REDESIGNING SPACE: NEW JERSEY LIVING
This past year has been a bit of a whirlwind for me personally, picking up and moving to New Jersey in a matter of weeks to take a new job. And anyone who knows me knows where I'm living and the way that it's designed is really important to me. I like to feel like I'm "home" so to speak. So it was really important to me over these past 9 months to create a space that I'd enjoy coming back to and hanging out in. The very first sign that things would settle in was the hanging of "The Bull".
THE LIVING ROOM
The first "adult" purchase where I thought we were making progress was this white (!) Paez Sofa from Wayfair. Initially I thought this is nuts- it's white and I'm a klutz. But the outer covers all come off and can be washed and bleached if needed. I love it so much, and it's super comfortable! Visible in this shot as well is the Rug I purchased from Wayfair (big fan of them if you can't tell). Rugs set the vibe for a room, and everything else just falls into line based on its aesthetics. I loved the way Seamus (The Bull) would look with this print. And (big bonus) it also complimented the many plants!
Ah the plants. It's a remarkable feat of nature that they made it here in a Uhaul. I still can't believe it, actually. But I was thrilled with the amount of light this apartment gets, and also how much of it is Indirect Light. If you're wondering what the heck Indirect Light is and why it's so important to know for indoor gardens, please see the previous Botanical Issue.
A reverse angle reveals the new dining table, that I very happily picked up from my friend Ayanna in Jersey City. It's beautiful and fit perfectly right on the other side of the room. When I first got here the apartment was much larger than I had remembered when I briefly saw it. A great problem to have, except it's difficult to fill rooms- especially since this was the first time I was living by myself, so I didn't have a ton of furniture. Other notables in the shot are the faux Sheepskin Rug, Macrame Wall Hanging, and Velvet Pillows. All purchases to try and fill this space and again, feed off of the vibe set by that great rug.
Where to next? The Kitchen was an interesting design. The apartment building I'm in is a pre-war brick that has interesting twists and turns. There were more cabinets in here than I knew what to do with though eventually I filled most of them, and covered the walls with reminders of friendly faces!
THE KITCHEN
Creamer? Check. Measuring cups? Check!
Above and left are different Anthropologie purchases made over time. The company routinely switches out its measuring cups designs and always has something super fun to add to your kitchen for a pop of color. The Elephant is also a super cute planter if you're someone who isn't a huge dairy drinker.
I had so many friends send me just the nicest notes and hello's as I got my bearings here. I hung them all on the fridge to greet me every morning! These also served a dual purposes because they look really sweet but also added a friendly, welcoming vibe to the room, which is the first stop as you walk into the apartment. Above is the cutest little honey pot. I found it at an adorable boutique in the neighboring town of Maplewood, NJ.
There are a number of great stores there, including Perch Home and No. 165, items from both are feature in this apartment.
Leaving the kitchen you'll head down a short hallway that has a couple key elements in it. Of note for us here is the Runner (Wayfair, natch) and a few other personal touches. The side table is a redrafted Goodwill find, painted over and refinished (details HERE) while the wreath is my own design, carried by LEAF Home Design (found HERE). Moving right along brings us to the bathroom, a bright yellow, checkerboard floored room that was just calling for some love when I got here...
THE BATHROOM
La Toilette! Again, many of these details have been previously documented, but I am a huge fan of Mercury Glass. Love it love it. The top row has a few Anthropologie purchases, but those are intermixed with some TJ MAXX finds as well, including these super sweet succulent washcloths!
I was on the fence (clearly I am not skimping on plant-themed elements here) but my friend Elizabeth insisted and I'm glad she did. For additional details on where to find some of these Mercury Glass or bathroom decor elements, see HERE.
The Butterflies were a gem find in a Queens boutique called Lockwood where my friend Michelle took me on a New York adventure day. Their store is really great and full of wonderful (and reasonably priced) decorative finds!
But what's behind the curtain, you say? I mean did you really have to ask? As every great gardener knows, bathrooms with fogged glass means airplants!
Seated on the window sill along with the shampoo is a baby Staghorn Fern as well as an assortment of happy Tillandsia. Why are bathrooms such great places for these particular specimens? Check out LEAF for all things indoor gardening. And for even more fun Air Plant ideas, take a look HERE.
THE BEDROOM
The final stop on this apartment tour, the bedroom. I love this bedroom, but again, it was a really long room and having a bed and shelves, which is all I had when I got here, just wasn't enough to make it seem like I wasn't swimming in space.
The Desk is one of my favorite new purchases. It can be ordered from numerous places but I ordered mine from Walmart, as well as the Chair. The white
Shag Rug is also from the same company, though my guess is it's also available other places as well. Those macrame plant hangers are IKEA finds and super affordable, I might add.
But what's on that desk? Lots of cool things, I gotta say. I'm a really
big fan of finding great ceramicists and Massachusetts has a wonderful group of independent artists working in clay. At left is Christina Kosinski whose work is available at a number of boutiq
ues as well as pop ups and art fairs. Above are tumblers by Lisa Knebel, a personal favorite. I think her glazes are so beautiful and classy. For those eagle eyes out there, yes. Those are the geo coasters from Anthropologie! Each are unique so I strongly suggest purchasing in person where possible. And before you think to yourself "That's a really expensive store," I want you to know- I totally know. I worked there and that's the only reason why I honestly have the things that I do.
Full price can be tough but there are always affordable alternatives that look classy and creative.
For tips on the coffee filter headboard and how you can make your own, pop over HERE. The bed is IKEA and the bedspread Anthropologie! And that about concludes today's post. Definitely get in touch if there's something you saw I didn't provide details for. I'm always happy to share where I found things. And for any plant concerns, please reach out via LEAF's Contact Page, I'm more than happy to consult for indoor plant care :) In fact that only thing I feel like I'm missing around here right now... is a Porch! Dare to dream.
