This Seattle Rental Apartment Proves You Can Have a Colorful Home Despite White Walls

Name: Ellie Ohiso, my husband, three kids, and an old cat
Location: Seattle, Washington
Type of home: Apartment
Size: 1,100 square feet
Years lived in: 4 years, renting

Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: We’re technically a two bedroom apartment, but we recently “converted” our laundry room into a small bedroom for our youngest—our daughter. My two tween/teen sons each have the bedrooms.

At night, our living room becomes the bedroom for my husband and I—we use a Japanese folding mattress called a shikibuton.

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Memphis design Nordic color pop

What is your favorite room and why? My living room. On a clear day, we get a view of Mt. Rainier showing off. And we can see from Phinney Ridge all the way to Magnolia.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? A few: The Dining table and the Burger stool.

Any advice for creating a home you love? I like when spaces becomes flex spaces. It’s a creative use of space. In other countries, small-space living in the norm. I embrace the changing usage of my square footage during the day as night turns to morning, and evening turns to dusk.

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