Rosemary's Petite
Urban Apartment

Rosemary was ready to make changes in her small east Cambridge apartment, but had a limited budget. She had recently purchased an easy chair & ottoman on Craigslist, but realized it was too large for her space. Her sofa needed to stay: she wasn't ready to commit to that large a purchase. She was able to invest in a new rug, and hoped to find a better arrangement for artwork. Her beloved dining table had been passed down by her parents & was the perfect size; but it needed to be better visually connected to the rest of her apartment.

Rosemary's Living/Dining Space: BEFORE

Rosemary's Living/Dining Space: AFTER

To define the living and dining space, the walls were painted a peaceful pale blue-gray. The oversized chair and ottoman were replaced by two vintage petite chairs (from an estate sale and thrift store). A mid-century tile coffee table helped pull together the living area, as did a brightly-colored and boldly-patterned new rug. Two thrifted end tables were visually connected with a handy can of black spray paint, and the new gallery-style arrangement of art was designed to accentuate the unique height and asymmetry of the half-vaulted ceiling.

A well-placed jade plant helped build the visual bridge linking living and dining areas, and a vintage Swedish table runner with a bright stripe of warm red referred back to similar rug colors in the living room.