Small Space Style: Modern Vintage

 For this weekend's photoshoot for La Petite Fashionista Magazine (!!), we met at my friend Victoria's place. She lives right on a lake in Madison and has incredible style. She has a knack for pairing unique pieces and making them look pulled together and chic. She is a whiz at navigating sample sites and finding affordable deals!

I had to snap a few pictures for the blog of her living room + kitchen area to show you how stylish a 450 sq. foot apartment can be!

union jack rug via gilt.com // tweed couch// trunk as an end table // lamp from a 2nd hand store

neon pink baroque frame // old telephone nook as straightener holder// antlers for jewelry holder from urban outfitters

diy painted letter // floating bookshelves of vogue magazines & picture frames 

mannequin styled w/ cute spring outfit // pins in a map marking places traveled & red refurbished table // globe from an antique store

flowers in skinny vases with a lake view on a hazy summer day // ikea chandelier 

faux flowers in vintage-y vases to brighten up a kitchen table

Victoria was sweet enough to answer a few questions about her apartment & decorating tips for us:

where is your decor from, and how would you describe your interior design style?

It's a mixture of vintage, borrowed and new. In terms of my overall décor, I love mixing retro Mid Century Modern style pieces with more sleek modern ones. I don’t think you have to stick to only one style of décor, because it look too much like a museum if you’re doing all retro or too stuffy it’s all modern. You want it to be a welcoming space with personal touches that develop as you live there. I love adding pops of color, it makes the place feel alive when you’re stuck with white walls in a rental apartment.

what's your favorite piece in the living room/kitchen?

I really love my counter height kitchen table. There are so many things I can do with it, I will work on craft projects on it, or use it as a computer table, and of course eat from it! What I love the most though is being able to sit there and with a cup of coffee in the morning and overlook the view of the lake and capital. It also is where everyone in my apartment congregates so naturally I spend a lot of time around it.

Any advice for living in a small space?

Keep it clean! It’s amazing how little clutter it takes for a small place to look messy. Also, find cute storage that you can use for display as well, I don’t have a lot of room for furniture because the apartment is so small and too much will overwhelm a tiny space. So use the walls if you can (like the floating bookshelves or jewelry rack) or find decorative fabric boxes & storage coffee tables.  

Be on the lookout for an article from Victoria on secrets of eBay shopping in the first issue of LPF Mag!

xoxo, lauren