Emily Ann Salles has been renting this small studio apartment for two years, and when she renewed her lease last year, she splurged on the green velvet blackout curtains that line the back wall. "Being able to totally block out the urban lights at night has been beneficial for falling asleep more easily," she writes. "As a bonus, the curtains really upped the studio’s glam factor!" Credit: Emily Ann SallesCredit: Emily Ann Salles
Emily Ann tackled her tiny home's layout in a subtle but smart way: "In a small space there’s a huge temptation to have all the furniture up against the walls. I feel like I was able to make the space feel bigger by fighting this urge," she writes. "The island of the high top and the couch create an easy circular flow when walking around the apartment. The couch is from Burrow and is one of the smallest models that I could find anywhere." Credit: Emily Ann SallesCredit: Emily Ann Salles
"Of the 500 square feet in my apartment, it feels like a good 20 of that is the entry hallway. I put a lot of thought into having a functional arrival and exit space. The IKEA shoe cabinet was an idea I got from Alexandra Gater’s YouTube channel. It’s one of the only pieces of furniture that would fit in the space. I use it to store my purses," she writes. Credit: Emily Ann SallesCredit: Emily Ann Salles
Emily Ann advises other renters to consume a lot of interior design content for ideas. One idea she got was using books as decor. "Instead of having to buy a massive bookshelf for all of my books, many of them are distributed throughout the apartment to give height or color to other spaces, like on top the drawers by the window," she admits. Credit: Emily Ann SallesCredit: Emily Ann Salles
"The gallery wall serves two purposes: it helps create the living room zone within the space and it integrates the TV into the decor," she explains. "I got the idea to use a bench for my console right here on Apartment Therapy. This rope wrapped one is a piece from Pier 1 Imports that my mom and her wife were getting rid of when they moved house last year." Credit: Emily Ann SallesCredit: Emily Ann Salles
Emily Ann's DIY skills were applied on a project in the kitchen area. "The high top table was a Craigslist find and was originally covered in a peeling false wood contact paper. I replaced this with the marble-look vinyl to match the apartment’s light stone countertops." Credit: Emily Ann SallesCredit: Emily Ann Salles
"I inherited a couple of French Revival style pieces of furniture from my great-grandmother, including the drawers in front of the window. To help these romantic looking antiques not feel out of place I’ve sought out other vintage pieces like this Art Deco side table. It might be strange to fill a modern apartment with vintage pieces, but I think it helps the stark space feel cozier," she explains. Credit: Emily Ann SallesCredit: Emily Ann Salles
"My favorite spot in the studio is the chair by the window," she begins. "The chair had been a floor model at Living Spaces and followed me from my old flat. I regularly eat and read in that spot, and it’s also where I work on creative writing projects. If it’s a nice day and the window is open, it almost feels like having a balcony." Credit: Emily Ann SallesCredit: Emily Ann Salles
The peel and stick wallpaper from Spoonflower in the office corner is renter-friendly. My job is hybrid remote and in-office, so I wanted to create an attractive background for video calls. Additionally, the distinct office space helps me separate work time and home time," she begins. "My lease doesn’t ban holes in the walls, so I hung the TEEbooks shelves to take advantage of the vertical space. I will have a lot of spackling to do before I move out!" Credit: Emily Ann SallesCredit: Emily Ann Salles
For two years, Emily Ann Salles has shared this 503-square-foot studio apartment in Denver’s LoHi neighborhood with her 20-pound chihuahua/poodle/pug mix. “I did my Denver apartment search remotely before moving here. Because of that, I ended up in a newer building where they were well set up to do virtual tours,” she begins. “My challenge upon arrival was how to turn the corporate-feeling 500-square-foot box into something cozy that would make me (and my dog!) feel at home in our new city.”
The Nest Storage Bed from Design Within Reach was a big but important splurge: "Having extra hideaway storage in a studio is key," she explains. "I painted the canvas above the bed to match." Credit: Emily Ann SallesCredit: Emily Ann Salles
“I’m a city girl who loves getting outdoors and into nature. This comes out in my decor as a blend of glam elements and bohemian touches. I love to bring the outdoors in with things like photography, house plants, and little collections of natural objects. Additionally, I picked green as the recurring color for my space, which can be earthy or luxurious depending on how it’s used,” she continues.
What's your best decorating, shopping, cleaning, or organizing advice? Consume interior design content. I learned so much about making the pieces I already had work together by reading Apartment Therapy and watching interior design content on YouTube like Kristen McGowan and Alexandra Gater. Over time you start to build an internal design reference and see your own pieces differently. I work in software design, and this is exactly what I do in that field as well. Credit: Emily Ann SallesCredit: Emily Ann Salles
“Over the six months it took for my bed frame to arrive (thanks, supply chain issues!) I tried out about half a dozen furniture layouts. Through this experimentation, I discovered how important it was not to block the natural light from the entry. This arrangement helps create a feeling of spaciousness upon entering that is very easy to lose in a studio.”
Credit: Emily Ann SallesCredit: Emily Ann Salles
Resources
Armchair — Living Spaces
Curtains — Overstock
High Top Table — Craigslist
Shoe Cabinet — IKEA
Console Bench — Pier 1 Imports
Nest Storage Bed — Design Within Reach
Peel and Stick Wallpaper — Spoonflower
Desk — IKEA
Desk Chair — Knoll Generation via Craigslist
Couch — Burrow
Thanks, Emily!
This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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