Let me be upfront about this: I live in a basement rental right in the middle of Washington, D.C. There are two windows - well, one, but my front door has a plane of glass that I lovingly refer to as a window. It's a massive 600 square feet. Gray walls in every room. And, I LOVE it.
You already know a little bit about me from this introduction, but I'd love to show you around and share some more about myself.
My space is 100% mine - for the first time ever, I live alone. Each pile of laundry, dirty plate, and, most excitingly, design choice is mine. While design for me is never done, my space right now is perfectly illustrative of my "mid-century / industrial / glam aesthetic." You already know that I love gold, and nothing proves it better than my living room!
That being said, my living room is the source of my latest internal struggle: symmetry or asymmetry? Note: the pillow asymmetry on the couch is not intentional. The other orange pillow is just housed in my bedroom to hold while I sleep. Design has to be practical, right?
Something else I love about my apartment: how it smells. Let's call it "Apartment Quality #2 that I love." I have a huge bundle of dyed eucalyptus that smacks me in the face every time I walk in the door. And then there's my favorite candle ever - the LA Noir - one of five scents from Scenthouse LA.
From Scenthouse owner CJ:
“These are subtle but highly cognitive fragrances that are designed to set a mood. We’ve all had different experiences that inform what memories are recalled when we smell something – so if I can evoke a reaction, positive or negative, then I’ve done my job.”
To me, this candle - with its hint of lily, French perfume, dust, and tobacco - takes me back to one of my two favorite vacation destinations: Palm Springs, CA (the other is Copenhagen, Denmark, in case you were wondering). I think traveling to Palm Springs with my parents when I was little girl subconsciously embedded a love of mid-century design deep in my soul...
Now, on to "Apartment Quality #3 that I love" - there are so many great stories. The amazing orange lamps were a gift from my parents (by gift, I mean they no longer had a need for them in their new condo), and the bar cart is a pass down from my great-grandmother. It was made in the 1930's and cycled through several colors before returning to its original bronze. Every time I look at it, I feel incredibly nostalgic.
That bedside table - or what we actually think is a 1920's phone table - was purchased by my parents in an estate sale in Richmond in 1986, the year they got married. It had many layers of paint, which my dad meticulously stripped off to uncover that beautiful oak. And the stainless steel bed has been in my room since I was nine years old. That beautiful giclée above my bed was painted by my boyfriend's very talented uncle.
I love this little nook: the West Elm lamp, the weird mirror that somehow (maybe?) works, and my watercolors by a local DC artist.
I will be eternally grateful to the woman I found on Craigslist who was selling this dresser. Cate & Chelsea are right... DC Craigslist is a treasure trove.
It's a work in progress. And someday, of course, I hope to have even more space to put my mark on. But for now, it's home.
Please follow me along at @mckennabegin for more, and email me at mckenna@stylemutthome.com if you're interested in having your Space featured!
Always,
