Single Girl Bachelor Apartment

You may remember, a few months ago (and through various mention in posts for the past 3 months), when I started this project. "The Single Girl Bachelor": When Ashley, the single girl, contacted me to do her bachelor apartment, I was more that ecstatic to work with her especially after hearing the horrific trials she had been through. Newly migrated to the city, Ashley first found herself living in a basement apartment a little bit smaller than this one. A few months after living in the space, she realized that her respiratory health had decreased tremendously. Something seemed to be in the air. After sometime away from her apartment she was welcomed home with the sight of mold that had grown on ALL her belongings. Her bed, sofa, cloths, shoes... I mean EVERYTHING. My space is my sanctuary, so I cannot even begin to imagine the feeling of coming home to that horror.

So moving into this new rental, Ashley was starting with nothing and a suffocatingly T-I-G-H-T budget to furnish her new space. I knew it would be tough, a definite thrift store and craigslist/kijiji project, but I was up for the challenge. My goal at the end of it was to have Ashley overjoyed with warmth every time she open the door to her place. Maybe in some small way it would help to relieve the pain of her first city rental experience.

The Before

I wasn't kidding when I said that she was starting from scratch with nothing. With the help of my favourite thrift shops and months of scouring the net, here is the reveal of the "Single Girl Bachelor Apartment"; decorating from scratch on a shoe thread budget. 

The Reveal

Small Space, Big ART

I've been working on a design for a new small space I am working on and have been going back and forth on what I can do to add impact. After looking around my own small space for inspiration the answer was right in front of me, taking up space on my feature wall. Art! Not just any art though... LARGE scale, gives-you-no-choice-but-to-look type art.

I love the effect massive art has in a small space. It works just like a wallpapered or a painted accent wall; it draws you in. I haven't decided on the type of art I will be using yet but I do know that it is one of the tricks I will be using to make my client's small space feel like home in a grand way!

Happy Monday Small Space Dwellers!

It's Friday! So Let's Tell Secrets...

*shrieks of excitement* It's Friday! I'm not sure if it's the fact that New Years Day interrupted the week and landed on a Tuesday or if it is the first Friday of the new year but I'm excited that this is the last day of the week! Hence my dancing friends to the left :)  

In the spirit of the day I figured that a little secret telling was in order. A few months ago House Beautiful shared 101 Decorating Secrets from design experts such as Myra Hoefer and Christopher Peacock. 

All timbits of wisdom and trick of the designer trade. Here, I share my favourites. Feel free to share your own timbits of goodness. After all, what's life without a little secret telling *wink*. Have an awesome first Friday of the year and an even better weekend!

Sending love and merry dancing,

This Year's Trend: Break the Rules!

Small Space Dwellers, I must start by sending my love to each of you and wishing you a Happy New Year! I am truly grateful and blessed for the gifts and lessons of 2012 and am excited to see what is in store for 2013! I don't do the resolution thing, mostly because I never keep them...lol, but I do step into each year with a theme. Last year was my year of 'Nakedness' - Living freely without fear of showing who I am and what I love. From this Eight Hundred Sq. Ft. was born, among other wonderful things. This year my theme is 'Limitless'. I am venturing courageously into this 2013th year breaking away the boundaries I used to set for myself about what I can achieve.  This year I am going to live the BREADTH and width of it!

So it was very fitting when I saw this months issue of Style at Home Magazine. They have declared the trend for 2013, 'BREAKING THE RULE, DECORATE THE WAY YOU LOVE', which I completely resonate with. I have always been an advocate for living the way you love and this includes your space; especially when your home is small and space is limited.

To kick off this year of decorating the way you love, I've decided to showcase Designer and Stylist Nicola Marc's 900 sq. ft. 1920s Montreal apartment, a re-feature from Style at Home. Nicola's space immediately evokes a sense of comfort and playfulness. Her choice of an aubergine and mustard palette with pops of moody accents is a definite "swoon". I love her audacity for mixing geometrics, stripes and paisley. She has wonderfully executed a bold yet harmonious design. Definitely "breaking the rules" worthy.

Cheers Small Space Dwellers! Here is to a year of rule breaking and life loving!

XOXO,

Happy Holiday from Me to You!

I just wanted to wish you all a fabulous holidays! Be sure to eat lots, laugh more, and love deeply throughout this festive time!

Big hugs and smiles!!

Day 5: Living in a Nutshell

Our 5th and final space (and my absolute favourite) on this amazing small space tour is Janet Lee's wonderfully fabulous New York apartment. It is difficult to know where to begin because there is so many delicious elements to choose from. Her space is flooding with personality! From the charcoal grey picture frame gallery wall to her caviar tin feature wall to the amazing bursts of colour, her eclectic nutshell of an apartment keeps your mind and eyes fascinated.

I love how she has decorated every inch of her space with unconventional grandeur. Her space is such a source of inspiration and beacon of light to renters, showing that style can come in small packages; owned or not! *Round of applause Janet Lee* You will DEFINITELY be seeing some of these ideas incorporated into my spaces. I'll just have to figure out which one I want to do first.

Live large Small Space Dwellers!!

Day 4: Retro Metro Boathouse

We are at day 4 folks and this one is a little unconventional. TV host and designer, Tracy Metro's 1975 40's Harbor Master Houseboat is tiny but fitted with fun and bright pop of goodness! She has used every square inch of her space, making sure that every nook and cranny was used efficiently.


Sparing no luxury, she was able to fit a gorgeous tufted headboard and wall-mounted lamps into her crawl-in bedroom. She has proven that regardless of size you can inject personality into any space; on land or water! Watch her video as she gives us a tour of Retro Metro.

Day 3: The Unfolding Apartment

Day 3's small space feature pays homage to great architecture and design. Eric Schneider's 400 sq. ft. apartment, on the upper west side of Manhattan, packs away neatly into a wall. A kitchen, closet, bathroom, office and living room turned guest quarters are all created by moveable partitions. Talk about simplicity and brilliance all at the same time!

I love this space because it is well thought out with everything having its place. With a 'click' 'clack' and 'snap' you have 5 rooms in one tiny 400 sq. ft. apartment. Who says you can't have it all in a small space!

Day 2: Half-Bedroom Apartment

Now day 2's small space feature is a tiny one. Jen Chu's half bedroom apartment is only 78 sq. ft. and literally just that; a BEDroom. With her space being so tiny, she decided to make the only piece of furniture in the room the star. Her canopy bed gives her room grandeur and class, and also acts as storage. The shelving allows her to surround herself with the things she loves.

I love this space because Jen pushes the limit and proves that no matter how small your space you can always leave your stamp of style on it.

Live Large Small Space Dweller!

XOXO

Day 1: Fitting Life in a 200 Sq. Ft. Apartment

Our 5 days of small space features starts with Suzi West's 200 Sq. Ft. decadent New York apartment. Her space is a great representation of how you can take what you already own and stage it beautifully within your home. Her 200 sq ft apartment is a testament to amazing interior design in a small space. 

There are so many elements I am hot for; her over dyed fucshia rug, her amber patent file, her sofa bed... I can go on. Her space totally inspired me and gets my stamp of approval for BIG living in a small space.