Styling & Decorating A Small Apartment - Part 1

Size does not matter. Not when it comes to styling a home at least. For the past seven years I have been living in a small rooftop apartment with a mere 32 square meters. Thus I am often asked about how to style and decorate a small apartment. Well, I am not a trained interior designer nor stylist, so my idea of styling a home is a very hands-on approach. Go with the feeling, play around, apply a trial-and-error approach, give it some time and tweak around. A home is never finished - it grows and lives with you.

My overall mantra for styling a small apartment is 'one in - one out'. It is a hard one, but it is the only way to avoid too much clutter. Sometimes I fail my own mantra - for example when it comes to vintage ceramics or cushions (may I be forgiven), but I try to let go of things that I do not love entirely. I want to buy a new chair? Fine, then I need to get rid of another one at home. Am I ready to do that? Question mark! But I think that is the only way I managed to sail in the waters of interior design blogging without ending up with a zillion things in my small apartment (suffocated under a pile of stylish throw cushions if you want so).

When I pick furniture for my apartment, I try to find stylish and functional furniture with lots of storage space - think of beds with storage space underneath, think of chest of drawers (I have all my DVDs and BluRays in those drawers), think of shelves and using your walls for storage and go for stools instead of more chairs. When not in use, pile your books and magazines on them and top it off with a nice houseplant. Easy, right? Extra tip: Use large mirrors to visually expand your home - I have two mirrors opposed to each other and they make the room look wider and brighter. 

Don't be afraid to display what you love - I love my vintage ceramics so I keep them on my sideboard but I change the arrangement and placing from time to time. Keep them grouped together - it makes a stronger impact and keeps your small interior cleaner. 

Of course my life would be much easier if I were a minimalistic all-white kind of guy. But hey, I love my knickknacks too much to let go. But loving home decor does not mean living in chaotic clutter - not even in a small apartment. For the German speaking/reading among you, I blogged about styling a small apartment on Roombeez too. 

Next week I will share the second part of my 'Styling A Small Apartment' story. 

Happy Thursday!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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Why This Room Caught My Eye

After a tiny break my Tuesday series 'Why This Room Caught My Eye' is back and celebrates the last days of summer with a warm, vibrant and inviting living room design. While we are heading towards autumn and winter, our down under friends in Australia are facing spring and summer. Thus, this beautiful living room was featured in the Australian Inside Out Magazine and caught my eye instantly. The reasons are pretty obvious, right? But let's break it down:

• Yellow Accents: Yellow is the strongest colour to create a warm and sunny atmosphere in interiors, even during winter. I love to add a few yellow accents in my home too. But this living room exemplifies it to perfection: A round rug, an accent cushion and fresh yellow flowers tie the color story together.
• Matching Blue: Here we are with my all-time favorite colour combination: yellow and blue. By placing the white and blue accent cushion on the sofa the entire interior gets a summery look and feel recalling the seaside and warm sunshine. It is literally like holiday at home. 
• Pink & Purple Details: The colour story of this home is brought to completion with the subtle pinch of pink and purple hues to round up the warm feeling. Soft pink accents on a cushion, a pink bowl and books as well as a bright purple vase and pink kitchen towel in the background please the beholding eye and make this home a colorful but not overdone interior.

Is this interior catching your eye, too?

Photography by Brooke Holm, styling by Marsha Golemac, via Inside Out Magazine

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Why This Room Caught My Eye

Orange is a colour I always put on the side of more 'challenging' interior design and styling thoughts. Why? Because I am very suspicious of orange as a colour in interiors. It seems to be too flashy, too dominant and too individual in its first sight appearance. I found it always difficult to fit in my own interiors but then I was challenged to tackle the colour with a new vase (I blogged about it HERE) and after doing some Pinterest research I must admit that orange is an absolutely legitimate colour in interior design.

Orange should be carefully considered and used adequately. This example of a living room with orange elements is a great proof for that: Combined with similar warm hues from the same colour family and placed in a neutral background it comes to its full and beautiful force. But let me put it in three simple points:

• Orange & Warm Hues: The use of warm hues of the same colour family with a clear dominance of orange makes this room very bright and inviting. It looks cosy and uplifting - a place where you can see yourself unwind as well as have inspiring conversations with friends.
• Ethnic Patterns: Ethnic patterns seem to be a great friend of vibrant colours. The rug on the floor and wall as well as the pillows make for a perfect stage to showcase the colours in this room.
• Black Cabinet: The wooden black cabinet is a strong visual counterpart to the vibrant hues. It calms the entire room, sets a focal point and ties in with the remaining furniture - if it was another colour the room could quickly turn into a restless visual chaos.

What do you think of orange? Is it a colour you can handle in your interiors?

Photography via Norrgavel

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Why This Room Caught My Eye

Yesterday was such a splendid and sunny day in Munich - spring was definitely in the air. I felt invigorated and had a smile on my face all day long although it was a dreary Monday. This sunny spring mood inspired me to pick a colorful room for my Tuesday blog series 'Why This Room Caught My Eye'. 

My eye got hooked on the colorful room of a very famous TV host and stylist - Emily Henderson. The corner of her living room is a stunning colour feast for the eye - vibrant, saturated hues blend into the white and wooden room and the use of ethnic elements and house plants complete the interior styling. But let's break it down in my three main eye-catchers:

• Eye-catcher on the wall: The wall hanging looks pretty much like a macramé and catches the beholder's eye with its ethnic motive and vibrant colours. I assume this wall hanging has been the key-piece to influence the room's styling seeing the colours repeated on the sofa.
• Vibrant Colours: The use of a saturated blue is a perfect backdrop for the vibrant oranges, reds, pinks, yellows. A fantastic use of color accents in one corner of the room.
• Plants: As an Urban Jungle Blogger I can't help but notice the adorable house plants in this room - the big paddle cactus is just a fantastic eye-catcher!

Does this room catch your eye, too?

Photography via Emily Henderson

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