brooklyn rental project

It finally happened! Kate (my sister-type best friend and roommate) and I found an apartment after 2 months of searching in this godforsaken city. Much to Kate's initial chagrin, we had to compromise on living outside of Manhattan to avoid the crazy broker fees and snakey brokers, but we finally found a gem right in Williamsburg (we'll never go too far outside Manhattan). So now comes the fun part! Making this charming (read: tiny) apartment shine.


Here's the tiny little bathroom picture courtesy of the Craigslist ad. Yuck, am I right?! But don't worry, this is definitely the least cute part of the apartment. That mirror!! God help us.

Here are some nice small bathrooms with clean storage accessories and artistic accents.



And here's the plan!


1) So, the first thing we have to address in a tiny bathroom is the lack of storage. I came across this pedestal sink storage on Amazon and it's perfect! Not the most beautiful design, but a great solution nontheless. 

2) To stay cohesive with the under-sink storage I thought a nickel towel rack would help maintain a clean hotel look and it's so cheap! 

3) I don't have a problem splurging on the bathroom linens, and this Restoration Hardware shower curtain with a navy stripe is so clean and again, gives off a hotel vibe.

4) If I get motivated enough to paint, and repaint when we move out, I love Benjamin Moore's Old Navy shade to bring some depth to the room, and distract from the ugly tiles.

5) Some cheeky accents for cotton balls and aspirin! 

6) I've always loved this Slim Aarons print, named Monocled Miss, to hang over the toilet. It's an artsy accent that would add an element of surprise for guy visitors. 

7) And finally, my prized possession, my indigo monogrammed towels, and matching bathmat. The color never fades and you'll never see those gross mascara streaks after washing your face!

After spray painting the little weird mirror white and bleaching the tiles to oblivion, we should have a cute bathroom in no time!

hotel saint cecilia

Bear with me while I try to care about things today. 




Click here to find out about more about this little neon paradise.

interior invasion! gladys in dc

In my life-adventures I have met interesting people along the way who want to show off their cool homes as soon as they find out my job as a designer. I want to appease their desire to be voyeur-ed as well as ours to be voyeurs while attempting to improve upon my non-existant photography skills.
So I present to you: Interior Invasions! Hopefully I don't get sued by a porn company, thanks Jeff! Obviously a big inspiration is The Selby (no one does it quite like him) and I hope by doing this more and more I can find my own aesthetic.
My first visit is the home of my family friend, Gladys, who lives in a huge gorgeous house in Palisades, Northwest DC. Her home is the perfect mix of moody, saturated color, coordinating textiles and a wonderful collection of cool and creepy little curiosities. I hope you enjoy!







More after the jump!

favorite small cool spaces

Apartment Therapy's Small Cool competition is a great inspiration for all of us who have shitty apartments who need a desperate facelift. Oh man, I will never forget my unemployment apartment in Soho, with the crooked floors and the fridge door that would hit my roommate in the face in the next room when I opened it. That place was such a dump but working hard to make it livable and functional is what brought me into the world of design - and checking out Apartment Therapy's Small Cool contests was my biggest inspiration! If you're in the midst of some tiny space renovating I also highly recommend their book.

 Here are some of my favorite small cools from this year's entries:

Here's Stephanie's studio, currently at the number 1 spot. You have to check it out: first off it is the most enviable NYC studio apartment ever (I'm still searching for the perfect one myself). The floor plan is perfect, the wall molding is gorgeous, and she did a great job decorating. So jealuz.

Erin's Savannah, GA apartment is equally as cute as Stephanie's but has a bit more of a southern-vintage look. Her bathroom mirror alternative is genius! But if I was drunk at a party at her house and trying to check myself out, I'd be super pissed.

Carmen's Singapore home is the most unique entry I've seen so far. It's a completely vertical home that she turned into a sort of industrial loft within a room. It's crazy, and it's awesome.

Emily's brownstone is of my favorites because she Narnia'd a smart storage solution. Check it out here.

And finally, Adam's LA studio is so smart and well designed. He doesn't say what he does for a living but I'm going to guess he's a professional at this. 

Check them all out at Apartment Therapy! Maybe mine will be in the running next year ;)

shaw house

Check out this relaxing, minimalist home located in Vancouver, BC. The Shaw house was designed by Patkau Architects and features a swimming pool with glass bottom, and waterfront location with downtown Vancouver view. 







nautical nostalgia

Navy and white is the summertime best.  used indoors, a rich navy makes a room look more elegant, and what's better is it's never a passing trend. For larger rooms try using deep blues for a moody vibe, and if you want to have fun with stripes or patterns use it on smaller rooms to avoid a cheesy look (save the stripes thing for your yacht... or small bathroom).  

 
Greg Natale's navy world.

Masculine and refined.

 
A fun themed guest room. Emphasis on "fun."

A cute little loveseat with unique leg detail for the foot of a bed via 1st Dibs.

My favorite wallpaper in Benjamin Moore's Admiral Blue, by Jonathan Adler. I would love to cover a powder room in this!


Navy lacquered pagoda lamp via Horchow. Would look great in a room painted the same shade of blue.

the weird: art by ronit baranga

Israeli ceramicist Ronit Baranga has creepy thoughts, and I like it. 




See more here.

the architectural home

On the other side of the NYC home spectrum we have the minimalist home of famed architect Santiago Calatrava’s three sons. Each son, all multi-lingual and in the family business, have their own floor in the three-floor townhouse, which feature built-in kitchens and work spaces, and the craziest glass-box entry way ever. Read more about these over-achievers at NY mag.




if you have to ask, you can't afford it: the pierre triplex

Every night this week has been spent searching for NYC apartments on Craigslist and, I know I haven't been out of the Manhattan rental market for that long but Jesus, the situation is BLEAK! Nothing at all close to $2000, even in Williamsburg! (But why the hell would you live in NYC suburbs for the same price, is how I look at living there.) So in honor of feeling like a poor person, let's feel even poorer by exploring the one of the most expensive properties in the city: a $125 million triplex penthouse in the Pierre, on 61st and 5th ave bordering Central Park. 








a tree grows in my living room

During my recent visit to LA I was lucky enough to be a guest for lunch at the Soho House in Hollywood where I was reminded of how magical a space can become when the outdoors comes in. The roof-top dining area featured olive trees planted throughout the space, surrounded by a gorgeous view of the city and the Hollywood Hills. Having huge plants indoors is a great way of capturing serenity and bringing some bohemian glamour to the home. Plant life inspires creativity and calmness, and large scale plants will make your space memorable.
Check out some inspiration below. 

Soho House, Hollywood




Photography by Lori Nix (check her out)


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