guest post: ampersandity's apartment.
we are in for such a treat today -- cathie from ampersandity is here to share her lovely new home -- as you will see she has taken such care in EVERY detail, it's such an inspiration for me as we move into our new digs. even better, she is so generously doing the first ever giveaway on t&f with one of her lovely address stamps! more on that in the next post!! with no further adieu --
My husband and I just moved into our two-bedroom apartment about a month ago, and we’ve been busy-busy-busy trying to personalize it and make it our own. It’s always been a conviction of mine to put the effort into making each home a true “home”, even if we only stay there for one year.
We still have all the little details to take care of – wall art, mirrors, accessories, clocks, etc. But in my opinion, we’ve made for ourselves a pretty good foundation to work off of.
So without further ado, I will share two of my favorite spots in our humble abode. First up, our living/dining area:
This is our main room, which serves as both a living room and dining room. I have loved this deep teal color for as long as I can remember & finally decided to be bold & paint our wall that color. Absolutely no regrets. :] Our sofa is probably our most favorite piece of furniture in the house – it was our one splurge when we got married & we adore it for its form & function. This is where the hubby & I hang out at night, where we eat snacks & talk when we have company, and where our friends used to sleep when we didn’t have a guest bedroom. ;]
It was a deliberate decision to put the dining table right next to our window, so we would get lots of natural light when we eat. I love photography, especially photographing food, so this was a must! (Confession: Our first apartment didn’t get much natural light except by the sliding glass door, so I would often plate my food & photograph it on the floor by the window. Kind of insane, but you gotta do what you gotta do!) I love the view of our color-coordinated Expedit bookshelf and my growing collection of vintage globes on top.
The aloe plant is from my thoughtful husband, who brought me this as a substitute for flowers on a day I was feeling kind of blue. I should note that it is the first plant I have managed to keep alive. We swapped out our cheapo classical dining chairs for more modern chairs. A mid-century modern feel that doesn’t break the bank. And hung our favorite pendant light to provide the perfect mood lighting for dinner parties. We love eating here, just the two of us, and also love that we accommodate a good number of guests for extravagant dinners, casual brunches, and everything in between. :]
My second favorite spot of the house is our little office:
The office is where I spend most of my day, quietly laboring away at my little desk until it’s time to make dinner. We painted this wall a cross between mustard & chartreuse, another color I have been really into lately. We bought my husband’s desk (left) off of Craigslist and had a lot of fun giving it new life with a fresh coat of light grey paint. And found my desk (right) in the garage of our apartment complex. It was dilapidated – wood panels falling off, lots of knicks, and only one knob. But we revived it with some primer, paint, & some cute red knobs!
I found a vintage letterpress type tray at the Rose Bowl Flea & turned it into a little shelving unit for all my little knickknacks: Japanese masking tape, calligraphy ink, bakers twine, mini clothespins, and the like. Books on my desk include Meg & Joy’s new book Creative, Inc., Elyse Fitzpatrick’s A Steadfast Heart, my trusty journal, and Bible. Here is where I do all my crafting, design work, stamp-making, and blogging.
Our place is simple, but I love it because it’s “us” and it’s ours. Thanks for having me on T&F!
home sweet home Friday, September 10, 2010 at 9:00AM
Reader Comments (9)
I love the teal wall! Looks great with all the light coming in and your furniture :)
So wonderful!! Love the desk you redid with the red knobs!
it really does take that artist's eye to turn dilapidated do-nothings into stylish, functional works.
and i love the teal..................
isn't her place amazing? i'm in LOVE with how the books on the shelves are by their spine's color - can't wait to try that!! xo
Really well put together! I love her color schemes.
I adore Cathie's style. I wish she decorated apartments in addition to everything else she does.
Hi there,
What is the color name and brand of that luscious teal?!?!
Thanks!
You have such a cool place Cathie! LOVE your yellow walls - looks like it would be a cheerful and inspiring place to work. And I'm just in LOVE with your color coded bookcase - too fun!
love cathie hong's work so it was super sweeeet to see her adorable apt!!!
and this is my first time on your blog and its so cute! im sure ill be back again soon.
happy weekend, friend. :)