We’re going big with this tiny studio. It’s maybe, maybe, 300 sqft? It’s in Cobble Hill in Brooklyn, and simply put, this spot my friend Tyler found is, perfect. I won’t even start with how great a deal all these items cost us. Here’s a sneak peak. Until more…
They’re charming. They’re horribly painted, with maybe marble here or there. They’re a free shelf. A fake bed frame. Character. Pretend or real. Maybe 120 years old. In any case, they’re here to stay, and you gotta figure out what to do with it. Here’s what we did with ours. Print is from the National Gallery of Australia. Bottles are from a flea market + and an old kale juice pressed. Salmon pot from Target. Books, sadly, and most likely, Amazon. Ooh lala.
I got married! And it was the coolest thing ever! (and yes, I’ll write some more on that soon!)
But now, the sad part, is even the honeymoon is over. After months of planning, rearranging table settings, writing vows, and choosing flowers, glasses have been cheers’d, rings have been exchanged, and a killer honeymoon has been taken.
Ok, so it’s not really over. Our life together has just begun, ya ya ya…. but what about the decor?!!!
Between the wedding weekend and our honeymoon, we had an in-between day that allowed us to do laundry and re-pack bags. We traveled from the wedding (in San Diego), back to Brooklyn, washed clothes, repacked swimsuits, and quickly prepped … yes, in order to relax 🙂 But before we went, I hung up a few of the wedding flowers from our ceremony site in the closet to see if I could get them to dry nicely.
The flowers were from our beautiful, perfect, alter (thank you Organic Elements!) Mixing the culture of my – husband!- and I, we incorporated succulents from southern California and Arizona, and proteas, gum nuts, and kangaroo paw from beautiful Australia. Organic Elements made the ceremony site uniquely us. And I wanted a way to keep that with us.
So we tried our luck with drying, and I hung the flowers from a hanger in our closet (maybe it’s an old wive’s tale, but I think that’s how you do it!:
That was four days ago. We just got home, and before unpacking, I checked on them to see how it went. I then proceeded to grab a couple nails, a hammer, the leftover twine and gold spray painted mini clothes pins we used at the wedding (stay tuned!), and here’s how it turned out. Now, we have memories from our wedding that we can look at each day we wake up. I’m one lucky lady.
Every once in a while, it’s nice to do something crafty. And it doesn’t have to be 100% unique or handmade. Sometimes, it’s nice to just rip out the cuts a store bought project has factory made, build some flowers, and call it a day.
We went to Paper Source this afternoon for a birthday card, and for an extra $25, I came out with this. Ok, we bought a couple other things, too. Man I love that store.
My friend Mathilde lives in a gorgeous home in Williamsburg. She and her husband have the top two floors — the upper level being used as a massive office and spare room. Their living room has so much potential – beautiful wide panel flooring, a maintained brick wall, bright, big windows. The space is great, and allows for a dining area and living room.
Like so many of us, Mathilde is on a budget! So most of her furniture came from Craig’s List, Housing Works, and the likes. She also has a great collection of art work, but isn’t sure exactly how to present it.
While we didn’t get a before pic (of course!), the space felt a little backwards – their large dining table was in front of the windows, and the sofa and red chaise were spread out. Because of the office upstairs, it was important that we make her living room feel private and spacious, and utilize the sunlight to the best of our ability. So we rearranged a bit. With a $500 budget (we only spent $450!), we went to Target and bought a couple basics — a foot rest, a couple lamps, a side table, an entertainment center (actually, the same one we used in Jenna’s space), light bulbs, and a hammer and nails. We also went to the nearby hardware store and nursery and bought — you know it — succulents! And some cute, eclectic pots. Check out what we did. A quick revamp, space changer, and now it totally feels personal, private, bright, and uses the space perfectly!
Can you BELIEVE that side table is from Target? What a deal, and it’s quite good quality for the price we paid! I personally like that the top moves up and down, which made matching it to fit the sofa height quite easy. Same with the lamp — great lamp, neutral but authentic feeling. For those of us that don’t have a massive budget, Target is SO great, especially their Threshold brand.
Mathilde had this great large wood coffee table, and topped it with a bright and cheerful teal cloth. It was a perfect pop of color, and I loved the square shape of the table… breaks up the monotony of everything being rectangular in a space.
And how great is this buffet/book shelf? We rearranged the books and photos, and tidied it up. Doing this changed the piece from a tool that organized books into a piece of decor — that’s high functioning.
For next steps, we’re looking for a neutral, perhaps lightly patterned, rug. We think that’ll pull it all together. In addition, we’re working on the dining space (not shown), and a bar station Mathilde has envisioned. Until then!
a summer lifestyle 
