Just when you thought my house was all decked out for the holidays, I decided to be a completely insane person (with Emily’s full support of course) and refresh my living room just a week after shooting some holiday content there which you saw on the blog earlier this week. Let me give you a little bit of backstory. A few months back my boyfriend Jason decided to move into my place (big step I know) and while I won’t bore you with all the sappy details, the move-in meant the opportunity to refresh the space and make it “our own” in a way which we were both very eager and excited to do. Around the same time, Emily and I were prepping out the holiday editorial calendar and one of our favorite brands The Citizenry reached out about working together again to showcase some of their new products. Due to the busy blog schedule and the holidays coming up we originally had planned on shooting some of their product as small vignettes, but because we know you guys love a good makeover or refresh we mulled it over and decided to instead use all the product to style out and refresh my space. So Emily and I went through the product, selected some of our favorites and styled it out in my living room. Was it slightly insane to attempt two totally different shoots in the same space just a few days apart… yes. But do we love doing totally insane things to create original content for you guys every day… duh. And when it involves using product that we both absolutely love and working with a company that we stand behind not only because of their beautiful decor but also because they promote fair-trade practices and give back to the artisans that help to create their product we are always on board. So let’s get into the changes that we made in my space and how it is looking now.

One of the biggest and first (read: stressful) decisions I made was painting the room “Super White” by Benjamin Moore. Although I loved the soft gray it did make the room feel rather dark despite how it may have looked in pics. Zeke and Sara who photographed the room before for the original reveal and holiday shoot did an amazing job at making it look bright and happy which it kinda was, but compared to the kitchen (which was flooded with light due to the color) it did feel a little sad. So I tossed the idea across to Emily and she quickly responded with a resounding ‘YES’ to painting the walls even if it did mean a painting crew there until 8pm the night before we were to style the place out. But now after it is all said and done I love the white walls so much more for the space, especially with all the new pieces from The Citizenry we used. And thank you Emily for the thumbs up and constant encouragement.

The next big change that happened in the room was the couch. I swapped my more formal English Roll arm for this more casual and super cozy one from SixPenny and I love this new one so much. If you are in the market for a new couch I can’t say enough good things about the comfort, quality, and craftsmanship of this one. Not to mention it has one huge seat cushion which means it is very comfy to lounge on.

Once the main pieces were in, it was time to style it all out using some of our favorites from The Citizenry. If you aren’t already familiar with their brand, The Citizenry has quickly become one of our go-to’s for projects. As a socially conscious company, they work with local artisans and communities around the world to handcraft capsule collections featuring a variety of products from a specific region. With fair trade practices, sustainable products and giving back 10% of proceeds to the community in which the designs were created, they have not only a business model but a selection of products that we can stand behind and support.

This little vignette might just be my favorite from the room. I layered their handknit Nublado throw on the couch and mixed it with their Encanto tassel pillow, La Nieve braided pillow, and Pampas lumbar leather pillow. The number of compliments I have gotten on that throw is insane (in the week that it has been set up like this) and although it isn’t something that you would cuddle up under every day due to its natural raw wool and construction it makes for such a good styling piece no matter where you use it.

We had so much fun playing around with their entire collection. Their colorways and patterns are all so easy to mix and match to create your own unique setup. Lots of neutrals, texture and subtle graphic patterns in high-quality materials and finishes.

On the coffee table, I used their Engobe terracotta vase which comes in a few different sizes and shapes. You can use them as a collection or they are pretty enough to stand alone on their own with a few dry sprigs.

On the opposite side of the room, I still have my Christmas tree up because even if a shoot does mean turning your living room upside down, there is no way I was going to give up that Christmas tree through the holiday season.

Opposite the tree, I turned my little bar cart area into a place to house our record player and records. When Jason moved in we both ended up with quite an extensive collection of records and although we don’t listen to them every single night it has been fun having them out and accessible for those times that we do want to turn them on.

And in case you had any questions as to what some of our favorites are just take a look at the lineup: Babs, and Bette…. the greats. The Citizenry’s sheepskin throw makes a great place to hang out on the floor while we both “lovingly debate” who we should listen to tonight.

Moving into the kitchen I couldn’t wait to add some of their kitchen goods to our growing collection (which by the way make such a good gift). Hopefully my mom isn’t reading this as she might be getting a few of these and I know Emily has a few of these on her Christmas list as well. The thing that makes The Citizenry so special is that they produce a limited number of each item meaning that each and every item is handcrafted, feels organic and original, and also isn’t something that you are going to see in everybody’s living room or dining room. They have an authentic quality and style to them that is so refreshing.

We both loved their Caribe wood trays (which come in a few different sizes) and make the perfect accessory for any kitchen or dining area. They are pretty enough to display out and the geometric shape makes them different than a lot of what we are seeing out on the market – again quality materials, simple pieces, but so special and timeless.

In the bedroom, I brought in their Tripolina camp stool and Mercado tote bag which again comes in a few different sizes and is a great accessory for both display and use. The extra place to sit while putting on shoes is much appreciated now that we have 4 feet running around the room in the mornings and the leather is such a pretty color that I love having in the bedroom against that white wall – which also just happen to match perfectly with the color of the row of hooks. Not sure if it is coincidence or something else but either way I love having them both in there across from the bed. 

Thanks again to The Citizenry for continuously being not only a wonderful company to work with but a brand that we can stand behind and authentically showcase to you. If you have any questions let us know below and if you are into the look we have linked up everything that we used in the post as well as created a little gift slider of some of our favorites from their entire collection. If you are in the New York area be sure to visit their pop up at 411 Bleecker this weekend (the popup closes on Tuesday, December 19th!). They’re open from 11-8 pm on Monday – Saturday and 12-6 pm on Sunday (More info here).

[ACS_SBEH_GIFT_SLIDER post_id=”128170″]

1. La Nieve Pillow | 2. Encanto Pillow | 3. Pampas Leather Lumbar Pillow | 4. Nublado Throw | 5. Sheepskin Throw | 6. Aldama Chair | 7. Halston Mug | 8. Puebla Marble Coasters | 9. La Lena Throw | 10. Cascabel Throw | 11. Neva Sofa | 12. Engobe Vessel – Tall | 13. Engobe Vessel – Wide | 14. Engobe Vase | 15. Grano Coffee Scoop | 16. Puebla Marble Tray | 17. Echelle Mud Cloth Napkins | 18. Milagro Pillow | 19. Demi Mud Cloth Pillow | 20. La Brisa Throw | 21. Mercado Tote | 22. Palermo Tripolina Camp Stool | 23. Caribe Wood Trays | 24. Halston Pitcher | 25. Oro Cacao Cups

For more of Brady’s Apartment: Brady’s Bedroom Makeover with Parachute | Brady’s Kitchen Reveal | DIY Channel Tufted Headboard | Brady’s Living Room | Brady’s Bathroom Refresh | DIY Kitchen Flooring

Hey guys and gals, it is me Brady and today we have got the FULL (yep, the entire thing) reveal of my bedroom. You would think that after living in my apartment for almost two years I would have had it all pulled together, finished up, and presentable to the general public but unfortunately that didn’t quite happen. There were other projects that were more important to me to finish up like my living room and kitchen (the places people actually would see) and also to be completely honest, I wasn’t totally inspired by the original space. So, when Parachute reached out about collaborating on some sponsored content and a bedroom refresh it was the perfect excuse to get things in order. But, before we take a look at what it is looking like now, let me show you what it looked like when I first walked into the apartment.

Scary (and very uninspiring) I know, granted these shots were taken at night, with a flash, while the previous tenant was moving out (that isn’t my mess in case you were wondering). But to put it simply, the space was a blank slate and didn’t have a lot going for it other than the coved ceilings which I loved. It had a row of three windows on one wall and then doors on two of the other walls but other than that it was a pretty long rectangle of a room looking for some love and life.

When I first moved in I tried arranging my bed against the wall adjacent to the windows rather than in front and although that worked it was a little bit awkward walking into the bathroom with the foot of the bed so close to the door and also walking around the bed to get to the other side if needed. Not to mention the view from the bed looking directly into the bathroom. So I tried a few other layouts and ultimately decided to divide the space into two areas. The bedroom area (with the bed) and a little seating area (with the bench, safari chair, and tv unit).

Let’s start over in the bed area. After searching high and low for the right headboard that was short enough to fit under the windows but still upholstered to rest my head on while watching “what the health” (have you all seen it yet?!), all while not feeling like I was essentially sleeping on the floor, I just couldn’t find the right shape, size, color or fit. So I decided to make my own. In case you missed the initial DIY headboard post and step by step click through – but once the headboard was in, the room really started to take shape and felt like it had a little life in it. It created a great focal point wall and also somewhere to lean some art and a little shelf for whatever I needed closest to the bed. (Don’t let the book and glasses fool you – it usually is just my apple remote, and a bottled water although I am trying to be better about reading before bed, but then I turn the TV on and well… 2 hours later I am still scrolling through Netflix).

You may have also noticed that the window is not exactly centered on that back wall (scroll up in case you missed it). It is slightly more to the left which meant that trying to do anything with too much symmetry on either side of the bed would just accentuate the fact that when they built the building they decided to move the window a couple feet to the left rather than centering it. So rather than letting it be an awkward feature of the room I decided to make it a distinguishing feature of the room (a la Barbara Streisand’s nose that she kept natural which is now one of her best features, if I do say so myself) by adding that huge wall sconce which added lighting to my side of the bed and also filled up the negative wall space. Moral of the story – when you have awkward, interesting, or weird architecture or features try to accentuate them rather than ignore them, which makes it seem like they were integral to the design of the room and helps them make sense.

Over on my side of the bed I framed one of my friends prints and then had some vintage notecards that I picked up at the flea market float framed to make the sentence “He has what I’ve wanted”. I thought it was more comical when I decided to frame it but now looking at it I kinda feel like Ariel when she longs for the prince to love her so she can get some feet to walk on, AKA too dependent on someone else. Either way, it is controversial, funny and interesting art which I love.

Now into what makes that bed so beautiful. The new beautiful textiles from Parachute Home. We have long been fans of the brand over here, but after sleeping in these sheets for the past week I have to say that I am a new convert as well.

Because I am THE ABSOLUTE worst person at actually making my bed in the morning and because when you are in a hurry to get out of bed and jump into the shower the last thing you want to do is worry about the perfect placement of a bunch of decorative throw pillows I kept the styling pretty simple. Here is my trick – which may or may not work for everyone but works perfectly for me. I have a queen sized bed but I sleep with and used king sized pillows to style. Not only does it make the bed feel full visually, but it also means more cushion for me if I need to prop myself up in bed to binge watch tv read at the end of the day. I ended up using two of their simple percale shams (which I sleep with every night) in the very back then I used a king sized quilted sham in the front of them and then one lumbar pillow from their collection with Caroline Cecil. So in the morning all the pillows can be thrown on quickly and the duvet pulled up without having to really style or futz with anything. Win for morning routines, and win for styling.

Another one of my favorite features of their bedding is that the pillowcases have an envelope closure on the back and a flange edge which makes it feel a little more decorative than the traditional pillowcase without adding anything too frilly or fancy. It also makes for easy styling as you don’t have a massive opening on one end that you have to deal with or look at. I combined their oatmeal, sand and white bedding for a tonal look and played with pattern by bringing in one of their lumbar pillows from their collection with Caroline Cecil. Then to help bring the oatmeal color up on the wall and further into the room I hung this oversized textile art (which we included in this recent post). It is HUGE and is such a good piece for the price to fill up a big empty wall space. I hung it with some hooks from MQuan and a copper rod but it could be hung with any sort of dowel and a few screws.

You might also notice that in these pictures I got rid of my nightstands and opted for a floating metal shelf that comes out from in between one of the panels of tufting. It ended up being super easy to add as I used a pre-made metal shelf (which is sadly no longer available in black), and it also freed up a ton of room around the bed making the space feel more open and tied into the matte black of the wall sconce. 

Moving down to the foot of the bed I used this bench from Rejuvenation’s collection with O&G Studio which helps to divide the “sleeping area” from the “lounge area”. (Look at me trying to make it sound like I also drink my tea in the parlor and sunbathe on the veranda with my fancy words). But the repeated vertical lines of the bench help to play with the large horizontal lines of the channel tufting on the headboard which visually helps the combo to work.

I love that it has a shelf on the bottom where I can throw some books, shoes, or some accessories which also helps to break up the large visual expanse of the bed with a few pretty items.

Now, let me introduce you to my TV cabinet. I know it looks like it is just a Mid-Century hutch, but let me show you what I did to it.

As much as I love watching TV, I also hate seeing a massive black screen in the room every day and it also is such an incentive to turn it on when you visually see it so by hiding it inside of the cabinet it solved both problems. The vintage cabinet came from Chairish and ended up being the perfect house for what I had planned. When I got it, the cabinet doors were one large panel and slide side-to-side rather than opened accordion style. So I reached out to our friend Chaffee at 4th Period Woodshop (who designed and built our office cabinets) to adjust this slightly to fit my needs. I had him take the doors off, slice them in half which allowed them to open accordion style and then reattach them to the sides of the cabinet rather than into the groves that they used to slide in. Then inside the cabinet I had him mount an extra long TV wall mount I bought which allowed me to open up the doors, pull the TV out, adjust it to any angle that I want and then easily push it back in when I am done. The cabinet is also just big enough that all the wires, cords, and accessories can fit inside it as well. And in case you are wondering where it all plugs in, I installed a power strip inside the cabinet that feeds out the back so there is one cable that plugs into an outlet in the wall directly under the cabinet rather than a mess of cords.

I love how it turned out, and I love that it gives me some additional storage and another surface to style (as if I need more decorative objects in my life). Up here I included another source of light with this task lamp (as the bedroom can get pretty dark and I put this one on a timer), and then a few of my favorite accessories and art (all the resources are below).

Next to it I have the “trend de jour” the leaning ladder and while I get that these things may be slightly controversial in the fact that they aren’t the most functional thing for pulling blankets on and off especially when I have styled it out with that beautiful handmade ceramic garland by MQuan, I absolutely love the way the ladder and the vignette looks, and it gives a nice friend to the sconce that is on the wall next to it. And for those of you that might ask how it stays up. I installed some brackets on the back of it where it leans up against the wall that I anchored firmly to my wall so that it doesn’t come toppling down if I ever decide to grab a blanket off of it during those cold LA nights… who am I kidding it is 89 degrees in my bedroom right now.

Directly opposite the TV is this little seating vignette where I actually spend a few hours almost every single night in that safari chair from Third Life Design (who hand makes all of his chairs and benches in his workshop and has some beautiful stuff). Whether I am finishing up a little bit of work on the blog, watching some TV or pinning away it is perfectly situated across from the TV and also speaks well to the bench that is at the foot of the bed. If you haven’t noticed from my kitchen post, I love art, and I am running out of places to put it so I pulled together some of my new favorite pieces into a collection here. Unfortunately they are all vintage besides the black and white textile art from Jane Denton (but I put a few look a likes below to get the look). They were all framed by framebridge and if you guys are ever in need of the easiest way to frame things then be sure to check them out.

On the last wall which is directly opposite my bed, is where the door to my little walk in closet lies and where I put this wall hook to house a few of my prettier clothing items and some of MQuan’s bells. (BTW we have a big post coming up for why these hooks are so handy in every space and make styling so easy – so stay tuned for that). You may be asking yourself why I basically just styled out this hook situation to look pretty but not functional, but my closet adequately houses everything that I need and has ample storage for clothes, shoes, accessories and my daily items so I wanted to keep the rest of the room more visually appealing rather than having my 23 reusable grocery bags and my dirty gym bag hanging on the wall. I’d much rather look at those bells, one of my favorite vintage hats, and that black leather back pack any day of the week than a visual reminder that I should be actually using said bags every day and getting myself into the gym.

And to give you a bit more context for the full room and how it really all plays with each other and is laid out, here are a few pulled back shots.

The door on the far right is the door to my bathroom. Which if you missed it here you can check out the facelift I gave to it in this post.

Then on this wall you see the door to the walk in closet, and on the left where the picture is cropped is the main door that walks into the bedroom from the hallway.

And because we LOVE a good before and after moment over here at EHD, here are a few side by side shots to show you how it was before I moved in and how it is looking now.

See how happy I am in my brand new finished bedroom? Also, Tessa told me I look short when we were taking these pictures which we were both concerned about as I am 6’2″, so what is the verdict? Do I look short or does this hutch just not make the best partner to photograph with? Speaking of the hutch, I am still figuring out what to do with that little inset area, right now I have a few trays in there with my cologne and a place to throw my keys but if any of you have any genius ideas for what it might be for or what I should use it for, let me know below.

If you are into the look then everything is linked up below in the “get the look”, and let me know if you have any questions on the room, and what you think below. Now who is ready for a slumber party?? I will bring the popcorn and assortment of classics (Devil Wears Prada, First Wives Club, Mrs. Doubtfire). In the meantime, if you want to read a little bit more of my process head on over to MyDomaine who has covered the reveal and Architectural Digest who has some more info on the DIY headboard.

1. Percale Venice Set | 2. Linen Throw | 3. Sheets | 4. Safari Leather Chair | 5. Wood Stool from Wayfair | 6. Floor Lamp from Wayfair | 7. Rug from Esmali Rugs | 8. Rattan Ottoman | 9. Sham | 10. Lumbar Pillow | 11. Alpaca Throw | 12. Swing Sconce from AllModern | 13. Ladder from Horne | 14. Ceramic Beaded Garland from MQuan | 15. Gold Sconce from Wayfair | 16. Wood Zig Zag Chair | 17. ‘Sable Song’ Print | 18. ‘Gesturing Man’ Print | 19. Still IV B & W Woven Art Piece from Jane Denton | 20. Ceramic Large Eye from MQuan | 21. White Bud Vase | 22. Black Candle | 23. Wall Hooks from Horne | 24. Tall Ceramic Bell | 25. Medium Ceramic Bell | 26. Leather Backpack from Yield Design | 27. Wood Wall Mount | 28. Woven Wall Hanging | 29. Bench from Rejuvenation | 30. Hutch from Chairish (similar found here) | 31. Pillow Inserts | 32. Duvet Insert | 33. Fringe Throw | 34. Table Lamp from Lamps Plus | 35. Wire Gem Art | 36. Relaxed Roman Shades from Tonic Living

For more of Brady’s Apartment: Brady’s Living Room Refresh with The Citizenry | Brady’s Kitchen Reveal | DIY Channel Tufted Headboard | Brady’s Living Room | Brady’s Bathroom Refresh | DIY Kitchen Flooring

Hey Folks, it’s me Brady and today I am taking over the blog (with Emily’s blessing of course) to chat all things kitchen, but mostly to show off how my little galley kitchen went from dingy and sad to bright and happy. Working for Emily does have some major perks, one of which is the ability to makeover some of the rooms in my apartment for blog content and have wonderful brands, makers, and companies that are willing to send through items for coverage and linking so that we can introduce the audience (you) to them. So first and foremost a big thank you to you the readers for reading, Emily for letting me makeover this space, and the wonderful brands for collaborating and sending through some of the piece that you see here. Now let’s get into it. In case you are new here or want to take a walk down “Brady Memory Lane” you can check out my Living Room Reveal, my Bedroom Headboard DIY, and my Bathroom Refresh. But now let’s dive into what this place looked like before I moved in so we can get into the full reveal.

To be completely honest, I loved the kitchen when I moved in. Granted it was not perfect, but it did have amazing light, a totally functional layout, and tons of old character what with the detailed moldings on the walls and ceilings and the vintage shaker style cabinets. My first impression of my kitchen was akin to one of those first dates you go on where you definitely can see the guy has flaws, and that he might have some weird habits that you either have to get used to or change. But, under that wrinkly shirt, the slight unibrow, and the open-mouth breathing there is a totally lovable guy who has plenty of potential. Luckily my first date horror stories are over and I can now say the same about my kitchen. It’s gone from Prince Alarming to a much more palatable Prince Charming.

Let’s start from the ground up. You may have seen on the blog last year (or above in the progress pics) when I decided that it was a good idea to attempt a DIY peel and stick flooring to cover up the old vinyl that was previously there – which I will still stand by as a good idea as it was easy, fast, totally affordable, and gave the space a completely different look. But after living with it for over 6 months some of the tiles did start to peel up which I did have to replace. It wasn’t a huge catastrophe but was definitely a little bit annoying, so in hindsight if I was to do it again I would use some higher quality tiles that have a bit more durability and longevity. To read some more and get some BTS head on over to Architectural Digest for the full story. (I am dying at that last sentence. Arch Digest is covering my DIY flooring people. AD! I can officially die a happy man now.)

My kitchen (as I am sure you are already aware) is quite small, and does lack a lot of storage and usable counter space. So I really wanted to do everything I could to make the kitchen a bit more functional, and create specified areas in the kitchen for everything I needed or wanted to do in there. I will not profess to be a cook, which my mother would hate to hear me say out loud as she is a chef and I am sure would hope that I picked up a skill or two from her other than boiling water and preheating an oven. To this day those are still my two best skills. Although I am working to add chopping, frying, and blanching to the list (the last only because it is fun to say). Until then I have the usual takeout places on speed dial and am real good at cleaning up the dishes after my BF makes a delicious dinner for us. Needless to say, adding more storage for everything (even if I don’t do a lot of cooking) was a good move for me and the kitchen.

When I first moved into the apartment there was one single shelf on this wall above the sink, and not only was it pretty shallow but it was at a little bit of an awkward height (IE I smashed my head into it a few times while doing dishes before realizing that it needed to be pulled out). So I decided to remove that shelf and put in three new ones at better heights (both for my forehead and for storage), then proceeded to fill the shelves with absolutely beautiful things that I am both elated and completely terrified to use.

You see as an almost 30 year old adult (I am not quite there yet), gone are the days of thinking it is ok to eat on disposable dinnerware every night or worse (time to clench your pearls ladies) eating pizza directly from the box. So it was time for me to grow up and invest in some real “adult” pieces. The kitchen is quite small, so rather than bringing in a bunch of color or pattern to create interest and life in the kitchen I wanted to play with texture and keep things within the black and white tones, and accent with wood and brass. As I started shopping for the shelves there were a few things that each piece had to fall into: 1) it had to function well, 2) it had to look beautiful as it wouldn’t be hidden behind doors, and 3) it all had to easily stack. I realize that most people don’t consider a plate’s ability to stack when they are shopping but, as the open shelving was the only place for all of my dinnerware to go, it had to fall within all of those three categories.

The off white plates and bowls which all came from World Market are still some of my favorites as they perfectly combine simplicity and a handmade look to them (also can we all get a round of applause for how perfectly imperfect they look when they are stacked?). I found these black and white glasses at Jayson home and instantly knew they were basically made for my kitchen shelves, so those quickly became my go-to glasses. They are a little bit smaller than I am used to but Jason (my BF not to be confused with the store where I got them) continues to remind me that American portion sizes are a little aggressive and that anywhere else in the world these would be considered a normal and totally usable size. But, I can’t help it that I like to drink a large glass of whole milk with almost every meal (and yes, I do realize that is not normal by any means).

Directly across from the sink is where the new Smeg fridge and my existing stove live, and one of my new favorite places in the kitchen – my coffee center. When Nespresso reached out about working together to promote their new VertuoPlus machine and infusing extraordinary elements into your everyday life, Emily and I figured what better way to show that off then through a kitchen refresh. It just so happened that mine was desperately ready to be finished (ahem started), so showcasing the new machine and talking about the ways I made my everyday kitchen a little more extraordinary seemed like a perfect fit.

Although it has only been in place for a few weeks having this dedicated coffee area where everything is at my fingertips and accessible has made my morning routine so much more enjoyable. The VertuoPlus machine could not be easier to use and the fact that it literally is one touch to extraordinary coffee makes waking up in the morning so much better. It really is just one touch – the machine opens and closes by itself, there is no pulling out the old capsules after you are done, and in just a few minutes you have yourself an espresso or a full cup of coffee complete with that picture perfect “crema” on top that you see there, which I just learned is actually a sign of quality coffee. And not only is the coffee delicious but the company prides itself on being an industry leader in sustainability with their recycling program and making the capsules out of 100% recyclable aluminum, leaving both my mouth and mother nature very happy. Excuse me while I go brew myself another cup real fast.

Above it hangs my favorite and most treasured (yes I use that phrase now) piece of art which was a gift from Jason last christmas. Long story short, he basically is a perfect human and somehow seems to pick up on what I like and dislike in between all my word fodder, and got me an original from one of my favorite artists, Frederic Forest. To say that I sobbed like I had just watched the ending of “House of Sand and Fog” over and over while opening it would be an understatement.

You may have noticed that gorgeous antique butcher block that it all is sitting on. It is a pretty serendipitous story about how this one found its way into the kitchen. I previously had a hand me down island trolly from Ikea that was there (which worked but wasn’t exactly what I had imagined for the space) and I was desperately looking for a replacement for it in the weeks leading up to the shoot. The problem was, it was a difficult size to find and most old chopping blocks have been so worn in that the surface no longer works as a usable countertop. The day before the shoot as I was styling everything out on top of my existing trolly I happened to scroll through a few instastories (one of them being Wertz Brothers, a local furniture reseller/consigner) and this little beauty popped up as it had just come in. I immediately messaged Ryan from Wertz Brothers asking the dimensions and a few minutes later I was racing over there to grab it before it even went on the showroom floor. Needless to say – if you are local follow them and their instastories as they are constantly getting new pieces in at such great prices and you might just find the perfect piece for your space.

Let me introduce you to my friend “stove.” I rarely use him but he does make a wonderful surface to display my collection of antique wooden spoons and boil some pasta on every now and then. Although, to be fair, I did take a cooking class a few weeks back and can’t wait to give these Copper Pots from Lagostina some patina with my best Julia Child impression. My point being, use your kitchen and make it work for you. I don’t do a ton of cooking in here so creating an extra surface for display on half of the stove works for me, and having all my pots and pans readily displayed means that I have a constant reminder of how boiling water and putting pasta in it doesn’t count as a life skill.

Moving on down to the dining area and where I spend most of the time in my kitchen. I really wanted to create a focal point of the kitchen when looking down it from the entry area and because this area directly connects to the living room. So I did what any normal person does and installed a floor to ceiling, wall to wall, gallery wall filled with some of my favorite art. Despite what everyone asks when they walk in, that top right piece above is NOT me, although I will take it as a compliment. The gallery wall started with the large piece in the center from Captured52. As soon as I saw it I loved and knew that it would be the inspiration for all the other art that I paired with it.

When I started pulling all the art, I didn’t really have a theme other than I wanted it all to be tonal, black and white, and I wanted each piece to be something I really loved to look at – and now looking at this as a full collection I guess my three favorite things to look at are abstracts, architecture, and the male form. Go figure. Since there is so much visually going on within the art, I kept things simple by framing almost everything (besides the few pieces I already had) in black and white modern frames from Framebridge but varied the framing style to help it feel eclectic and collected. Some of them got float mounted, some included a mat, and then a few of them were framed without a mat and the picture fills out the entire frame. If you are in need of any type of framing check them out as they do such beautiful work and the process could not be easier.

The amount of light that bounces around this room makes it one of my favorite places in my apartment, and since I installed the chandelier on a dimmer it means that me and my 26 framed friends can lower the custom roman shades from Tonic Living and enjoy an intimate and ambiance filled dinner together once the sun goes down. Just don’t ask me to cook anything too complicated.

For the shoot I styled out the dining nook area with some bread and honey (because who doesn’t love bread and honey with their coffee), and of course some white tulips as they were too beautiful at the market to pass up this last week. The gorgeous cutting board which was gifted from The Wooden Palate who is a husband and wife team here in LA that makes everything by hand. Emily has a few of their pieces and everything they make is so simple and beautiful. Besides, presentation is half the meal so I now have that down pat with this little piece.

And because I know you guys love to see some full pulled back shots that show as much of the room as possible here is a view looking into the kitchen from the entry way.

And then the view looking from the dining area down the kitchen into my entry way and hallway which leads to the bedroom and office area (which are coming up in a full reveal very soon). I just got some wallpaper installed and things are shaping up so stay tuned for that reveal.

So folks, there is the full kitchen for you. If you are into the look then everything is included below, and if you have any questions about how I pulled it together or about the space be sure to leave comments below. In the meantime head over to MyDomaine to read some more of my tips on how to refresh a rental kitchen and enjoy some of these side by side before and afters while I snack on my bread and honey and sip on my delicious cup of Nespresso coffee.

Kudos to you if you noticed that the before floor in these two pics is different, as I just noticed it last minute. But the story behind the difference is that the top one was installed right before I moved in, and the below pic was taken just before the old tenant moved out.

1. Chandelier | 2. Relaxed Roman Shade | 3. Woman Waiting – Etude by Frederic Forest | 4. Nespresso Machine | 5. Nespresso Glass Mug | 6. Wooden Stand | 7. Glass Canisters | 8. INTENSO Capsule | 9. STORMIO Capsule | 10. Dining Table | 11. Dining Chair | 12. Honey Dipper | 13. Cutting Board | 14. Black Pitcher | 15. Ceramic Coffee Mug | 16. Dish Towel | 17. Rolling Pin | 18. Drawing 264 – Gesturing Man Print | 19. Point of View Print | 20. Letter Board | 21. Brass Shelf Brackets | 22. Brass Knobs | 23. Untitled B&W #1 2012 Print | 24. Freedom Print | 25. Twin Pendant | 26. Smeg Fridge | 27. Hand Soap | 28. Dish Brush | 29. Gold Flatware | 30. Dinnerware | 31. Wine Glass | 32. Leather Strap Cutting Board | 33. Charcuterie Cutting Board | 34. Round Cutting Board | 35. Mini Wooden Bowl | 36. Cork Lidded Jar | 37. Gray Dipped Ceramic Bowls | 38. Black and White Ceramic Cups | 39. Guiding Light Print | 40. Tread Print | 41. Stones Print | 42. Brass Faucet | 43. Leather Strapped Vases | 44. Copper Place Card Holder | 45. Natural Jute Rug | 46. Origami White Vase | 47. White Ribbed Vase | 48. Copper Pots

**A big thanks to Nespresso who sponsored this makeover and post and who we worked with to bring you thiscontent and makoever. Thanks for supporting the brands that allow us to bring you daily original content.  

***Photography by Tessa Neustadt

For more of Brady’s Apartment: Brady’s Bedroom Makeover with Parachute | Brady’s Living Room Refresh with The Citizenry | DIY Channel Tufted Headboard | Brady’s Living Room | Brady’s Bathroom Refresh | DIY Kitchen Flooring

Hey folks, it’s Brady here today on the blog. Don’t worry, Em is still in charge. She is busy moving into her house while I bring you a fun DIY for your weekend (since I know you all are DYING for another project especially right before the holidays, because we all have so much spare time). I am assuming at this point you all know who I am but just in case you are new or have been ignoring me politely up to this point, let’s take a quick look at my living room, bathroom, and kitchen progress. Things are definitely coming along in my apartment and although there is still lots more to do (in my opinion) we are making some big steps towards it being finished. When it came time to tackle my bedroom I casually kept putting it off as I was just tired, uninspired, and not quite ready for another project on my plate. But, when Sapira by Leesa reached out about teaming up to share with you their new luxury hybrid mattress I said, “why not?” and happily obliged because it gave me the perfect excuse to upgrade my bedroom AND my sad sleeping situation. Besides, you spend a third of your life in bed, so it was definitely time to for me to find a high-quality mattress that I love to sleep on.

I am a very happy man now (as you can see by the look on my face when the new mattress came out of the box) but it was not always that way, for years I had a hand-me-down mattress that was hard, old, and probably doing nothing for me comfort or health wise. For some reason I even packed it up and trekked it with me from Salt Lake City to LA when I moved here 5 years (insane I know). Looking back now, I am asking myself why it took me so long to get a replacement but I realized that it is because mattresses’ and the buying process are intimidating. If you do make it to a store you have to deal with pushy salesmen and gross plastic pillow covers, and if you order from a big box store or online they usually don’t have any sort of guarantee or easy way to return if you don’t like the mattress. This is where Sapira has changed the game. Just like with their Leesa mattress, they have streamlined the process and the mattress which means you just go online, pick your size and within a few days it arrives at your front door all ready for you to unpack and try it out with their 100 day trial period. Be sure to use the code: EMILYHENDERSON100 when you checkout to get $100 off your mattress purchase. Talk about an easy way to bring a little bit of luxury into your bedroom before the holidays.

Speaking of easy, before you all freak out because this headboard looks like A LOT of work, rest assured that it truly is just a few steps and so easy once you break it down. When we went to shoot it, Tessa (the photographer) even said, “wait, that is it? That is how you made that headboard? It is so easy!” So, let’s get into it – an EASY DIY channel tufted headboard.

Here is what you will need for the headboard –

Fabric: I went with an olive green velvet that I sourced online, but you really can go with any fabric as long as it is upholstery weight. I love this velvet though, as it’s so soft and really easy to clean.

Scissors: My friend gave me these fancy ones, but your everyday house scissors will do just as good of a job at cutting through the fabric and batting.

Wood: I went with 6″ wide by 1″ thick by 12′ long common wood board. You can definitely get it in shorter lengths or have them cut it down at the store for you depending on how long you want your headboard to be. I cut mine down to the exact length of my wall which was around 11′.

Staple Gun: Any staple gun will work for this. If you want to get efficient then you can even go with an automatic model.

Wood Screws: Just traditional wood screws that are not longer than the depth of your wood board, so that they don’t poke through. I went with 3/4″ length.

Screwdriver/Drill: You will use this for putting it all together. I prefer a drill but a handheld screwdriver works just as well and will definitely build those arm muscles we are all striving for with swimsuit season quickly approaching.

Strap Tie: The ones that I used were 27″ and I used them to join all of my panels together.

Batting: Depending on how long your headboard is you will need enough yardage to wrap around each panel. I used 4 yards total so that it would cover the length of my boards. This might make more sense after you see the photos.

Half Round Foam: I went with these 6″ diameter bolsters which I had the company slice down the center. They can do it all for you at the factory and ship to you which makes it very easy. Their foam comes in lengths of 72″ so if your headboard is going to be longer than that you can just butt two of them up together (end to end) to extend the length.

Creating the channel tufted panels:

Step 1: Once you have your panels cut down to your desired length you will lay the fabric face down, then the batting, then the half round foam, and finally the wood piece.

Step 2: To make sure you have enough fabric to cover around the back of your wood, pull it tight on either side and adjust where your wood/foam is on the piece so that you can cover it completely. Once you figure out how much fabric this takes you can cut the rest of your fabric down to that specific width. I cut mine down to 18″ wide which was plenty to cover each panel.

Step 3: Staple one side all the way down trying to keep it all straight as you go. Once you get to the end, switch to the opposite side, pulling it tight as you go so that you have a clean ripple free finished panel on the other side.

Step 4: For your corners you will want to fold both sides in and then the bottom up to cover everything, just how you would with a gift you are wrapping. Then staple that piece down. You don’t have to be too careful with this as no one will see the back of your piece.

Creating the picture ledge: this is a totally optional step, but on my headboard I wanted to create a little ledge on the top of it which made it stand out from the wall a bit so that I could lean art, or even a put vase or books up there.

Step 1: Lay your fabric face down and then your wood on top.

Step 2: Similar to what you did before fold over the fabric and staple down one side and then switch to the other.

Step 3: Fold over the corner and staple.

Step 4: As I am writing this I realized that we totally forgot to include this angle bracket in the “what you will need section” –  so make sure you pick up some of these if you intend on adding the ledge to your headboard. I attached 4 total to my ledge – which was plenty to hold it to my panels.

Now it is time to put it all together! This process (like the rest) is really quite simple.

Step 1: You will join all of your channel tufted panels together with your strap tie. Make sure to line up the ends of your panels so that when it is all put together you don’t have any sticking out further than others.

Step 2: Once all your panels are together you will finish it off with your ledge by screwing that onto the top panel.

And that is about it! Easy – peasy right? Or have I completely lost you? If I haven’t, here’s ONE last (optional) idea. I ended up taking it a step further and upholstering my boxspring so that the entire bed had a finished and custom look.

Here is what you will need for the upholstered box spring:

Box Spring: Most boxsprings will work for this as long as they have a wood frame on them so that you can staple the fabric onto it. If you don’t have a wood frame then you could always hot glue the fabric down.

Staple Gun

Scissors

Fabric: I had enough left over from my headboard to do wrap the boxspring as it only requires a few yards of 12″ wide fabric.

Step 1: You will want to start by adding a little piece of fabric to your corners. This will serve as the backdrop for your pretty folded corner pieces so that it creates a little pleat and looks finished.

Step 2: Make sure your fabric piece covers at least 4 inches of each side from the corner and then staple it down, pulling tight as you go.

Step 3: To create the simple pleated corners you will take another piece of fabric that is long enough to cover one length of your box spring and fold over one end a few inches.

Step 4: Then just pull it up and staple it all the way down.

Now that we have the headboard installed it’s time to bring the new Sapira Mattress in which was definitely the most fun part of the entire process. The boxed mattress trend has been around for a while as I am sure you have seen, but Leesa (who we have worked with before for Scott’s guest bedroom, and my guest bedroom), has recently introduced their newest brand Sapira. Sapira is the first true luxury hybrid mattress that has been engineered to compress and ship in a box, which means that the perfect combination of both premium pocket springs and several layers of high performance foam is just a click away. So for those of you who love springs and weren’t ready to try an all foam mattress this new hybrid brings you the best of both worlds. Each mattress has over one thousand springs built into it which helps to cradle you while you sleep and if you have someone else in the bed with you it means they won’t wake you up while they toss and turn all night (game changer). They are also made in the USA, have complimentary shipping, and offer a 100-night risk free trial. Which means you can sleep on it from Jan to March and if the mattress isn’t for you (which I highly doubt will happen) then they will gladly refund you and arrange for a complimentary pick up.

I have been sleeping on mine for about a week now and I am loving it. It is just the right amount of firmness and cushion, and the quality is far above anything else I have seen. They also offer a white glove service to come and pick up your old mattress and open up your new one, but I DO recommend doing it yourself. I mean how fun is this 🙂

Once we had the mattress in it was time to make and style the bed as I was ready for a nap. The color of the headboard really serves as the main (and only) color in the room, so I wanted to keep everything else pretty neutral and paired back and play a lot with texture. I started with the simple relaxed roman shades in a white linen that I had custom made to fit the oddly sized windows and I love the way they let the light in ever so slightly but still give me the privacy I need for my bedroom. On the floor I put this vintage Moroccan rug from Esmali Rugs, it is lower pile than most of the Moroccan rugs you are seeing on the market now and I love that it allows for high traffic without getting all piled down and dirty. They have a massive selection of them and I also just learned that each rug pattern is actually a written message and you can get them read to you by a rug translator. Maybe in my next life I can just hang out with rugs all day as they speak their messages to me?

For the bedding I wanted to keep it fresh and light so I went with all white linen bedding as I love the way that it feels and how soft it gets wash after wash. Then on top of it I layered this waffle throw which Tessa tried to steal on her way out. It rippled so effortlessly and is so insanely soft and cozy it makes the perfect throw to have at the foot of your bed or to drape across a chair.

Then to top it all off and add some more layered texture I added this Moroccan pom pom throw which brought in a graphic modern stripe, but didn’t compete as it was in the same neutral color palette as everything else in the room.

Moving on over to the nightstand area, the art is all vintage that I picked up from the flea market, and to echo the black from the art I brought in that wood based black lamp and the small ceramic vessel with an abstract black stripe. Oh, and because I love to pretend I read at night rather than catch up on garbage television I threw in a book I’ve had on my reading list for months now with a pair of reading glasses (just pretend that that top drawer is not filled with remotes and HDMI cords for my electronics).

Hey Folks, it’s me, Brady – and today we are back with another edition of Makeover Takeover. This time it is my turn. I’ve already taken you through the process of picking out my sofa, finding just the right credenza, choosing living room sconces, selecting the perfect grey (which actually wasn’t so perfect after all – thank goodness for Farrow and Ball’s Pavilion Grey for saving the day), swapping out my kitchen flooring for under $50 bucks, and refreshing my vintage bathroom . . . exhausted yet? Ya, so am I – but I did promise you folks a big living room reveal and have been teasing it for months, so today is the day, and the full reveal is finally here, MyDomaine also graciously wrote up a little feature on it which I am pinching myself over – so head over there if you are craving more. I cannot tell you how excited I am to finally have a finished living room (yep, that’s right. It is JUST the living room. I still have lots more content coming your way so don’t push the back button on your browser, or fall asleep on me yet). The fun is just beginning. Speaking of the beginning, let me take you back to what it used to look like.

I know, I know. It really wasn’t that bad and in fact, the space, the light, the old character, and all the little charm of this place is really what made me so desperate to call this apartment mine. Previously I was living in a 3 bed/3 bath new-build in Brentwood with two of my best friends. When they moved on with their lives (marriage/new jobs) it was time for my single, lonely self to move on with mine. I spent months and months looking for the “perfect place” and saw over 20 apartments before I finally landed on this one. I made the appointment to see the apartment without even seeing any pics of the interior, but the cryptic landlord description and slightly sketchy craigslist ad had me at “original hardwoods” and “beamed ceilings.” It was love at first sight, and in my exact words to the landlord, “I am not leaving this apartment tonight until you let me sign the lease.” He thought I was crazy, I thought (and aggressively persuaded him) that I was the perfect tenant, and well it worked out, so once the place was mine it was time to get to work.

On the opposite side of the room I added these two leather club chairs. Let’s talk about these chairs for a moment. People are either repulsed by or in love with these leather club chairs. I was on the hunt for a pair of club chairs for a long time and I didn’t have the budget to go out and buy some perfectly worn and aged ones from Anthropologie, so I got scrappy with it. I scoured Craigslist, Chairish, eBay, and the LA streets every night after work for about 2 weeks until I found these guys. I remember showing them to Em and her looking at me like “who are you?… why did I hire you?… what in the world do you think you are going to do with those things?” She wasn’t wrong, they were in pretty bad shape, but I loved the bones of them, the squared off arms, and the fact that they were old and had a story. Apparently, they date back to the 20s from an old speakeasy in Paris. Which most likely in eBay translation means they were made in the 1960s and had been sitting in a warehouse in Valencia. BUT, I am choosing to believe the former, and for $200 bucks for the pair I knew they had to be mine. I hired someone to deliver them from San Francisco (where they were located) down to my doorstep for $50, and they had a happy new home. I fixed them up a bit and patched them here and there so that guests weren’t too afraid to take a seat in them, but I kept them pretty original to the way that I found them.

Tucked behind them I set up a little bar cart area. I hadn’t intended to put a bar cart in my living room as I didn’t want to perpetuate the fact that there are already 1.6789 gazillion images of styled bar carts floating around on pinterest, but after I found this simple (and again circular) bar cart in gold I knew it was the perfect size and shape to fill that area.

It mostly holds dust and fancy liquor that me or my friends never drink, but hey at least you now know I am prepared to whip up a fancy Manhattan for Martha Stewart in style when she comes over. The art below the sconces was inherited from Em’s prop closet for this shoot but will be up on the flea very soon so be sure to check back before I buy it for myself. Then those sconces above the barcart, which are also spaced around the room, are from Ceder and Moss and were such a good solution as this room had no overhead lighting and just 4 wall sconces. They produce just the right amount of light, what with their double glowing spheres and all. I am a big fan of having too much light in a room and then throwing every light switch on a dimmer. It is a trick that has worked for me, and I am always able to create that soft amber glow that seems to fill the room with just the right amount of light and still hide the dark bags under my eyes. Any light that makes you and your room more beautiful is a win win in my opinion.

Just past the barcart is the little doorway that leads into my kitchen/dining area. It is almost done (I promise), just waiting on a few pieces of art as I am doing a massive floor to ceiling gallery wall on all the walls (which was originally inspired by my first real adult piece of art – that huge piece you see in the center), but you know I love teasing you with sneak peeks, so here you go.

In case you are wondering about the other items in this room, and can’t wait for the full reveal you can check out the table, chairs, and chandelier through their links. All the art and the full tour will be coming up on the blog very soon, so stay tuned.

Directly opposite the barcart I have this vintage oversized steamer trunk that I actually found during a street clean up and brought home with me. I absolutely never open it as it smells like a combination of American Horror Story Season 6 and my great great grandmothers silk pajamas, but I love the craftsmanship and detail of it so I am keeping it. On top of it is where I house my record player and my curated collection of records. Who I am kidding – in reality that is where my huge TV goes. Sorry guys, I really did try to make it work in the shot but a huge black TV just doesn’t scream “I work for Emily Henderson, ” so I borrowed my BF’s record player and collection of records, and threw them up there instead. He is much fancier than I am, and obviously has better taste in music. I absolutely love the way it looks and would love to keep it there all the time but sadly “Stranger Things” is still on my Netflix cue so that is calling my name more than a Fleetwood Mac vinyl.

For all the pillows and textiles I kept it pretty monochromatic and neutral. I am actually obsessed with these oversized cotton pillows that are made in India so I ended up getting every single size of them and using them on the couch. Then for the curtains I went with a simple linen drape which is a very similar shade to the grey stripe in the rug as well as the grey velvet on the couch so it helps to pull that tone throughout the room.

Last but not least, we have the entry area (which I probably should have started with in the tour). Despite the the magic that Zeke managed to capture in this image, this little space is very small and very dark which is why I went with this epic chandelier. It has 12 lights and, once again as I mentioned before, is on a dimmer so that I can create as much light as I want. It is always about half way dimmed but it fills the space with so much light and I love the geometric and modern feel that it brings to the archway that it hangs in.

And just because we all love a good Renée Zellweger pre and post operation moment before and after, I have pulled together these side by sides to show you the reason we love a good makeover here on the blog.

Pretty crazy right? I am very much into this corner and shot Zeke captured. Hey Martha, wanna have a cocktail?

So what do you think? Who wants to come over for a glass of vino and marathon “Stranger Things” with me while we stuff our faces with Cheesecake Factory? In the meantime head on over to MyDomaine, where they have pulled together a fun little story on the space and check out this full get the look with almost everything in the room linked up. If there is anything I forgot let me know in the comments below and I would be happy to share the link with you guys.

1. Stripe Pom Pom Pillow | 2. Colorblock Pom Pom Pillow | 3. Black Pom Pom Pillow | 4. Framed Abstract Art | 5. White Task Lamp | 6. Side Table | 7. Double Ball Sconce | 8. Sofa | 9. Coffee Table | 10. Area Rug | 11. Sheepskin Rug | 12. Rattan Ottoman | 13. Throw Blanket | 14. Snowflake Chandelier | 15. Bar Cart | 16. Table Lamp  | 17. Chainlink Sculpture | 18. Bust Sculpture | 19. Antlers | 20. Credenza | 21. Leather Basket | 22. White Vase | 23. Pedestal Planter | 24. Farrow and Ball Pavilion Grey Paint Color | 25. Curtain Rod | 26. Drapes | 27. Double Task Lamp | 28. Woven Chair | 29. Gold Accent Table

Photographs by Zeke Ruelas, Designed, Styled, and Written by Yours Truly – Brady Tolbert

Check out more posts from Brady: Brady Gives a Refresh To His Vintage Bathroom, Brady Picks A Credenza, Brady Picks A Gray Paint, Brady’s DIY Peel And Stick Kitchen Flooring (for under $50),  Brady Picks Some Lighting.

For more of Brady’s Apartment: Brady’s Bedroom Makeover with Parachute | Brady’s Kitchen Reveal | DIY Channel Tufted Headboard | Brady’s Bathroom Refresh | DIY Kitchen Flooring | Brady’s Living Room Refresh with The Citizenry

Hey Folks, Brady here, and today on the blog Emily has given me full liberty to talk about a very important issue, her morning routine. I kid, but everyone has one: Kesha “brushes her teeth with a bottle of Jack, ” Gweneth probably steams her _______ (you know what) before applying edible face cream which saves the environment and baby pandas, and well… then there is mine. It used to be pretty dismal until just a few weeks ago when my rather drab rental bathroom got a major facelift.

As you can see on the left in the before pic, it wasn’t great, but it did have some majorly great aspects that I loved and allowed me to look past the disgustingly dirty floors, the unusually low sink, and the small size of the room. The vintage basketweave tile, the cast iron tub, and the tall ceilings all meant it had major potential to go from 2012 Kylie Jenner to 2016 Kylie Jenner, for those of you that might not fully get that reference call me as we have a lot to catch up on.

Let’s start with the major fixes. The toilet and sink. These may seem like HUGE projects but are relatively easy and can make a big difference in your space. 5 years ago if you wanted an affordable toilet or sink, you had very few options and got the look of a budget toilet or sink. But, nowadays there are some very good looking toilets and sinks that are definitely rental and pocket-book friendly (and don’t worry we have a huge roundup of those coming very soon).

For those of you that are renters, I would definitely check with your landlord before you go in and start ripping things apart and replacing hard finishes in your place. But if they are open to it and it is something that you want to do then I would definitely recommend swapping them out. There are just some things that 20 thorough cleanings of clorox can’t wash away on a 15-year-old toilet and sink. Needless to say, my new toilet, new sink, and faucet make me so much happier than those sad dated ones that lived in there previously.

As the apartment is vintage, I wanted to find something that would echo the charm and character of the place so I ended up going with this toilet, this sink, and this faucet which I could not be more happy with. They both work so well together and, even just having those three new pieces in the space, made a world of difference.

I also added a new brass shelf above the toilet to fill that huge empty space, as well as a new towel ring because well…. the one on the left just wasn’t working for me and all of those pretty new pieces that were going to live next to it.

We all know that good light is important in a bathroom, and as I only have one small window and previously a one-light-flush-mount, it was time to upgrade to something more useful and more pleasant to look at. I went with this chandelier which I love. I had it made to come down 28″ inches from the ceiling, which you would think would make the space feel smaller but in fact having that depth to the light extends your eye line up to the tall ceilings. It also hides your wrinkles, diminishes hair loss, and makes your muscles look bigger. (I swear).

Now that we have talked about what I did to some of the hard surfaces in the space (light, sink, faucet, toilet, shelf), let’s talk about how you can bring some life into a rather bland bathroom with some very quick and easy fixes. I am no professional stylist, nor will I claim to be, but there are a few things to help your space feel more lived in, more you, and more comfortable.

Scent: This one is big in a bathroom (DUH… cue potty humor jokes). This candle has been my go-to for a long time both in and out of the bathroom. The scent is amazing (Gramercy Park Hotel actually uses it for all their products and burns it in all public spaces) and it doesn’t burn too fast like other candles. Basically, if you have a clean surface to create an area for a candle and a few matches, then you should do it. You and your guests will appreciate it.

Mirror: Depending on your bathroom this is one of the easiest and most impactful fixes. My bathroom previously had a built in medicine cabinet with layers and layers of paint on it. I knew that I couldn’t rip out the medicine cabinet so instead I just popped the mirrored door off by the hinges which left me with a flat surface which allowed me to mount this brass beauty from Restoration Hardware on top of the old medicine cabinet recess.

Be Your Own Guest: Trust me when I say I don’t live a life of luxurious bubble baths and champagne toasts everyday. But that doesn’t mean you can’t fantasize about it and create your own little bathroom oasis. My bathroom is SMALL and when I say small, I really do mean small. It is about 5’x5′, so I didn’t have room for a cute curio cabinet with bath salts and all my “lotions and potions”, as my dad likes to call them. But I was able to add a little side table stump, a small bud vase, and a sponge and face cloth (for all those days that I use a face cloth and sponge)… who am I kidding, throw that shit off of there and bring in a bottle of wine, while you have the Kardashians on your laptop which is cantilevered on your toilet. Isn’t that what all good side tables and toilets are for?

Make it Personal: No matter where the space may be in your house/apartment, if you just fill it with pretty things, it will just be a room filled with pretty things. Always bring in something to really make it your own. Mine happen to be a few polaroids of some of my best friends and family I have tucked into the edges of my mirror – and they’re doing a damn good job of getting my butt to the gym every morning. Just a bunch of skinny minis and my little sister, sporting a full six-pack only a few months after popping a baby out. If that isn’t motivation to do some planks every day I don’t know what is.

All in all, I could not be more happy with my little bathroom oasis, what do you think? If you are ready to create the look yourself, head on down below where I have pulled together a get the look with everything I used.

1.Magical Thinking Pompom Shower Curtain | 2. Le Labo Santal 26 Candle | 3. Jacquard Bath Towel | 4. Newport Brass Bathroom Faucet | 5. Kohler Pedestal Sink | 6. Satellite 6 Chandelier in Natural Brass | 7. Brake Angle Brass Shelf | 8. Astoria Pivot Mirror in Antique Brass | 9. Kohler Two Piece Toilet | 10.Coyuchi Mediterranean Towel | 11.Two Men Collage by Scott Bergey | 12. Irvine Modern White Frame | 13. West Emory Ring Holder | 14. Diamond Dot Ceramic Bath Tray | 15. Warm Metal Waste Basket (similar) | 16. Morgan’s Toothpaste | 17. Morgan’s Wood Toothbrush | 18. Courtesi Wood End Table

Enjoyed this makeover post? Check out these: A DIY Kitchen Redo Under $400,  Scott’s Bedroom Makeover With Leesa,  A Rustic Mid-Century Family Room, Sara Updates Her Childhood Bedroom – The Reveal, The Easiest Guest Room Makeover Ever, Brady’s DIY Peel and Stick Kitchen Flooring (For Under $50), How To Layout A Narrow Living Room, New Kitchen Project and Design Plan.

***After photos by always lovely and handsome, Zeke Ruelas

For more of Brady’s Apartment: Brady’s Bedroom Makeover with Parachute | Brady’s Kitchen Reveal | DIY Channel Tufted Headboard | Brady’s Living Room | DIY Kitchen Flooring | Brady’s Living Room Refresh with The Citizenry

If I had a dollar for EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON that told me that I was certifiably insane for the amount of work I was putting into my rental apartment, I could quickly move out of it and into a penthouse that looks over the Pacific Ocean, while sipping mojitos and staring at the pool boy below in his red speedo. But – as reality has it, I am still single, elbows deep in DIY and decor projects in my current apartment, and I could not be happier (unless, say, that poolboy came over to help me with my projects – I digress).

Finding a good apartment in Los Angeles is about as hard as finding a parking spot on a Saturday evening in downtown LA, if you do find one you jump on it as soon as possible and stop at nothing to get it. Good real estate in LA is always out there, but it comes and goes in a matter of hours. So is the case with my current apartment. I actually signed the lease on this place before the old tenant had even moved out. My point being, before I even moved in I knew that there were going to be some big projects to tackle, but that did not stop me from knowing that my 1920’s Spanish style apartment had some major potential. CUT TO . . . the awful kitchen floors.

Although most of the finishes and fixtures in the apartment are original, the kitchen floors somewhere down the line had been replaced with some LOVELY plaid inspired linoleum flooring. Before I had moved in I asked the landlord if it would be possible for him to replace the floors with a simple black and white check pattern that would more closely evoke the original style, while still keeping it a bit modern. He said, “Yes, we can replace the floors.” I walk in on move in day and this is what I see:

Replaced yes, but not quite exactly what I was going for (even though this totally may be some peoples vibe). I did a bit of research and concluded that there were some awesome peel and stick options out there that I could DIY myself. I had plans of grandeur when I first started pinning inspiration and wanted to originally go with a fun and graphic pattern, or something that would really serve as a statement.

I quickly realized that 1.) my landlord would kill me if I put in floors that looked like Kelly Wearstler had just moved in, and 2.) sometimes less is more. Especially in a small galley style kitchen like mine. So, I scaled it back and decided that just a simple black and white check would update the space, but still give me the modern yet timeless quality that I was needing.

So here’s what you will need:

Vinyl Tiles: I ended up going with these guys. They have a great look in person, are not too glossy, but also not too flat, and are INSANELY affordable at $14 a box. You will need to calculate the size of your room and then you can order tile based on that. I ended up using a little under 4 full boxes.

Straight Edge: You will use this to cut and keep your lines straight.

Cutting Surface: I am sure there are better alternatives, but I just used a cutting board that I had at home.

Utility Knife: Make sure you have a sharp one, as you will want to just make one pass when cutting through the tiles.

Pen: This is used for marking up the tiles when you need to make any cuts.

STEP 1: Every house is going to be a little bit different, but you will want to start by removing the door threshold, which is the piece that covers up the gap between the two floors. I was able to pry up mine with a flat head screwdriver and a hammer, but yours may be screwed or glued down.

STEP 2: This is the fun part. If you are doing a simple black and white check like I did there are really only two options – starting with black, or starting with white (but, if you go with color or patterned tiles then there is a lot more creative freedom, or you could get your stripe on like Orlando did in his old kitchen). I laid out both options on the floor, took some photos, and ended up deciding to go with white as my center tile. In my mind it felt like it would be lighter in the space, although in hindsight I am sure it would have looked VERY similar either way. Another thing that I completely failed to consider (which my friend brought up immediately after I had tiled the whole kitchen) was that your center tile is going to get the most foot traffic as you walk down the center of the kitchen. And that going with black as your center tile may have been a better option so it wouldn’t get so dirty. You win some, and you lose some, but I am still happy with the way it looks, so it doesn’t bother me at all. And so far it has stayed very clean.

STEP 3: Luckily my existing floors had a pattern with a line that went all the way down the center of the kitchen (thanks landlord). So, it was very easy for me to use this as a grid and keep my tiles straight all the way down the kitchen. The instructions on the box mention laying down a chalk line, or even drawing a line on the floor to keep things straight. But, I was lazy, it was 3am, and I figured my already existing line was good enough. Quick tip: Do not lay your tiles corner to corner. In other words lay down your first tile, then lay down the two other tiles which butt up against its flat sides. Then you can lay your next tile, which will then butt up to the corner of your first tile. This will help keep things straight as you move along. The whole process should move very quickly – so pour yourself a glass bottle of wine, turn on some Frank Sinatra, and enjoy it.

STEP 4: This is the trickiest and hardest part. For the tiles that line up just with a flat edge I measured the length that the tile needed to be, and cut it down to that exact length. However, for the tiles that need to have multiple edges or curves, making a template with thin paper is very helpful. Then you can then just trace your edge onto the tile and cut. I made QUITE a few mistakes doing this, but the tiles are very easy to cut and I ordered a few extras for this very reason.

There you have it. All in all I would say it is a fairly easy project, and provides such a big difference for only $50 bucks and a couple of hours of your time. There is still a lot to do in the kitchen, but I am loving where it is headed so far.

I love the way the floors open up the space. I learned as a wee young lad, whilst watching HGTV religiously during middle school, that in a small space laying floors on the diagonal, as well as increasing the size of the tile can work wonders in making the space feel larger. I also replaced all the knobs in the kitchen with these brass beauties which I am completely obsessed with. I have some big plans to make the cabinets look less like garbage, and more like functioning, non-embarrasing storage units, which also includes making sure all the knobs are at the same height. It still baffles me that somewhere down the line someone decided to drill the holes for all three of those cabinet doors at different heights.

The table and chairs are making me so happy, and I love how the modern white shape of the table works with the more retro styled brass and black chairs. Then that stunner of a chandelier from Schoolhouse Electric is a piece of art in itself.

Speaking of art, I have some BIG plans for art in this room. 30+ pieces in fact, floor to ceiling – wall to wall. Am I crazy? Probably . . . but I am into it so, it’s happening. And how can you say no when you have some insanely talented artist friends who are willing to fill your walls with beautiful things? Make sure to come back for the full kitchen reveal once I finish it all up and a massive vinyl tile flooring roundup that we have in the works.

Craving more makeover takeover? Make sure to check out my other posts:  Brady Picks A Sofa | Brady Picks A Gray Paint | Brady Picks Some Lighting and the posts from the rest of the EHD gang: Sara Updates Her Childhood Bedroom – Intro | Sara’s Custom Closets | Sara Jumps Into Bed | Sara Reveals Her Bedroom | Ginny’s LA Living Room | Ginny’s English Roll Arm | Jessica’s Living & Dining Room.

For more of Brady’s Apartment: Brady’s Bedroom Makeover with Parachute | Brady’s Kitchen Reveal | DIY Channel Tufted Headboard | Brady’s Living Room | Brady’s Bathroom Refresh | Brady’s Living Room Refresh with The Citizenry