home tour, interior design
House Tour :: A Small Apartment With Loads Of Charm & Pattern
As someone who is working on getting more bold with pattern choices, it was the hallway of Melissa Colgan's apartment that stopped me mid-scroll on instagram. The expert combination of toile and those classic clouds gave me pause and I instantly bookmarked the image as a reminder to share this entire house tour with you! This small apartment with loads of charm and pattern was first featured in the last issue of Domino, but it wasn't until I saw the hallway that I remembered how much I loved the whole space for its expert mix of textiles, antiques, and modern accents.
I love a room layout that maximizes small spaces, and you guys, this is it. This tiny living room could easily cram in seven or eight people, and that's more than mine can comfortably sit! The use of petite accent chairs obviously helps, but it's genius the way the slipper chairs are pushed up against the open bookshelf as a way to not only layer the space, but save on room.
If you're going to do open shelving in a small space, I think color-coding the books is a great way to help minimize the visual clutter. It really controls the backdrop. Here, I like how Colgan opted for the greys and blues to contrast behind the chairs.
Confession: I sort of love the coziness of a galley kitchen. In small apartments, they just make sense. To be able to tuck it all away in a corner of the home rather than have dishes and messes overflowing into your living space is sort of a luxury in a way. Some of you may disagree, and I get it. An open kitchen is lovely in a house. But I always loved my little galley kitchens in my apartments. Maybe it's a nostalgia thing. Anyway, this one - which has obviously been renovated - is fantastic. I love the color and the way it looks with the marble counters and zellige tile. Such old world charm!
The dining room is the 'riskiest' room for me. Those chairs are intense and I never would have picked them out of a crowd (not sure if I would now either, to be honest!) but the sweet pattern in the upholstery softens them so much I almost like them. They definitely work in the room, which I find totally intriguing because - since we're being honest here - other than the table most of the elements in here aren't my style. But I can definitely still appreciate it all as good design.
Just on the other side of the dining room is this lovely little desk area, my favorite part of which might be the articulating pendant lamp. Also digging the burl desk.
I can't tell if this green is the same as the kitchen, but it feels a little different to me. Again, I love the luxury of this type of space in a small apartment! Such a great sunny spot to sit in while working.
In the bedroom, a soothing shade of grey (so much good paint inspiration in this home!) covers the walls, as does a sweet collection of vintage and antique art.
Again, the layers of texture and pattern in this space are so fantastic!! I mentioned this in the beginning of the post, but I also really appreciate the use of modern accents - mostly in the lighting - throughout the home to keep things from getting too traditional.
The tiny chair in the corner is such a fun bonus to to this space! And the gorgeous texture of that leather dresser too. This room is a master class in how to combine a lot of elements and still have things feel calm. I know I'm taking notes.
What is the sf of this apartment? It would be nice to see the floor plan! I live in a small apartment that is very much smaller then the one shown! More info would be nice!!
Hi Charla, the apartment is 712 square feet! It has a very classical layout with a proper living room, bedroom, dining room, a galley kitchen, bathroom, tiny office and tiny entry. So despite the tiny size, there is not an inch of wasted space as the rooms were all perfectly proportioned.
I don’t understand the way designers decorate bookshelves. While color coding books looks aesthetically pleasing, to me it is so impractical. I guess it’s because we use our books a lot and if we were constantly looking for a title it would make me crazy. I just laugh out loud when I see pictures of books turned with the spine in or all covered in burlap. I hope that doesn’t make me sound old but it is not a look that will ever make it in my home.
I have to disagree with you on the color part – being someone who is super visual I remember the colors of the books I like and know exactly which ones they are! But totally with you on the spine-in! How on earth would you ever find the book you need!!??
Hi Cassandra, organizing books by color is very controversial and not for everyone! I actually originally attempted to arrange them by the dewy decimal system, but as someone super visual, I could not find anything! So I rearranged them all by the colors of the spine. I don’t do this often in clients’s homes, but it works for my brain 🤣
Melissa Colgan’s Apartment Was Really Nice. Am Really Impressed The way whole space for its expert mix of textiles, antiques, and modern accents.
Thank you!!
We are absolutely agreed on the incredible paint choices made in this gem of a home. We especially love how the dense layers of style pay off with such impact in this small space.
❤️❤️thank you!!
I’m a color consultant, I own https://www.thepaintpaletteco.com/ and you are such an inspiration! I want to use some of these ideas for my clients. The green cabinets are my favorite!!
Thank you so much for this incredible write up! So great to hear your thoughts on the space ❤️
I loved this rooms use of color and texture. I loved that you also made a point of maximizing your space with personal details.