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Minamalism : a style or technique (as in music, literature, or design) that is characterized by extreme spareness and simplicity.
I always knew that my best-friend, Ashley was a person of simplicity, but until she moved in to her beautiful high rise apartment in New York City, I had no clue as to how simple she really was. Here she is in her new studio apartment on the 9th floor with a view that could make any New Yorker drip with envy and she had no textiles! How Tragic!
Ash loves nice things, and just like most of us, she’ll spend a good coin on our friends, Guiseppe, Christian and Louis but when it comes to the home; less is better for her.
So when I offered to do her place, she was open minded. However, I wanted to design a space that spoke to her and that she could identify with. As we went through designs we discovered that she loved hollywood glam but was a modernist at heart. So I decided to to give her a clean look with a “nod” to glam instead of something that would make her go into shock. Keep in mind this full makeover was done for less than a thousand dollars.
Here are some images of what her space looked like before I took over.
She is going to kill me when she sees that I posted a pic of her unmade bed
This was her seating area
We bought this piece on Craigslist for 30 bucks.
Her hallway was filled with just the items she needed, such as her books and her vanity
And with some curtains, bedding and some color…..
Tada !!! I kept the top of the bed empty so Ash wouldn’t be too overwhelmed, but pimped out the side tables to bring glamour and accentuate the space
I added neutral colors for her bedding and used gold accented pillows for texture, color and POP
At the time of this design, Ashley was an MBA student and so she needed her desk. So I decided to have her utilize her desk as a vanity when she wasn’t using it as a desk. I also purchased the x-ottoman at Target and reupholstered it in this coral fabric.
I added some storage for her as well with these inexpensive ikea etageres I spray painted gold to give more glam. Ash was able to display her books and even her shoes on these shelves. You can see that image on my landing page on my design site.
Instead of her original seating, I added a small settee with an accent chair where she could entertain 2 or more guests. I also added some inexpensive frames with images of iconic african american hollywood actresses.
Her revised hallway is added with a mirror and an updated vanity that I painted a pearly white and added glitzy hardware. I also added my original pinboard from an old picture frame that I thrifted, you can see the transformation here
Another chair that I found while thrifting and gave it a new life with painting and reupholstering. I also thrifted the lamp and you can see the transformation here
Although I would’ve done a lot more layering and designing, it’s just the way Ash wanted it. She wanted design but still wanted to remain minimal and thats what I gave her. She’s a caring girl with a great heart and deserves so much and this was the least I could’ve done for her.
This is her studio layout
Here’s the bittersweet part about it all, She’s no longer a bachelorette; she’s getting married next year and so she will be leaving this beautiful space one day and moving with her husband. The bitter: Bye bye to single life and that beautiful view. The sweet: Hello to true love and a new home that her best-friend can design.
Thanks for taking the time out to look at her transformation, don’t forget to leave your comments and share !