Before and After: This Small Rental Apartment’s Renovation Only Cost $3k

Before and After: This Small Rental Apartment’s Renovation Only Cost $3k

by | Mar 9, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style

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Name: Tessa, designer, partner Stef, and our sweet pup Lacey
Location: Mount Pleasant neighborhood — Vancouver, Canada
Size: Roughly 800 square feet
Type of Home: Condo apartment
Years lived in: 2 years, renting

I found this home as a rental listing with no photos, at an almost too good to be true price for its central location; it didn’t take long to figure out why! The landlord contacted me, saying I was the top of hundreds of applicants because I have a small interior design business focused on affordability and small space solutions. The last tenant had been there for over a decade, through declining health, and the place had been left in very rough shape. He recognized some work would need to be done, so we set about negotiating a budget and scope of work. Once I saw it, it was clear the place essentially needed a gut job, which I knew I could take on, but the location, price, and the high ceilings were things I wouldn’t be able to create in a different space.

The budget we landed on was $3k, and the deal was I can pay myself out of the budget for a redesign, or, what I went with, allocate the budget to materials and do the labour myself (and my incredible friend Erica!) to end up with a nicer space at a slightly further reduced rent.

I grew up moving around a lot, between rural and urban settings, different coasts, etc. and have many different stylistic influences. All that unpacking and repacking meant many opportunities to sharpened my skills at setting up a space, and pushed me to get creative about making just about anywhere feel like a healthy home⁠ — quickly ⁠— and on a budget!

I’ve always been drawn to the creative: I write, sing in a choir (shoutout to Gracenote Vancouver!), and have my own small interior design business. I started affordable design work in response to how out of touch the interior design industry can be with what most folks actually need. We are all impacted by our environments, and I really believe we need to prioritize providing solutions for renters, folks in small spaces, and within realistic budgets that don’t leave anyone behind. That’s why I love the great work Apartment Therapy does, too!

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: A big mix! I like feeling like I’m in a cabin in the woods in urban settings, and lean towards contemporary architecture and interiors in more remote settings. My home currently is super central, so I focused on bringing the forest to me with warm wood tones, earthy greens, and calming neutrals. I love playing with textures, scale, and layering a multitude of styles. I think homes should reflect their owners, which means there is no “one style fits all,” even within an individual space. If I had to use a few keywords I’d say handmade, rustic, airy, warm, bohemian meets West Coast.

Inspiration: Everything everywhere! When I’m spending time in nature I like photographing all the textures and color combinations I can find, and playing with how to bring those into the home. Also love contrast and dynamic scales we find in cities, and in fine artwork. I’m an insatiably curious person and love seeing different folks’ homes, too. (Thanks again, Apartment Therapy! Love home tours.)

Favorite Element: I think the high ceilings, and my handmade ceramic backsplash tiles probably, take the win. I am in love with my media unit though, which I found on sale at a Winners many years ago and bought without having anywhere to put it! It lived on loan with various other people until I finally had room for it, but I just knew it had to be mine!

Biggest Challenge: $3k is a tiny budget to redo a whole apartment, but that’s my specialty! It meant being really on it, sourcing mostly secondhand materials (win-win environmentally and economically). It meant working twice as hard since a lot of items sourced also needed some refinishing work before being installed, and really getting creative.

Proudest DIY: Honestly bringing this space together, more so than any particular aspect. Finding a layout in an awkward space that ticked all the boxes! That said the fridge handles were a surprisingly cheap and easy swap that made a major difference, if we’re talking about small things.

Biggest Indulgence: After flooring, which was an absolute necessity given the state of the old carpets, the handmade ceramic tiles were my biggest spend, but man I love that rustic touch, and feel like they really finish the space nicely. 

The dishwasher feels like an indulgence, but didn’t cost much! When I first moved in here I was single and working three jobs, so putting in a dishwasher made a huge difference to my quality of life. I found it on Craigslist for $100, and the previous owner even delivered it. It’s stainless steel, unlike the other appliances which are retro white, but that seemed worth it. I have since recovered it with paintable peel and stick wallpaper, which I painted to match the cabinets!

Is there something unique about your home or the way you use it? There is essentially no storage built into this home. There are two micro closets in the bedroom, which don’t even fit full size hangers, at 10” depth, so I’ve tucked narrow shelving in there for clothing. The island shaped the layout, but also provides seating and much needed kitchen appliance storage. We have storage bins under the couch and bed, and storage benches on the deck for things that can hangout outside. The oversized cupboards, which were used as craft cupboards in an old daycare that was closing down, were a great marketplace score! Instead of thousands on custom cabinets, they cost $300, and took advantage of the 9’ ceiling, while being just a big less deep than standard, which helps open up the kitchen. Those hold, on top of all of our dishware and pantry goods, a full bar, all art supplies, some tools, and some camping gear!

What’s your absolute best home secret or decorating advice? Work WITH the space you have, don’t be afraid to try doing things yourself (it’ll open a world of possibilities on a budget), and source second hand! Not only is it more affordable, better for the environment, better for local economy, but it also helps you stumble on unique gems! Also work from the rug up, furnishing wise.

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

This Author’s 1930s LA Rental Is Beautifully Bright and Airy

This Author’s 1930s LA Rental Is Beautifully Bright and Airy

by | Mar 8, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style

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Name: Meg Quinn and Draper the kitty
Location: Los Angeles, California
Size: 900 square feet
Type of Home: 1930s French Normandy four-plex
Years lived in: 10 years, renting

Meg Quinn’s apartment of the last decade has been witness to many life moments. “This was my first apartment I ever lived in alone. During the 10 years I lived here, I lost my mom, fell in love, recovered from heartbreak, left my stable job, took a leap of faith into a new career, somehow became a content creator/influencer, AND published my first book, ‘The Cheese Board Deck,’” she writes. 

Meg’s popular entertaining content website is called “Ain’t Too Proud to Meg,” and she says this 900-square-foot space was an integral part of not only her site, but also her first foray into book publishing. “For ‘The Cheese Board Deck,’ my photographer, food stylist, and myself shot all 50 boards in this apartment during the pandemic in 2020 with masks on. I will forever remember this apartment as the place I launched a career and created something beyond my wildest dreams,” she says.

While this rental served Meg well over the past ten years as a welcoming space, a sanctuary, and inspiring work zone, she’s recently moved into a new home with her partner, taking these photos to “commemorate the special place it had in my life and all the things I accomplished there. I will always have this little ‘photo time capsule’ to look back at and remember my first place. I recommend everyone does this when they move (take pics of the space to remember the time by).

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: My style tends to be bright and airy, with a mix of modern and mid-century. I love a neutral base with added pops of color and whimsy via unique styling pieces.

Inspiration: Without a doubt, social media and following amazing interior design accounts like Emily Henderson, Amber Lewis, and 1000xbetter influenced my love of design and taught me how to achieve my personal aesthetic. 

Beyond that, nature, travel, and photography inspire me. I went on vacation in Italy a few years ago and was super inspired by the beaches of Positano. I came home and blew up two of my iPhone photos and framed them in my hallway (alongside a Gray Malin Print). The colors, the people, and the joy I feel when looking at those photos make them something I am happy to display in my home.

Favorite Element: IKEA buffet and cabinet are great for storing all my styling pieces for my food photography/content creation work.

Biggest Challenge: While living here, the apartment was sold and the new owner agreed to open up the wall between the dining room and kitchen. Though I lost a lot of storage, it modernized the space, increased light in the room, and the bar counter became super  helpful for shooting content and hosting workshops.

Proudest DIY: My apartment had one of those old-school box air conditioning units that put a real damper on the room. I only use it a few months of the year during the day, so I came up with a solution to hide it the rest of the time. I bought a set of IKEA kitchen cabinet doors and turned them on their sides (horizontal vs. vertical) and then had a friend build a wooden cabinet around the unit. The cabinet looks modern and is perfect for displaying plants. When the air conditioner is in use, I open the cabinet doors, but it’s closed the rest of the time, and no one is the wiser.

Biggest Indulgence: Samsung Frame TV. This is a game changer. The TV is indeed at the center of the room, but by purchasing a frame, I was able to display art instead of a big black box. It’s so perfect for entertaining, especially in a small space where you don’t have an extra sitting room. My TV room is my living room and it needs to function as a place to entertain as well.

Is there something unique about your home or the way you use it? The rug is from the Melrose Flea Market. In fact, my friend and interior designer gave me the best tip. She suggested I turn it over to have the bottom as the top (fluffy side down and weave side up). It makes for a more muted, organic, and refined base for the room.

What are your favorite products you have bought for your home and why? I am always asked about my leather couch and my living room rug. The couch was a Craigslist find. Nothing fancy, but super comfortable and welcoming for friends and family. 

The room is full of lots of square and rectangular items (couch, mirror, bookshelf, floating shelf), so it was important for me to add a round coffee table to even out the space. Same is true for the blue velvet round pillow. In a sea of square pillows, having the round shape adds a nice visual element.

Please describe any helpful, inspiring, brilliant, or just plain useful small space maximizing and/or organizing tips you have: When I moved in, the previous tenants had cut two feet of the room off to create a wall length closet. This is great because old buildings like mine (a 1930s French Normandy Style fourplex) are notorious for little to no storage. The problem, however, is that the doors were full-length mirrors, covering the entire room of the wall. It was way too much for me, so I took out the mirrored doors and decided to have an open closet. It became a design element in the room (color-coordinating clothing items, buying matching storage boxes, etc.) and forced me to keep the space organized and tidy.

Finally, what’s your absolute best home secret or decorating advice? Before leaving this apartment and moving into a new home with my partner, I decided that I must photograph it to commemorate the special place it had in my life and all the things I accomplished there. I will always have this little “photo time capsule” to look back at and remember my first place. I recommend everyone does this when they move (take pics of the space to remember the time by).

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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This One DIY-Friendly, Amazon Product Took My Rental to the Next Level

This One DIY-Friendly, Amazon Product Took My Rental to the Next Level

by | Mar 1, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style

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In an ideal world, my apartment would be full of charming architectural touches — molding on the walls and ceilings, built-in fireplaces, exposed brick walls — you get the picture. As a renter in New York City, I definitely had to make some sacrifices during the apartment search while hunting for a new place last summer. While I’m completely happy with where I ended up, my apartment doesn’t have the level of charm that I often swoon over when scrolling through home tours online or in my favorite magazines. So that simply meant that I had to take matters into my own hands.

I moved into my apartment in July 2021, but I wanted to live in the space for some time before making any major changes to my unit. By January, I decided to have the walls painted in Clare paint’s Grayish. The paint alone made a huge impact in my space, but I wanted to up the ante a bit by doing something even more dramatic.

My original idea was to incorporate picture frame molding on the walls, but installing molding was far out of my budget, and I wasn’t willing to go in for the splurge, particularly given that my space is a rental. Plus, the molding would be pretty difficult to remove down the line, making it even more of a no-go in my opinion.

Then I had another idea. While scrolling through Amazon looking for some renter friendly molding that wouldn’t run me nearly $4,000, I came across this beautiful faux wall molding. Picture frame molding continues to appeal to me, but this was unlike anything I’d ever seen faked in a rental before, and I knew I had to try it out. Believe it or not, this wall molding is actually made from styrofoam. I know, I know — but trust me; it looks amazing. If I hadn’t touched some of the material myself, I honestly would have been convinced it was wooden or plastic based on how nice it looks on the walls.

The carpenter I hired on TaskRabbit did an amazing job using a miter saw and the corresponding molding glue I purchased to perfectly cut each strip of styrofoam and adhere it to the wall. The whole project took him about five hours, making it perfectly manageable if you’re like me and don’t want to deal with days or even weeks of disarray in your apartment and repair people coming in and out.

After giving my TaskRabbit a large tip and bidding him farewell at the end of the day, I sat on my bed in awe. I truly couldn’t believe how much of a transformation the molding and paint combined had made. My bedroom finally had that chic Parisian feel to it that I wanted, and it really couldn’t have looked more different than it did when I first moved in (if you don’t believe me, just check out the before picture below for reference!).

This molding is renter-friendly, paintable, and can easily be removed at the end of my time in the apartment, but truthfully, I may ask my landlord if they’d like me to leave it up, assuming it’s still holding up well whenever I do decide to move out. Don’t you agree it adds all sorts of charm?

A 490-Square-Foot Studio Is Full of Ideas and Inspo for Making a Rental Your Own

A 490-Square-Foot Studio Is Full of Ideas and Inspo for Making a Rental Your Own

by | Feb 2, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style

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Name: Imani Keal and Yorkie Salazar ‘Sal’ Slytherin II
Location: Washington, DC
Size: 490 square feet
Type of Home: Studio Apartment
Years lived in: 2.5 years, renting

Content creator Imani Keal’s spacious Glover Park studio is a “mix of free things I found on the street, family heirlooms, and strategic purchases.” And one of her favorite things about the studio that she shares with her Yorkie is the layout, which feels more spacious than just a studio thanks to visually separate spaces for living, dining, and entertaining. “My ‘large’ studio has a separate kitchen/dining space and the bathroom is down a small hallway, so it feels larger than what it really is and I get to avoid the ‘kitchen in the bedroom’ effect that plagues most people that live in studios,” Imani explains.

Another thing Imani loves about her apartment? How open to design updates her landlord is. “My lease is pretty open on the changes that can be made and my landlord even helped me complete some of my projects by providing the labor at no cost to me,” Imani admits. It’s an ideal situation for someone who loves adding personality to her rental.

During the pandemic, Imani relied on a nearby Ace Hardware and DIY home projects, like painting a third of the apartment black, staining an IKEA bed, and adding peel and stick wallpaper to projects, to help her get through the early days of the pandemic. She ended up pouring a lot of time, energy, and money into her own home improvements, which in turn inspired the creation of an Instagram, TikTok and blog all dedicated to helping people see what is possible in a rental. And a central tenet of her small space design philosophy can be summed up with this important takeaway she shares: “I think people who live in small spaces should try to make their apartments look and feel interesting rather than larger.”

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: My style is a mix of free things I found on the street, family heirlooms, and strategic purchases. It culminates into a neutral and cozy yet eclectic vibe!

Inspiration: I get inspiration from everywhere and nowhere. Sometimes, I see something on Instagram that I just have to recreate (like this door casing project other times I’m walking the dog or have a dream about something cool and decide to start another DIY.

Favorite Element: I love my china cabinet. My grandma passed away in October 2020, and this was hers. Something that really helps me as I go through the grieving process is being surrounded by her things. I never imagined a world without her in it, but it is nice to have a little bit of her in my home. I also have my grandfather’s cane hanging off my bed. I don’t remember him as much since he passed when I was a baby, but everyone talks about him like he was really cool guy, so by extension I’m also cool.

Biggest Challenge: I have an impulse control issue. Once I get it in my head that something needs to change in my apartment, it has to happen immediately. My apartment usually ends up looking better, but then I’m stressed out because I’m doing three DIY projects at the same time. Also, my bank account is begging me to stop going to the flea market. I’m not going to stop, but I want to immortalize my bad spending habits in print.

Proudest DIY: I added black casings to the entryway of my dining room and it looks fantastic. This part of my house has always been boring and I wasn’t sure what to do with it until I saw this post by Marienne Sides. I was in love with her NYC apartment and immediately went to Home Depot. I picked up some MDF boards, nails, and paint (I used “Black” by Behr). This is by far my favorite project I’ve done because I was sure that I would mess it up, lol!

Biggest Indulgence:  I’m cheap, but I do believe in investing money on a good couch. I spent $1000 (tax and delivery included) on this velvet green Farlov sofa from IKEA and it was a great decision. It’s super deep and has a machine washable cover. Several friends have commented on the comfort.

Is there something unique about your home or the way you use it? My decision to paint the apartment black is pretty different because I live in a studio apartment. I think people who live in small spaces should try to make their apartments look/feel interesting rather than larger. It was a bold choice (that could have gone terribly wrong), but I think it paid off. Oh, I’m also a big fan of painting the ceiling. Mostly because I’m a terrible painter and I think it looks cool.

What are your favorite products you have bought for your home and why? I bought a table/lamp combo at the flea market for $35 and it makes me pretty happy. The lamp shade is a super dated accordion style and everyone who visits hates it, but I think it’s great. And the pink peel and stick wallpaper in the kitchen is a fave! I’ve always been in love with pink kitchens, and I’m thrilled I have one of my own.

Please describe any helpful, inspiring, brilliant, or just plain useful small space maximizing and/or organizing tips you have: This may be played out as advice, but I think IKEA has some of the best storage solutions for small space living. The Stall or Hemnes shoe cabinet is like 8” wide and perfect for an entryway. I’m hiding so much unnecessary crap in mine; I should be ashamed.

Finally, what’s your absolute best home secret or decorating advice? I’m on a mission to get people with small spaces to paint them black. I’ve painted ⅓ of my studio black and it looks great and special. Paint can go a long way to make spaces feel different, but no amount of “Chantilly Lace” is going to make 300 square feet feel like 900 square feet. Make it interesting. Also, don’t buy that cheap ass couch!

This house tour’s responses were edited for length and clarity.

A Content Creator’s Brooklyn Home Features Lots of Cute Renter-Friendly Ideas

A Content Creator’s Brooklyn Home Features Lots of Cute Renter-Friendly Ideas

by | Feb 1, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style

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Name: Marikah, my husbae Duran, and our daughter, Maiori
Location: East Flatbush — Brooklyn, New York
Size: 900 square feet
Type of Home: Apartment
Years lived in: 2 years, renting

Multi-hyphenate content creator, blogger, style lover, YouTuber, and Instagram strategist Marikah — who goes by MJ — says she’s always had a passion for interior design. “I have always loved home decor, since before I got married and moved out of my mom’s house,” writes Marikah. “I can sit and binge watch home decor videos on YouTube all day! I’ve  always dreamed of making my apartment as dope as the ones I saw. Home decor for me is an escape from reality. I aim to make my apartment feel how I feel when I go away, cozy and luxurious. When we first moved in, the first thing we purchased was our couch and this was during the pandemic when everyone had to be quarantined so you can only imagine the adventures we had with it. From movie nights, to game nights to eating late, and just enjoying each other’s company. This couch has definitely been our safe haven for sure.” 

Marikah and Duran are renting this one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn, and she says it’s spacious enough to fit everything they need, including all the baby things for their daughter, Maiori. “This apartment compared to others in Brooklyn would be considered very nice and spacious,” writes Marikah. “It’s really hard to come across an apartment like this nowadays for a reasonable price (in a nice neighborhood). My husbae really did his thing when we were apartment shopping. I have to give him his props because he was so good at negotiating and overall researching the perfect fit and style for us. The neighborhood is not loud like other parts of Brooklyn and my neighbors are really nice and friendly. They even go out their way to even hold our packages for us if we aren’t home! Our mailman actually drops our packages to our door, vs. just leaving it downstairs at the mailbox. 10/10 love how this community is.”

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: I think I would describe my style as boho, chic, vintage, and modern. A mixture of all those kind of captures me as a person. Although I’m a sucker for a minimalistic, clean look, sometimes the decor I want to buy shies away from that and that’s OKAY. I think I’ve always kept the minimalist look in a box and didn’t really understand that a “minimalistic aesthetic” can still include a pop of color here or there. I’m really big on clean, boho, chic pieces that stand out and my husbae is the same way, so when it comes to home decor we can always agree quite easily. 

Inspiration: I get my inspiration from YouTube videos the most, but honestly my biggest inspiration comes from my last minute ideas in my head of what I want this space to look and feel like.

Favorite Element: It’s so hard to choose because all of the rooms are amazing to me, but the kitchen and bedroom are my favorites. I love my kitchen because it makes me so proud every time I walk in there. We did a whole 360 in my kitchen when we added those tall storage racks and it has been a game changer for us. We also get the best light in the kitchen and the most beautiful views when it’s snowing in the winter time. I love my bedroom because it gives me freedom to let loose with a combination of different design styles. Since having our daughter, we turned the corner of our bedroom to a little nursery nook, which is definitely a hidden gem and can’t be seen from outside the room when the door is open (a plus). I love that we added the wallpaper in that corner because it gives her little space character and belonging. 

Biggest Challenge: Lighting! Our apartment is towards the back of the building so we don’t get the best lighting. In our living room, outside one of the windows is a brick wall from the building across from us, so it kind of lessens the light (but it is also a hack for privacy keeping). As a plant mom, I had to find a way to overcome this dilemma so we invested in plant lights alongside the curtain rods so it gives our plants the sufficient light they need. I had way more plants than this, but sadly some didn’t make it. I plan to add more plants to my collection soon.

Proudest DIY: I have a couple of my proudest DIYs. First, is the bedroom bookshelves that I added on the wall to hang/showcase some of her favorite dresses and store our bathroom essentials and body oils. Second, the wooden hangers (three to be exact), for her baby bags, carriers, and jackets/coats. Third, in the kitchen, I used different colored mesh bags I snagged from amazon to store my fruits and veggies. Fourth, the windows. On all the window panels I wanted a “window pane look” so I saw a DIY and achieved it by using black electrical tape. The only thing I’d recommend is to swap it out and redo it every two months or so to avoid the sticky residue. Fifth, are our electric blinds from IKEA. This was pricey because we got four in total, but it was worth it. We love to sleep in darkness, and this really keeps out ALL the light at night and during movie nights. Last but definitely not least, the projector on our living room ceiling. We decided to save space and opt out of the “traditional television in the living room look,” for a projector to screen on the wall. My husbae took his time and set that up. This is definitely the best hack of all time and it ties in well with how our lighting situation is set up in our living room. Since we get little light, plus our electric blinds… it’s the perfect combo. Imagine the movie theater feeling right in your living room!

Biggest Indulgence: Our couch! It was pricey, but worth it. It’s literally the most comfiest couch I’ve ever sat on. Everyone rants and raves about it when they come over to visit.

Is there something unique about your home or the way you use it? It captures everything we love and are passionate about. I’ll elaborate a bit. Our plants that take up space within almost every room, our bikes in our entryway, my husbae’s vinyl player and 100s of records, DIY projects that showcase things we love, the storage rack turned bookshelf in our entryway hall, and my storage hacks around my home.

What are your favorite products you have bought for your home and why? Some of my favorite products are our Dyson air purifier and humidifier and our voice-automated blinds and projector systems. We splurged on our Dyson when we found out we were pregnant. We wanted to make sure we had the best, clean air for our baby. We also love our gadgets, so our voice-automated blinds (that also come with a remote) make life so much easier in the mornings. Somewhat like Siri and Alexa, our projector has the feature where we can “speak things into existence.”

Please describe any helpful, inspiring, brilliant, or just plain useful small space maximizing and/or organizing tips you have: Some helpful tips for organization? I got you.

Finally, what’s your absolute best home secret or decorating advice? Go for it! Sometimes because you live in an apartment you can’t always do everything you want to (painting the walls for example), so improvise and find hacks. Amazon, IKEA, and Etsy have all the best DIY tools to transform your home on a budget. You don’t have to spend hundreds to obtain luxury. You can make your home the way you want it to be. Don’t be afraid to step out and do so. Although you’re renting, you can still be comfortable. I have so many other upcoming DIY projects to complete in my home and I cannot wait to do it!

This house tour’s responses were edited for length and clarity.

Erin Derby

Photographer

Originally from California, but turned New Yorker since 2000, I’ve been shooting my entire life and am still inspired and excited about it. Lately I have been putting my energies into my Fine Art, which can be seen on my website and on Saatchi Art. Being infatuated with interior design doesn’t hurt either, which mixes well with my love of photographing interiors.

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