For what seemed like an eternity (especially for poor Bugsy), I spent endless hours debating and comparing the most negligible difference in paint colors, meeting with vendors, visiting Home Goods, trolling Wayfair and Overstock in order to get our apartment upgrade underway.  We had decided to stay away from any major construction (no demo and no new walls- after all, we didn’t have an unlimited budget), but wanted a true cosmetic upgrade to freshen up our space and to make it more of a reflection of our styles.  Although there are still a few other mini projects to complete, we’re so happy with how it all came together.

Here’s a glimpse into one of my favorite new spaces.  Previously a bedroom, this gorgeous open layout space that connects to our main living room through french doors has become a living area extension for guests when we have them or for me to get creative – bloggings, crafting, outfit sorting, etc.  Because it’s unclear what this room will inevitably become (I’m voting for permanent enormous personal dressing room), I wanted to be sure that the changes we made were fairly neutral and could be easily adaptable to any use.  For the walls, I opted for Benjamin Moore’s classic gray, a beautiful serene greige (warm gray) that is just a bit warmer and with more personality than white, but still neutral.  For trims, windows and doors, including a build-out that was previously stained a deep espresso, a fresh coat of white in a semi-gloss finish. For the windows, I removed a curtain rod and went with custom roman shades from Janovic in a natural white linen that really served to open up the window space while adding a softer touch.  Finally for furniture, I moved in our old mirrored coffee table from Horchow that was once in our living room and placed it over a hand-knotted geometric wool rug with tassels  that I found at Home Goods to incorporate some boho flair, and styled with oversized Pottery Barn classic apothecary jars and fashion coffee table books.  For seating, I reused our old tufted cream bench and layered some French linen and beaded geometric pillows. For lighting, I picked up the an antique inspired brass task lamp (great for crafting) from Home Goods. For finishing touches, I adorned the room with plants (literally my newest obsession), including a large corn plant that we’ve had for years and has withstood a ton of neglect and a new jade plant. 

Now for my look, I created something that was very much a reflection of the space – cozy meets luxury.  I paired a slouchy graphic sweatshirt (currently obsessed with sweatshirts) with a check midi pencil skirt for an interesting juxtaposition between tailored and casual.  For accessories, I opted for statement gold pieces – tribal inspired gold hoop earrings (Shopping Tip: Mango has THE BEST earrings selection) and a thick gold cuff from Nandel Paris.  Finally, to inject a bit of luxury, I wore nude Christian Louboutin heels and a Gucci Padlock Supreme Bag.

– G E T  M Y  L O O K –

Top | 100% Fancy Sweatshirt || Skirt | Zara Checked Pencil Skirt || Earrings | Mango, similar styles here, here and here || Bracelet | Nandel Paris Cuff Bracelet || Shoes | Christian Louboutin Fifi 100 || Bag | Gucci Small Padlock Supreme Bag

Photography | Stephanie Poulos

LOVE-M.Y.

P.S. Special thanks to the amazingly talented Stephanie Poulos for spending the day with me at home.