Case of the Mondays: Apartment Entry
This week’s COTM is the entryway of my rental apartment.
Welcome to my humble abode!
Over the last few weeks, I’ve shared my mood boards and DIY design plans for three different rooms at our cottage (the master bedroom, the dining room, and the kitchen), but this week, I’m sharing my plans for the entry at my apartment.
I love my little rental apartment in the city – it’s in a great location (steps from the beach, shops, favourite local restaurants, etc.), I’ve got a reasonable rent, and I’ve slowly been adjusting it over the years to make it feel more and more like my own. It’s a rickety, old, 3-storey walk up that has character and I like that about it. However, because it’s a rental, there isn’t much in the way of updating that I’m allowed to do, and I don’t want to invest too much into it because of that reason as well. But, I think it is still important to put art on the walls, furnish, and decorate an apartment enough for it to feel like home because you are going to spend at least a year (lease) if not longer in it so nest away!
“A great way to bring personality into a space is by mixing design styles. I think it’s a good thing and should be encouraged.”
The first space you enter is the foyer/entry. The bathroom is right beside you when you walk in, and the space is narrow. There’s an old milk door which has been boarded up, but a cool detail none-the-less. There are no windows so it’s quite dark. The floor is a yellow-y sheet vinyl that was layered on top of the old vinyl flooring and the base is the original quarter round with many layers of paint. The walls are “renter’s white”, that creamy beige that is standard for rental units, and the lighting is the original fixture that has been painted over several times and secured into place because of it.
As much as I would love to rip up the flooring and base and lay new stuff, it’s not something I’m ready to invest in just yet (I’d also have to confirm with my landlord!), so I plan to change the look and feel of the floor by adding a runner along the length of the space. Brendan likes sneakers and I like to have options, so ample shoe storage is key. And so are the remaining staples for an entry way – key and mail storage, a mirror, art, and a (faux) plant for some life/greenery. Last but not least, I’d like to add a trim detail to the doors (bedroom, bathroom, and entry) that all open off of this area. It will add dimension to the door.
Current situation:
IKEA shoe storage
IKEA pegboard
Doormat
Original 1950 light, cover is missing (just an exposed bulb)
Below is a quick sketch of the floor plan. I’ve annotated it with the changes I plan to make:
Design intent:
I want this space to have personality, while being functional, warm, and inviting.
A great way to bring personality into a space is by mixing design styles. I think it’s a good thing and should be encouraged! I feel like sticking to one style only can make a room fall flat or feel like it’s trying too hard (does that make sense?) Mixing styles is dynamic and a great way to ‘layer’ a look.
I would categorize the design style in the apartment at vintage bohemian –an eclectic mix of vintage furniture and objects, paired with new and modern pieces. That’s what I’d like to create in the entry, by using a vintage-look rug, Scandinavian elements (hello, Ikea!), and some unique pieces.
Below is the mood board for the entry:
What needs to be done:
New runner (2.5’ x 9’ approx.)
New light fixture
Art and décor
Coat hooks
Add trim detail to doors
What needs to be purchased:
All of the supplies to complete this DIY door trim detail
And last but not least…
BUDGET:
$300
For the next COTM post, since warm Spring and Summer weather are on the horizon, I’ll be heading back to the cottage and sharing my design plans for our outdoor living space – the covered deck. We are partway through updating it, so I will share photos of before and current. Tune in next week for those plans!
All the things,
Hello! Catherine here.
I’m a Vancouver-based interior designer and love all things creative! I’ll be sharing things that inspire me, posting design tips and DIY projects, chatting about all kinds of topics, and hopefully inspiring some people to make little changes at home to create an environment that is functional, beautiful, and a perfect reflection of you!
