Hello Hello!
Today I wanted to share some photos of our apartment and have a little chat about how we've been gradually turning this "house" into a home. We've been here for over three years now (how crazy is that?!) and have been loving the process of slowly decorating and putting our own stamp on the place.
The space where you live can have such a huge impact on how you feel and I am so appreciative every single day to have this space to call our own. It's our little sanctuary where we can completely relax and recharge no matter what has been going on in the world outside and somewhere that I can have fun styling and creating little areas of prettiness!
Our Approach To Decorating
Our approach to decorating has been, as I mentioned above, a gradual process. When we moved in we had very little furniture and didn't rush to fill the place straight away. Instead, we've taken our time, found pieces we really love and plan to keep for years and have, bit by bit, been creating a home. It's a mix of old and new pieces; Gumtree, Ikea, West Elm and Freedom have been the main sources and I love that by choosing pieces we really love, we've slowly developed our own style. I'd say it's a mix of rustic and mid-century modern. A little eclectic but still quite classic and with lots of little personal touches.
Our place is still very much a work in progress, but it's come so far from when we first moved in! I thought I'd take you round to a few of my favourite corners and talk you through them;
The Reading Nook
This area is one of my favourite corners of the apartment. We used to have our dining table in this space (because the kitchen is just to the left of the photo) but did a bit of a re-jig and have turned it into a little reading nook. We love the classic look of this tan leather armchair and recently added this blush pink velvet one to the space too. I love how the two look together and think it's kinda cute that we now have an armchair each to sit and read in. The blush pink colour adds a beautiful feminine touch to the space but still has quite a classic, timeless feel.
I feel like this space is so perfect for us as we're both big bookworms and it's such a nice spot to be able to sit together and read.
The latest addition to the space is our Gallery Wall which features a few engagement photos and prints done by local artists (Alina Tang and By the Crooked Brook). I'm so happy with how it turned out!
The Study
The study is another of my favourite rooms because of the North facing windows and the beautiful light that comes with them. Because of that, this space has become my Indoor Plant Room and I'm very proud to say that my Peace Lily (the biggest plant in the photo) has been thriving for the past 3 years!
We recently put the floral print up on the wall (it's actually a piece of super pretty wrapping paper!) and I love how it ties in with the nature theme of the room.
In terms of furniture, this room has a mix of West Elm (the desk and chair which I LOVE) - and good old Ikea. That little Ikea trolley has come in so handy for storing bits and pieces and I love styling my desk with plants, prints and a selection of different frames.
My Peace Lily was perched on top of a cardboard box for about three years and I'm happy to have finally bought a little stool for it to sit on! It's one of those silly things I should have done ages ago because it only cost about $7 and has made a huge difference to how the place looks!
The other side of the room is still a work in progress but I love how pretty this side is so far!
The Bedroom
Our bedroom dresser is one of those staple Ikea pieces that I'm sure you would have seen before, but it's a staple because it's just so good! I really love the look of this dresser and it's also such a practical furniture piece (a very labour intensive one to put together though with all those drawers!!)
This space gets switched up quite often as I like moving pictures around and playing with different ways of styling this area. These two prints are new ones that I bought at a market for local artists called The Perth Upmarket. I love supporting local artists and actually getting to meet the creators - it makes the work feel extra special and meaningful! The larger print is by Magali Dincher of Beau Est Mien and features famous locations around Perth. The beautiful plant print is by Sofie Seyah and I really love the colours of this one!
The gold framed mirror is something I picked up at a Flea Market for a great price and I've decorated it with a few photos of Tom and I, our wedding menu and that cute "I'm so lucky to have you" card (Both the menu and card are by the wonderful Kelsie White). This space is also where I keep my jewellery, perfumes and other little trinkets. I feel like having little personal touches around really adds so much character and life to a space and always puts a smile on my face.
One of the things that made the biggest difference to the space has been changing the old curtains out for these white linen ones (from Ikea). They immediately made the space feel more bright and airy, and I love that they let so much beautiful light filter through in the mornings.
Our bedside tables were a great bargain find from Gumtree when we first moved in. We took a little white paint to them to get rid of the red tinge in the wood and now they are one of my favourite pieces. The lamps I've had for ages and are from Laura Ashley. I like how they add a slightly more glamorous touch to the room!
The print on my bedside tables tends to change frequently (I like moving things around!)
For a long time I had the cute print above by Little Sketchy there (you can't see it in the photo but there's text at the bottom that says "Appreciate the little things" - something I always try to do!)
Right now I've been loving displaying this photo (one of my favourites) from our engagement shoot.
So that brings us to the end of this little tour of our apartment! Hopefully it's given you some ideas or inspiration for decorating your own space. It's all about adding little personal touches to make the space special and unique to you. Even if a space doesn't quite fit your "Pinterest perfect" dreams, it's always possible to create little corners of beauty!
My Decorating Tip - Take Time And Enjoy The Process!
My biggest tip to share with anyone starting out with decorating a new space (particularly if you're moving out for the first time!) would be not to rush and fill the space straight away. Take your time, slowly figure out your style and enjoy each stage of the process!
Enjoy eating dinner on the floor (it's one of my favourite memories!)
Enjoy making do with free furniture found on the side of the road during verge pick-ups that you can easily pass on when they're no longer needed.
Have fun finding and doing up second-hand pieces from Gumtree.
Visit Ikea but be selective in your purchases!
Invest in pieces you absolutely love when you can afford them
That way, you can slowly develop your style, figure out what you love and what works for you, and gradually put together a collection of meaningful pieces that feel homey and personal to you.
There's still lots I'd love to do to our apartment and things I'm hoping to change - but I'm enjoying the unfolding of it all!
Let me know if you've enjoyed the post or if you have any decorating tips of your own! I'd love for you to come say hi on Instagram - @laurennatalia29 or leave a comment below!
Lots of Love
Lauren
xxx