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Audra's Bright & Cozy Retreat

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Name:

Audra

Location:

Boston, Massachusetts

Division:

Teeny-Tiny

Square Feet:

350

What I Love About My Home


The best thing about this space is all the light that it gets. With windows on both sides, half is brightly lit in the morning and the other half is brightly lit in the afternoon. The layout of the apartment makes good use of its small square footage, and it has a very cozy (but not cramped) feel. I also love the views that we have of the city all around us. Being on the top floor of the building, the apartment is miraculously quiet despite its location, adding to its cozy retreat-like feel.

Biggest Challenge in Furnishing My Home


The square footage of the apartment is broken up into three small rooms, which makes fitting furniture of any size in the rooms a challenge. In fact, just getting the furniture into the apartment may be the hardest part, since it's a fifth floor walk-up with a fairly narrow stairwell. We inherited much of the furniture from the previous tenant or our parents, so making everything work together is also a challenge. We've gradually edited out pieces that didn't work, more than we've really added anything new.

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Comments (36)

I love the kitchen table. What is that style of furniture called? With chunky legs and angled edges...

posted by itsjustgoldie on April 7, 2011 at 11:53am
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Love this! And ditto on that orange rug - where'd you get it? Your decor really suits the apartment and makes great use of the light.

posted by momnipotent on April 8, 2011 at 11:11am
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Very pleasant and inviting!

posted by Honore on April 7, 2011 at 10:42am
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I love your place, and I completely agree about editing. I've inherited a lot of my furniture, and I always thought that I would buy more once I had a new place. In truth, I've either replaced, rehabbed, or gotten rid of most of it.

My bedroom is about the same shade of blue as yours, and I'm looking to do a similar thing--lots of white on blue.

I also love the dresser as the TV stand. I have a smaller TV, and I'm looking to get a funky sofa table or dresser to use instead of a traditional TV stand--which are lower to the ground.

Great job!

posted by Jessica Jeanne on April 7, 2011 at 9:22am
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It's very serene...

I like your desk. I prefer your dining table without the tablecloth;the table's colour complements the wall's colour and gives it more depth.

posted by hotpaprika on April 7, 2011 at 10:59am
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Are you a South Ender? I'm trying to figure out your neighborhood by looking out the window. What a view!

posted by JD617 on April 7, 2011 at 12:14pm
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Cozy and cute!! :)

posted by nomadchicky on April 7, 2011 at 12:44pm
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Oh, this is so how I want my apartment to look one day. So my style! Love it.

posted by jessroo on April 7, 2011 at 1:35pm
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hard to say what I like most but, really like the use of space and the character of the office.

posted by jessroo on April 7, 2011 at 1:37pm
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I agree...uncovered table is best.
You've done a great job with a difficult space.

posted by Roozter on April 7, 2011 at 3:39pm
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wow. Just wow.

posted by msmezzo on April 7, 2011 at 4:11pm
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I love the pot rack in the kitchen! I'm looking for something exactly like that for my place, where did you get it? Also, love the colors, very pretty.

posted by Maggie5s on April 7, 2011 at 4:29pm
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Love your fabric patterns.
Especially love the rug in the office area.

posted by TKPKgirl on April 7, 2011 at 11:31pm
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Very cozy feeling with lots of light. Love the floor plan too!

posted by California Sleepybears on April 7, 2011 at 5:36pm
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This is the most adorable apartment I think I have ever seen. I love that you have a separate study and bedroom. In 350 ft2 I wouldn't have thought it possible!

posted by dirce79 on April 7, 2011 at 6:58pm
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Oh those windows!! So jealous!!

Nicely done. :)

posted by Reeses902 on April 7, 2011 at 8:49pm
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The floating shelf inside the open shelving is interesting! I really like the orange rug. :)

posted by lepidoptery on April 7, 2011 at 9:24pm
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I love your desk! And I've very fond of the colour in your bedroom and office. Can you please share the name and brand?

I too am wondering what neighbourhood you are in...looks like it could be the North End, which is where I live!!

posted by glitchgirl on April 7, 2011 at 11:18pm
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My most favoritest of the entire apartmenttherapy site for years I've been reading everyday, is this place! Makes me want to live there, only time I've felt like this.

posted by asked you first on April 8, 2011 at 12:10am
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Woah I need that desk! You have done such a great job here, it's almost shocking with that square footage [I've only go 50sqft over you and I can't pull that off]. I have a suggestion though: placing the bed in the upper corner of the room might give you a bit more walking space. Looks great though!

posted by ohkatie on April 8, 2011 at 1:41am
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Thanks everyone!

JD617 and glitchgirl - i'm in beacon hill actually. The view is of the west end. I'll check on the paint color and get back to you - can't remember off the top of my head.

The orange rug is a family hand-me-down. I love it too!

posted by earth9 on April 8, 2011 at 5:38pm
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I love the light! its so sunny, the library, sofa and drawer are beautiful.

posted by Ofelia on April 8, 2011 at 7:36pm
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The apartment looks great Audra! F

posted by fadang on April 9, 2011 at 12:53pm
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Great place, Audra!

posted by brightred on April 10, 2011 at 4:27am
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So light and airy! Love the couch and the end table, so beautiful! The kitchen table looks so pretty, would love to see an exposed table top. The low placement of the knives is a bit scary, but whatever works for you! Thanks for sharing!

posted by Raaina on April 10, 2011 at 4:07pm
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Instead of cramped, this looks intimate. I imagine it has a great feel when you're in it.

posted by latoyaversailles on April 10, 2011 at 4:29pm
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I can totally imagine kicking back on the off-white chair resting my feet on the ottoman with a good book and occasional glance out the windows at your excellent urban view!

posted by SMM on April 10, 2011 at 5:54pm
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whoa! this looks WAY bigger than 350sq. feet! i'm impressed! nice work :)

posted by lemondrop on April 10, 2011 at 8:15pm
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You have a great place. I love your floor plan. There are some ideas there that I would love to put in my house if that's okay with you.

posted by Cameron(House Sale) on April 11, 2011 at 9:47pm
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I love the idea of a dresser for a TV stand - I imagine you could even poke small hole in the back of a shelf or two for cable/dvd player cords. It adds such charm to the room!

posted by 1Jurisdiva on April 11, 2011 at 9:57pm
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lovely ,one of my favourites so far.

posted by kimscollectables on April 13, 2011 at 8:21am
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So cute and so lovely! Though I must add, I laughed at the knives next to the dining table!

posted by owlmug on April 14, 2011 at 10:41am
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i love it already. your space is very pretty =)

posted by JulianneMay on April 15, 2011 at 5:59am
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Superb layout, location and quiet? You've scored a hat trick, city-living style. Well done!

posted by cynzylla on April 18, 2011 at 4:28pm
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I love the space overall, but I really like the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. What a great idea!

posted by mollyfields on April 29, 2011 at 4:40pm
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Where did you get that desk??!! I want one.

posted by nhbrooklyn on May 4, 2011 at 9:52pm
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