It all started with a blue sofa. Earlier this year local graphic designer + illustrator Clare Freeman posted a photo of a gorgeous blue sofa that was a birthday present to herself, and I knew I had to see the rest of her apt. I first met Clare last year at a floral workshop and we connected on social media after learning we shared quite a few mutual friends, so I knew she had good taste. As fate would have it, I ran into her a few weeks after her post and after some scheduling coordination (we’re both busy little bees), I was able to visit her cute studio apt located in Midtown (note: she’s no longer in the space; I was able to shoot it her last full weekend there before she had to pack + move into a bigger space with her bestie. Yay me!).

I’ve always wanted a burnt orange sofa (one day!), and to see someone break “style tradition” for such an important piece in their home is such a bold move to me, so I was curious to see how she had decorated the rest of her Midtown home.  Midtown is my favorite part of the city, both for social activities and the architecture. The buildings and homes have so much character and seemed to have been made for artists, so you can do some pretty interesting things if you have the knowledge and style.

While Clare found some of her furniture via IKEA, Target, Room & Board and other home interior stores, much of her apt was styled with pieces that were vintage, thrifted, and collected from family over the years. She took her time to decorate the studio (the layout actually made it feel quite spacious) and it shows. She did a some DIY projects in her kitchen (the inside of her cabinet is painted teal + gold!) and also incorporated some of her own illustrations into her gallery wall.

I loved her space and was sad to learn that she was moving, BUT that just means she gets to flex her design muscles (and maybe a follow up??). Because hey, just because you’re a renter doesn’t mean you have to be boring!