Looking for a way to add major personality into a space? One of my favorite apartment design ideas is painting an accent wall. House or apartment–Painting a wall is the quickest and easiest way to set the mood of a room! For this project, I started thinking about apartment design ideas that were embracing and comforting but also uplifting and energizing.
The Mission: transform a cold, impersonal apartment into a comforting girly sanctuary for a recently divorced client.
The Method: go for apartment design ideas that feel cozy and feminine, global details that inspire travel fantasies, and accents that give a nod to the glamorous side of life.
Apartment design idea Color Palate: Wine & Chocolate, with warm metallic (gold) accents
When life goes to shit, there’s nothing like a good bottle of red and a quantity of dark chocolate to ease the pain. Amiright?
So when we were throwing around different apartment design ideas, my client REALLY liked the idea of a “wine and chocolate” theme. Especially when I started showing her some examples of how this comforting combo could translate via interior design.
I found some great inspiration photos like this dining room from Overstock and bedroom photo from Pinterest.
I used pieces she already had and mixed in a few thrifted items to give her the global vibes. This decorating style also brings out one of her major goals for her future: traveling more. One thing I always like to incorporate into a design scheme is my client’s goals for their lives! It helps give them a daily reminder of their dreams. The physical aspect of the decor makes those dreams seem more achievable.
I thrifted the frames, mirrors, butterflies, and candle sconces from Goodwill! The postcards I found on Etsy. I absolutely LOVE these! It’s so cool to read those old postcard messages. I used clear photo corners to adhere them to the glass frames from the back. You can see them in the close-up photo (above right). The photo corners are perfect and they also make it easy to switch up or flip the postcards. So it’s like a rotating gallery of travel inspiration!
I found this vibrant painting and the baskets at Goodwill too. This client likes bold happy colors, and I felt this painting delivered! The colors still worked with her cozy wine and chocolate apartment design idea too. We added to the baskets on the wall. I am so glad this is a trend again! I think the texture of different baskets adds a lot of visual interest.
Grounding the living room/dining room space is this fantastic rug I found at Wayfair. The warm chocolate brown is so luscious and the colors running through it–blues and greens mostly– pair perfectly with the other elements in the room.
This apartment is a great example of how a few elements can make a big impact! I especially love the accent wall color: Valspar Baked Bahama. It hits the sweet spot between being cozy and energizing. I wish I had taken more photos! Finding these in my camera roll just made my day, so I just had to post and share the love!
What’s the boldest color you’ve ever used? How did it make you feel? Would you do it again?
“I’m crazy about color. Color embraces you. It wakes you up and keeps you present.”
Fashion designer Tracy Reese
