This Washington D.C. Co-Op Is Colorful Plant Maximalism

Name: Sam Hsieh, husband Ryan, and dog, Brody
Location: Adams Morgan — Washington, DC
Type of home: Co-op apartment
Size: 913 square feet
Years lived in: 2.5 years, owned

Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: My husband and I were supposed to have our wedding in 2020 but we ended up cancelling because of COVID and used the money to buy an apartment instead. We are so happy with our decision! The building is almost a century old and surrounded by lots of green space.

We moved here in spring 2020. Decorating and renovating our place became a pandemic hobby. Some of our DIY projects include painting the second bedroom/office, installing wallpaper around the doorway to the entrance hall, and replacing the kitchen hardware.

We are both attorneys so it was important for us to have a lively yet relaxing space to retreat from work. Our dog Brody loves having plenty of room to run and play. We also are fortunate to have three sides of sun exposure, which we’ve taken advantage of with our 40 or so plants.

I am definitely a maximalist when it comes to decorating and love colorful and unique decor and furniture. I’m not wedded to a specific aesthetic and am all for mixing and matching types of decor. As a woman of color, I wanted to feature art by female and BIPOC artists. I’m also a big fan of bargains and most of the things in our apartment were bought on sale or secondhand. Finally, I recently started doing ceramics and a few pieces I created are scattered around.

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Colorful, eclectic, maximalist

What is your favorite room and why? I love all of them but if I had to pick, it’d be the living room, which is the largest room and where we spend the most time. It’s a great space for hanging out, reading, and relaxing.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? One of our more recent purchases is this turntable, which we’ve been enjoying.

Some of my favorite things in the apartment are our plants, including our dracaena marginata, which we’ve had for almost 10 years, and our five-foot tall bird of paradise, which I got for $30 on Facebook Marketplace.

Any advice for creating a home you love? Take your time acquiring things that you love from various places rather than buying everything from one store. If you’re on a budget and looking to purchase an expensive item, look for a used version or wait for it to go on sale. Make sure that what you add to your space is both practical and aesthetically pleasing by confirming dimensions/measuring, reading reviews, and envisioning it with your existing decor.

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