that was both close to my job and within my budget. I often casually slipped my dilemma into conversation with the customers at my job, hoping that some of the locals may have a lead! One day, while talking with one of my favorite regulars, I finally got the lead I was looking for. Her eyes lit up, and she said she had just the place for me. Within weeks, I had signed the lease and moved in."

“My apartment is partially underground, so some parts of the house don’t get a lot of light,” Sam writes, explaining that the apartment featured lots of “agreeable gray” and dark corners. “I really struggled with storage solutions and privacy in the beginning, and wasn’t really sure what to do with the attached sunporch. Overall, a very blank slate!”

Credit: Marcella Kingman

Sam also shares that his landlady lives above the apartment. "She is an avid gardener and plant-lover, so the yard is filled with beautiful plants that she has grown from seed and nurtured year after year. Following in her footsteps, I have planted my own collection of herbs and vegetables, and we can often be seen tending the garden together after work. When I first moved in around Christmas of 2023, she left some homemade shortbread and other treats on my porch. Since then, we have gotten into the habit of leaving little treats on each other's porches, which I just think is the cutest thing!"

“After putting my stamp on it, my apartment is bright and full of cozy lighting,” Sam continues to describe. “I have filled the apartment with DIY storage solutions, including the custom pantry door that my landlady was so kind to let me install! My decor tells the story of my life, primarily being made up of mementos from my travels and one-of-a-kind pieces that I thrift.”

Credit: Marcella Kingman

"One of my favorite DIYs is the pantry door I designed and made when I first moved in," Sam writes. "Before, the pantry was only covered with what I think was actually a shower curtain. I hated that thing! Midnight snacks often turned into a battle with the curtain and I always remember hearing it fall down after I went to bed. The door itself is cut from a piece of 3/4-inch plywood, and the wavy design was cut out with a jigsaw. I painted the door a beautiful periwinkle color, and purchased a piece of glass to go behind the wavy cutout. I covered the glass with a textured window treatment because I LOVE the look of reeded glass but wanted to keep the project low-budget. The door has three small hinges and a magnet at the top to keep it closed."

Although Sam describes the vibes of this apartment as “overwhelmingly a 22-year-old’s first apartment,” it actually has a delightful mix of cool vintage furniture and thrifted artwork, plus a collection of Western-themed posters and a second bedroom-turned-Fortnite room.

Credit: Marcella Kingman

The bottom line is, Sam says that his home “is a true reflection of my creativity and passion for art and design. Everything in my home is bright, colorful, and fun, and I often forget to ask myself if something will match my current decor when I pick it up at the thrift store. If it makes me happy or I think it is interesting, it’s coming home with me! In this sense, I believe my home truly represents all of my loves and interests that many people wouldn’t otherwise know about.”