What I could do with this unit!

What I could do with this unit

Because the living room already has this (unappealing) dark cherry stained flooring, 

I thought I could roll with it and got inspired by this perfume ad that popped up:

Mainly the chalky Black, chocolate Brown & pale Pink, not so much the maroon

Photo: La Belle & La Belle Rosea by Jean Paul Gaultier perfume campaigns

I also think Lilac walls would look cool:

w/ a chocolate brown rug. This one is from Simons

with pale pink sculptural accents:

Pink Onyx Side Table / Nightstand

by RetroHANDICRAFTS on Etsy

The maroon (the flooring) w/ lilac combo again:

Above & below shades by Benjamin Moore

Below shade by Behr

Now, that maroon flooring leads into the kitchenette which has a pale peach / sandy floor tile:

There is the opportunity here to have a wallpaper on the wall in the kitchenette that faces the living room which marries well with the living room's vibe, but defines and gives depth to the space

I'm thinking something bold & illustrative in neutral shades:

This is Rebel Walls "Discus" wallpaper in Dusty Pink above & Graphite, below

I like the 70's vibe and the Graphite shade would do well with a chocolate area rug in the living area.

Imagine being able to see this paper on the far wall in the kitchen.

Of course you would need to be able to eat near it as well.. But my Back would likely be against the wallpaper wall to face out into the room while eating, so the paper would be to be enjoyed from the foyer & living area

Another option: 

Elegant Heart Feather Wallpaper - Black and Beige Cream 

by InktopiaDesignsCo on Etsy

 

And then put a white tablecloth on my round pedestal table in front of the window:

(I have black wooden chairs)

The kitchen has been renovated and also has a window on either end of it

I freakin LOVE this style (below) so I'd just get some white painted wood storage, plastered vases / decor for the counter & paintings

The smaller room I would use as my bedroom (8.5' x 9.9') with the bed lengthwise against the window wall  (that would leave 26" to spare at the foot).

I much prefer cozy bed / living / bathrooms and spacious work spaces.

I would cozify the bedroom by adding an upholestered headboard & a canopy:

I realize that two of these examples are just the curtains but all the canopy photos I saw were either too intense or too sloppy,

 so... Not bohemian, not grandma. Childlike is fine with me!

Now, for the Workspace!

The Larger room (above) is 9'10" x 11'11" and would be used as my workspace.

A large mirror is very necessary for any studio of mine for both bouncing light and looking at what I make from a distance / on.

It has 2 closets (below) and faces Southeast. 

"A southeast-facing room maximizes early morning sunlight and provides balanced illumination."

The bathroom tile is very unfortunate and a massive compromise. I had always disliked brown tile in a washroom. 

Luckily I was recently inspired by the almost Bat Cave bathroom in the Summer Walker Spotify campaign on Tiktok 

Ok, ok I know the two don't quite resemble one another, BUT it made me think I can just take the unfortunate brown tile All the way and paint the walls a dark brown similar to both the vanity & the rug in the living room! Why fight ceramic?

Imagine it with brown hand towels

At the same time, it's hideous. I know this won't really help. A reminder of what we're working with:

Let's try finding a paint swatch of the main cack shade in order to see what they recommend pairing with it...

by Benjamin Moore

Let's not forget though that there will be a Shower Curtain covering the majority of it the majority of the time!

Ah, they're just suggesting a lighter khaki + a white : /

I clicked the khaki & it pairs this with it, which does match the vanity.

I prefer this though (my selection):

I could also paint the Ceiling darker:

Or try to ignore the tribal vibe of the tile by decorating it more traditional:

Thanks for visiting

I am going to view it a 2nd time tomorrow and make up my mind.

 

"Manifesting" through Designing my next Aparthome

 Hapartment?

I truly enjoy moving every few years & by now we know

Home Ownership does not = Success or Contentment.

I envision:

TWO ROOMS (+ Kitchen + Bath + small Outdoor space)

ONE SPACIOUS, ONE COZIER.

THE SPACIOUS ONE FOR WORK.

THE COZY ONE FOR SLEEPING + FITNESS / MENTAL WELLNESS.

BEDROOM:

There is a trend in home decor imagery for most ALL of it to feature super High ceilings. 

I am not seeking this in my Bedroom.

I would prefer a snugger bed area than most of these images, as above.

And not so bohemian either. Just very comfy & feminine.

But not cluttered.

I am open to taking a space not typically residential & trying to make it homey.

I think Large Art will help. And drapery.

Maybe by defining the sleeping quarters with a canopy.

FITNESS / MENTAL WELLNESS ZONE:

Depending on the coziness / size of the room, this area could literally be 

a plush rug with some floor pillows on it facing a window or piece of art.

I also want to have large-scale print or emblems added onto curtain panels, or a tapestry...

textile art

I am feeling a 1960s vibe now

wall rug by RahmancarpetArt

THE SPACIOUS ROOM FOR WORK:

obviously this is a lot more complex of a space & feels strangely secret for me.

Maybe I'll share the real one once it's done.

But I do have some dream BATHROOMS, the layout of which are of

UTMOST importance to me, a luxuriating bather since birth:

I like when the tub feels like a piece of furniture. 

Not furniture that imposes on the space, not claw-foot,

but furniture that Helps you use it. 

And that's what this tiled drop-in tub does. 

It helps bathers not have to grab everything to bring it to the bath every time.

(candles, books, speaker etc)

I am also a big fan of the half-wall in a bathroom. Do you know who installs toilets within SIGHT of a tub? People who hate baths. You cannot properly enjoy a bath with a toilet noticeably 2' from your mouth. Blech.

So, yes to drop-in or undermount tubs with large, flat surrounds.

Yes to half-walls.

And Yes to make-up vanities in the bathroom:

Look how cute this is: They installed the sink into a dresser & you can sit at it like a makeup table:

But you would stub your toes on the chair : (

KITCHENS:

I don't care a whole lot about kitchens. Though I do prefer cozy & for them to feel half like a living room. 

Let me show you what I mean..

I'm sure I've done a post about this before, but making a kitchen feel like a living room involves making it feel less sterile & more homey by adding elements typically seen in Living Rooms. 

I was first introduced to this concept by interior decorator / stylist Mary Elizabeth in 2017. 

Watch that video of hers' here

(She also has schnauzers, if you needed a push)

To achieve this "Living Room Look":

- Put Lamps on kitchen counters / dinette tables

- Hang framed Art on backsplashes / inside cabinets / on backs of shelves behind dishes

- put Sconce wall lighting in kitchen

- Replace switchplates w/ decidedly Non-kitchen plates, i.e. more refined / decorative

- Put legit living / bedroom Furniture in a kitchen, like a dining table or Wardrobe

- Keep kitchen items in Baskets / decorative Bowls instead of kitchen tins or plastic bins

- Hang oversized art in the kitchen

- Hang non-traditional fixtures / chandeliers in the kitchen

- use Upholstered furniture in kitchens

- Long curtains in kitchen

- Tablecloth on Kitchen table

- Faux fireplace / Mantle in kitchen

- use Hide rugs in kitchen

and Last but not least, I am envisioning a Patio of some kind in this future Hapartment

PATIO

I immediately thought of a Homeworthy video of a London home with a medium-sized back patio & I somehow re-discovered it here. The homeowner is Rosalind Miller.

Screenshots below

It doesn't even look that comfortable per se, but the warmth, repurposed materials, & private feeling is what I would like to emulate, even on a tiny scale.

+ some other patio inspo:

I will need to grow some vines most likely. A learn how to maintain hedges / carve topiaries.

I suppose if the ground was really horrid I could cover it in pebbles.

& if the yard is absolutely not private, I could build a small trellis & hang water-repellant curtains.

I think the key is to use worn-looking materials.

Thank you for joining me & 

Wish me Luck!