by Furnishly | Aug 27, 2021 | Design Inspiration, Style
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Name: Amara Haywood and one Roommate
Location: Saskatoon, Canada
Type of home: Condo
Size: 1,004 square feet
Years lived in: 2 years, renting
Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I live here with my roommate in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and our home is a reflection of different things that inspire us. We are both in our late 20s and both describe ourselves as creatives, so our space is the perfect reflection of us. We both love the ’60s/’70s era music, so you will see a lot of nods to musicians around the home, including Dolly Parton, Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, and Freddie Mercury (to name a few). We love to have friends over and make cocktails, so our bar cart is always fully stocked. We wanted the space to be a reflection of our personalities but also ensure that it was comfortable and cozy for the long Canadian winters. Because of this, there are a lot of blankets and pillows around the condo but also plants to ensure there is lots of life in the home even when it’s gray and snowy outside.
Both of us agreed that we find overly modern spaces a bit cold and sterile feeling, so we went the exact opposite route when it came to decorating. As I mentioned we wanted the space to reflect our personalities, while also being comfortable. Both of our mothers are very into decorating spaces, and my mother always told me, “the biggest compliment is when someone comes to your home and immediately makes themselves right at home because that is a sign you have created a comfortable and inviting space,” so that was our overall goal for the space. Our space has a lot of natural elements such as plants (lots of plants), wood, dried plants, rattan, but also mixes in warm tones such as mustard yellows and pink shades. This is definitely inspired by the ’70s era color palette.
Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Boho, Glam, Funky
What is your favorite room and why? Hands down the living room/dining/kitchen space. We spend a lot of time in the common space eating, drinking and watching TV. If we did not love this space so much, I think it would have made the COVID-19 lockdowns a lot less bearable. We both love the light this space gets, especially in the morning, and the overall vibe this area has. The gallery wall is my favorite feature in the home, as it truly reflects our personalities and interests. It is truly the perfect place to wind down after a day at work.
What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? Our dining room chairs! The previous chairs we had were a little clunky and did not fit the smaller dining space very well. For the majority of the pandemic, we were both working at home, me in my bedroom and my roommate at the dining room table. I just felt as though our dining chairs were not comfortable, so I decided to sell them. We replaced them with a bench, which fits in the small space better along with two beautiful teak chairs I found secondhand. I came across them on Marketplace. They are vintage with rattan covered seats and just fit the space perfectly.
Any advice for creating a home you love? The most important thing to me is lighting. With having such long winters here, it is easy to get the winter blues, and I feel that bright light helps me feel inspired and cheery. When it comes to decorating, I think it is important to fill your home with items that bring up memories and tell a story about who you are. Every day when I wake up, the first thing I see is a map of where I lived when I was a child, and then I go into the living room and see prints of musicians that I love. These are all items that evoke happy thoughts and memories. And above all, create a space that you will want to spend a year-long lockdown in…because you never know what is going to happen.
This house tour’s responses were edited for length and clarity.
by Furnishly | Aug 10, 2021 | Design Inspiration, Style
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Name: Symphony J. and Cashmere
Location: Washington, DC
Size: 650 square feet
Type of Home: Apartment
Time lived in: 10 months, renting
Mixing high and low design, D.C. based artist and content creator, Symphony J. of Sable Muse, incorporates stylish secondhand gems with vintage memorabilia and her growing collection of art to create a lux bohemian oasis at home. Symphony and her cat, Cashmere, moved into this rental apartment during quarantine, and she wasn’t able to really search for furnishings in physical stores, so she leaned on eBay, Etsy, and Depop to find stylish and affordable secondhand pieces online.
“I actually found my place on Craigslist. After seeing the hardwood floors and covered back porch, I was sold. What I love about the space is how all of these different colors, textures, and styles somehow came together to create something cohesive and unique,” explains Symphony.
Her apartment doubles as her studio space, and it’s apparent that the unique artifacts she’s collected inform her own art practice and decor choices at the same time. From vintage hip hop posters to fine art prints to her own powerful artworks, Symphony is an expert at mixing elements that bring into being a sensual and inviting space for her to live and create.
“My apartment is truly a representation of who I am, my interests, and my passions. There’s a story behind so many of the pieces here, whether they’re hand-me-downs or thrift store finds,” Symphony says. “This unit is older and missing small luxuries like a dishwasher or in-unit washer and dryer. While I miss those things, I love the character that this place has. This is my first time living alone and having full control over decorating a space. It feels like home.”
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: I would describe my style as bougie Black bohemian.
Inspiration: As an artist, I find inspiration everywhere. I see my apartment as my studio, so it needs to keep me motivated and feeling creative. I collect vintage memorabilia and that really informs both my art practice and my decor.
Favorite Element: The Broyhill Brasilia-style dresser was originally my granddad’s. My mom used it in her bedroom as a teenager, and now it’s mine. It reminds me of my childhood home and it’s the focal point of the bedroom.
Biggest Challenge: I moved during quarantine and wasn’t able to do much shopping in-store. I wanted to thrift and hit up flea markets, but that just wasn’t a possibility. I really utilized eBay, Etsy, and Depop to find affordable secondhand pieces online. It took some effort, but totally paid off.
Proudest DIY: The porch was originally a dull, dark blue shade. I decided to paint it white from floor to ceiling to open it up and make it feel larger. White serves as a perfect backdrop for the furniture and plants. Painting the door pink was a last minute decision that added some color back to the space.
Biggest Indulgence: My couch! Absolutely worth it. I spend the majority of my day in the living room now that I work from home. I’m happy that I opted for this mustard color rather than playing it safe. It’s surprisingly versatile and super comfortable.
Is there something unique about your home or the way you use it? My dining room doubles as my studio. I store my art supplies and scanner in the cabinets. The collage wall was one of my first projects when I moved in. It’s been a great way to display some of my favorite images and put my old magazines to good use.
What are your favorite products you have bought for your home and why? My vanity! It makes getting ready feel luxurious. I love sitting here and listening to a podcast while I do my makeup.
Please describe any helpful, inspiring, brilliant, or just plain useful small space maximizing and/or organizing tips you have: Utilize both open and hidden storage. My coffee table opens on one side so it’s basically a storage cube for chargers, remotes, games, etc. The top comes off my ottoman, so I use it to hide my throw blankets and pillows. I love hidden storage for the less-cute everyday essentials, and shelves for the curated clutter.
What’s your absolute best home secret or decorating advice? My best piece of decorating advice is to source from everywhere. Mix high and low. Buy secondhand and repurpose whenever possible. There was no plan when I was decorating, I just knew I wanted to showcase my art collection and all of the cool things I’ve collected. If you stay true to your personal style, the rest will come together.
This house tour’s responses were edited for length and clarity.
by Furnishly | Aug 7, 2021 | Design Inspiration, Style
Marisa Vitale
Contributor
A California native who loves to travel and explore, meet new people, laugh, play and capture all of these pieces with her camera. She lives in Venice Beach, CA with her husband and twins, Oliver and Macy, and their twin siamese cats, Choco and Blu.
by Furnishly | Jul 21, 2021 | Design Inspiration, Style
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Name: Brandon and Sarisa Munoz, 15-year-old son, Dane, and daughter, Satori (although she is in college so she’s not here much), plus one doggy, Vida, and our kitty witty, Chopper
Location: Edmond, Oklahoma
Size: 3700 square feet
Type of Home: House
Years lived in: 7 months, owned
When Sarisa Munoz and her husband, Brandon, had to relocate to Oklahoma from Texas, they had to begin their house hunting journey online. They also had to finish their home search online, purchasing this house without ever having set foot in it. “Last fall the housing market was on fire, so you had to jump quickly or it would get scooped up. We got lucky!” Sarisa explains of this spacious house in Edmond, Oklahoma. Sarisa says they did have to remodel a lot of the home — also while still living out-of-state — but they did keep the existing oak wood flooring; she loves how it looks and gives the home more character.
“The biggest challenge was designing/remodeling this home from 1000 miles away,” Sarisa writes. “Not being present during the process was challenging and nerve racking. We made it work though! We love our home and it turned out just beautiful.”
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: Eclectic Bohemian
Inspiration: I’ve always liked this style even though many years ago mine was much more neutral and calm. I’ve grown into being more daring in my design choices over the years.
Favorite Element: Several things: the natural light, the vaulted ceilings, the wood beams in the living room, and the oak floors throughout the bottom floor.
Biggest Challenge: The biggest challenge was designing/remodeling this home from 1000 miles away. Not being present during the process was challenging and nerve racking. We made it work though! We love our home and it turned out just beautiful.
Proudest DIY: I haven’t had the chance to do a DIY on this home yet, but my best DIY I did last year was paint my brown leather sofas with custom mixed Angelus shoe paint! They now are a beautiful Kelly green! I actually read a very informative tutorial on AT. It was tedious work from start to finish, but it ended up really cool and worthwhile! Such a great way to give your tired furniture a glow up! They have held up beautifully too!
Biggest Indulgence: When I was redesigning the kitchen I wasn’t going to change out the countertops; they were kind of a creamy white granite. My feature in the kitchen was the black and white flower-tiled vent hood. Not being here (still living in Corpus Christi) I didn’t realize the counters would clash! A few weeks before we moved I realized I had made a mistake, and immediately had to get approval from my husband so that we could also change those out. Thankfully he agreed. I decided on a white quartz with gray striations running through it! I adore the counters and it really made the kitchen look amazing!
Is there something unique about your home or the way you use it? Instead of using the formal dining space as a dining room, I changed it to an additional living room. We have a breakfast nook and a bar so I thought that was sufficient for eating space. I call it my “sitting room.” It has matte black painted walls, a burnt orange sofa, and fun starburst style chandelier. Yes, I do “sit” in there! My son probably uses it the most though… he’ll lay in there on his phone doing teenager stuff!
What are your favorite products you have bought for your home and why? My favorite local store for modern bohemian decor is called Live Boho. I have several chandeliers, two hand chairs, pillows, planters, etc. from there. Also, I love thrifting art and vintage goods for our home. I love the collected feel it gives, and always a unique twist!!
Please describe any helpful, inspiring, brilliant, or just plain useful small space maximizing and/or organizing tips you have: I had our electricians put an outlet in the broom closet so I could hang up our Dyson vacuum in there out of sight. It may seem silly, but it was one of my favorite simple additions to help organize.
What most people get wrong about using color in their home: I don’t think you can do wrong if you personally like it. As you see my home is full of all the colors. I don’t discriminate. I think people are just scared of using color, which I don’t think should be so scary. It’s fun to play around, embrace the rainbow, and see what magic you can come up with!
What are the biggest tricks/secrets to using color in decor? I mix colors, patterns, and textures. I just try to stay open minded about it. If I see something I like I buy it. I don’t worry too much about where it’s going to go. I always find a place to work it in, and yes sometimes that results in a decor shuffle or a “shopping my house” moment to get everything just right.
What’s your favorite wall paint color of all time: Right now I’m really living Sherwin-Williams “Perle Noir.” My sitting room and vaulted entry ceiling are done in it. I’m also a fan of Sherwin-Williams “Pure White.” Basically the whole house was repainted in that shade. I think white walls really help elevate your color story and make everything pop!
What’s your absolute best home secret or decorating advice? Trying to stay up with trends can be overwhelming, so I think just staying true to what you like or whatever makes your eyes light up when you walk in your house is what is “in” for the long haul!
This house tour’s responses were edited for length and clarity.
Adrienne Breaux
House Tour Editor
Adrienne loves architecture, design, cats, science fiction and watching Star Trek. In the past 10 years she’s called home: a van, a former downtown store in small town Texas and a studio apartment rumored to have once been owned by Willie Nelson.
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