Moroccan Style – Small Apartment Design On A Budget – After
For this design project we were working with Sonja, a sweet newly single lady who had downsized to a much smaller apartment from what she was used to. She mentioned to us that she had a hard time making the decision to move to a smaller apartment, as this was something that was completely new to her. But she had her reasons why she needed to make the move. Because she had a lot of furniture to bring to her new home, she made the decision to get in touch with a company like Atlanta Home Movers (https://www.atlantahomemovers.com/) to help her transport all her goods over in the safest way possible. Once it arrived, she now had the tough task of redecorating her apartment to make it feel like a home. Some of her art work was simply too large for the new space, and some of the furniture felt bulky and made the room look smaller.
She wanted a room with a Moroccan flair, a style she loved and tried to incorporate by some of her furniture choices, in particular the TV stand and some of her art work. She also loved warm colors, and wanted her home to exude that warmth. She was interested to also learn more about changing features such as the doors and the windows to possibly give off a more Moroccan decorative flair in the future. But for now she just wanted to focus on fitting her furniture into her new apartment.
No design project is without its challenges, and we had to forgo some of our ideas to stay within our $500 budget. We also had to place the art work above the couch much higher than we would have preferred, due to the clients wishes. There was already a stud in the wall where she wanted to keep the art work.
Despite the challenges, I am pleased with the result! We started by warming up the room with paint colors, a creamy nutmeg on the wall behind the couch and a cinnamon color underneath the kitchen counter when you first walk in the room. Probably the most obvious change is the slip covers on the couch and chair, taking it from red to white. We felt the white would tie in with the new color palette and look great with the bold throw pillows we purchased for the room. Neutral couch colors make it really easy to change up the look whenever you want!
The next biggest change we made was to purchase a new TV stand that would go well with her art and her TV (maybe its a smart TV like the ones VIZIO tends to have in their collection). We found this piece on craigslist for only $80, and even though it was a pain to walk up the stairs with, it was worth it. Now Sonja has a TV stand with storage for her cable box, routers, and extra wires.
We (well my design partner Noor, not me) reupholstered the leather ottoman with a beautiful Moroccan patterned fabric we picked up from the fabric store. We moved the ottoman to under the kitchen counter as a casual seating area or a place to sit to put on your shoes.
We had a last minute change of heart with the rug, and went from a solid to a stripe. I think the bold stripe works well with the black and white patterned ottoman and pillow, it also contrasts well with the warm neutral paint colors and bright yellow and teal lumbar decor pillows.
We placed her former TV stand, the Moroccan style console table, against the wall and put a mirror at Sonja’s eye level (she is almost 6′ tall) so that she has a place to take one last look at herself before heading out in the mornings, and a place to toss her keys when she gets home.
The Z accessory, in case you are wondering, is not for Zahra – ha ha – but rather it is a special craft that Sonja enjoys making for herself and her friends. We loved incorporating that personal piece to her room. Lastly, we added fresh plants and some accessories to finish the look.
Most of the shopping we did was at HomeGoods, Ikea, ReStyle, ReStore, and Ross. Oh and of course, Craigslist.
What do you think? Would you try a Moroccan theme for your room?
For interior design project inquiries please email me at zahra@lovezahra.com. Thanks!
Craigslist find – TV Stand. We added Sonja’s candelabra in the space under the TV to continue with the theme. Sonja’s old TV died during the design process, so she bought this flat screen- which made us VERY happy!
The pouf was a bit of a splurge but we thought it added something special to the space and made it worth it. Below: We found this tea set and arranged the colorful cups on the counter.
Reupholstered Ottoman, with tray from HomeGoods and Sonja’s own pillow. Painted wall behind the Ottoman.
We found another large framed art piece we liked better than the one she had, this one tied in with the new color palette perfectly.
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