I saw this fun article in Apartment Therapy the other day about whether you are a ‘fast’ or ‘slow’ designer. I was trying to think of what category I fit into and realized that this, like everything, is a spectrum… and there are projects that I am one way with and others that I am the other… also there are certain aspects within a project where I might lean one way or the other.

Coming up with the overall vision or feel of a space is easy for me, 99% of the time. But sometimes finding that perfect piece can take a little longer. Just because you have a vision that you are trying to bring to life doesn’t mean that that perfect product is for sale just when you need it!

It look me a while to put together my own space. And I also think that this is common among designers in general. It’s far easier to have certainty for your client than for yourself. Wait, I think this happens in a lot of other areas of life too… hmmm…

Here are some photos of my cute little space when I first moved in. Well, really when I first moved in it was painted this sad tan/taupe color and also this really aggressive red color, but I didn’t think to take progress photos until after I had repainted. You’ll just have to use your imagination for that part. So here are my only before photos, no furniture, no curtains, no art… it was still a little sad. But the space was cute and I love the vintage vibe, and it has skylights, total score. It was the first time I’d lived by myself in a while and I knew that I wanted to make it fun, colorful and really feminine. I mean, I’m not going to be living solo forever, so I wanted to make the most of being able to make all of the choices just for myself in this place.

Like most people do, I had a couple of pieces of furniture that I was starting with, a vintage side table and credenza and my awesome vintage lacquer chest. Also this old side chair that I bought with the intention of refinishing and have since completely given up on ever finishing myself. One day I might pay someone to do that for me, for now, it sits pretty inconspicuously in my space as a trusty laundry holder.

I had a lot of space to fill for a tiny apartment. I knew the feeling I was going for and that I wanted color and lots of pattern. I considered a sectional sofa for like five minutes but then opted for a traditional one in the name of keeping the space as open as possible. Here’s where I ended up.

sofa, EQ3 \ rug, nuloom \ coffee table and curtains, West Elm \ accent pillows, Caitlin Wilson \ credenza, vintage

The guy helping me place the order for my sofa said that the teal was a brave choice. I was flattered. No room for safe neutrals here. But then again, ‘neutral’ just depends on how you look at something, but we’ll talk about that in another post.

A fun teal sofa, lots of gold and white, and a bright pink patterned rug together with the pieces I was starting with really brought my space to life. And since I really only have one wall for the TV and art, I went with a gallery wall solution that I’ve had fun filling out over time and is always changing. I do have a lot of different colors and patterns going on, but they are all complimentary and together I think they compliment both my style and the space well. A big part of creating a space that feels great is working with the personality of the space and the person who will be inhabiting it.

Here is my living space now!

And of course now that my place is all put together and ‘finished’ I’m ready to say goodbye and am simultaneously wanting to redo everything in the mean time. It can be tough to resist that urge but I’m really thinking that my new space will take on a whole new shape and feel. I’m excited to discover my new space and create an entirely new look there, which is just one of the many things I love about the new beginning that we get when we move!