My Houzz: Multipurpose Furniture in a Cozy Downtown D.C. Rental
See how this engaged couple mix secondhand finds with personalized flair in their 614-square-foot apartment
Heather Bien and Adam Shapiro, who recently got engaged, looked for six months to find their downtown Washington, D.C., apartment. They then managed to furnish and decorate their 614-square-foot space in a little over a month.
“I‘m the kind of person who wants her space to feel like home as quickly as possible,” Bien says. “It made for a lot of late nights that first week or so, but we absolutely love how the apartment came together, and I was so glad not to be living with blank walls and packed boxes.”
“I‘m the kind of person who wants her space to feel like home as quickly as possible,” Bien says. “It made for a lot of late nights that first week or so, but we absolutely love how the apartment came together, and I was so glad not to be living with blank walls and packed boxes.”
The brass coffee table was a $40 Craigslist score. “It was one of those finds where you know the seller either doesn’t know what they have or doesn’t appreciate it. It’s a gorgeous 42-inch square 1970s brass table with Greek key accents – I know I will have this piece forever,” Bien says.
The sofa is from Ikea and helped complete the space. “I resisted a sectional sofa for so many years, but now I get it,” Heather says. “They are so much more comfortable for lounging, plus the chaise creates just a bit of visual division between the kitchen and living room without breaking up the space too much.”
Sleeper sectional: Friheten, Ikea; browse similar sofas
The sofa is from Ikea and helped complete the space. “I resisted a sectional sofa for so many years, but now I get it,” Heather says. “They are so much more comfortable for lounging, plus the chaise creates just a bit of visual division between the kitchen and living room without breaking up the space too much.”
Sleeper sectional: Friheten, Ikea; browse similar sofas
A modular bookcase doubles as the couple’s living room library and TV stand. “I didn’t want a space that felt overly styled. We painted the dark gray accent wall to emphasize the cozy vibe, but also because a dark wall in a small room can sometimes make the room seem larger,” Bien says. “It’s as if that wall recedes into space.”
A corner tray table doubles as a chic bar cart.
Bookcase: Kallax, Ikea
A corner tray table doubles as a chic bar cart.
Bookcase: Kallax, Ikea
Bien was careful to craft a gender-neutral living area with colorful accents like this coral-painted side table. “Being the decorating fiend I am, I did most of the decorating, but I wanted this space to feel like home for both of us,” she says.
The couple’s love of travel is reflected in their coffee table books. They recently returned from a trip to Europe, where they spent a few days in Paris.
“I’m not intimidated by throwing together a leopard print with a starburst rug and putting it next to a cowhide,” Bien says. “Sometimes pattern-mixing rules are meant to be broken, especially when you’re working within a fairly neutral color scheme.”
Bien felt strongly about having space for a table to eat dinner together. “Cooking and eating dinner together is such a big part of our daily routine,” she says. “We definitely spend the most time in the kitchen and living room. We knew we wanted an open floor plan where we could cook dinner and hang out easily.”
Windsor dining chairs: vintage; lucite chair: Modway Casper dining chair, Amazon; Pergamino cowhide: Wayfair; dining table: Docksta, Ikea; browse similar tables
Bien felt strongly about having space for a table to eat dinner together. “Cooking and eating dinner together is such a big part of our daily routine,” she says. “We definitely spend the most time in the kitchen and living room. We knew we wanted an open floor plan where we could cook dinner and hang out easily.”
Windsor dining chairs: vintage; lucite chair: Modway Casper dining chair, Amazon; Pergamino cowhide: Wayfair; dining table: Docksta, Ikea; browse similar tables
The couple use this chalkboard-painted accent wall to manage their travel schedules and leave personalized messages. The chalkboard wall was actually already there when the couple moved in. “That’s not something I ever would have done on my own, but it’s been a fun way to keep track of upcoming plans, both travel and what we have going on each week,” Bien says.
The couple love the light green cabinets and open shelves in their rental’s kitchen. Bien used glass Mason jars to keep various pantry items organized.
Blue vase: Anthropologie (no longer available)
Blue vase: Anthropologie (no longer available)
The vertical subway tile design is another of Bien’s favorite features in their kitchen.
A corner of the hallway is dedicated to desk and gallery wall to create a home office area. “I actually worked in interior design before getting into the digital world, and decorating remains one of my favorite creative outlets,” Bien says. “Adam works in the federal government and is a great sport when it comes to my decorating, redecorating and stopping everywhere we go to take pictures.”
The gallery wall above the desk includes several sketches of nudes done by Bien’s grandfather. “He was a surgeon by day, but considered himself an artist first and foremost. He loved taking art classes and was always sketching, drawing and learning new mediums from stained glass to painting,” she says. “I also have a few mementos on that wall, including a ticket from the concert where Adam and I met, postcards from trips and a painting of my own.”
The bedroom is Bien’s favorite spot in the apartment and is primarily decorated in a blue and white palette.
Bedding: PBTeen; framed abstract artwork: Light in Dark and Lawless4, Minted; upholstered headboard: Wayfair; sunburst mirror: Martha Stewart, Home Depot (no longer available); see similar mirrors
Bedding: PBTeen; framed abstract artwork: Light in Dark and Lawless4, Minted; upholstered headboard: Wayfair; sunburst mirror: Martha Stewart, Home Depot (no longer available); see similar mirrors
“The midcentury dresser was a find by my aunt who refinishes vintage furniture,” Bien says. “We don’t know its exact history except that it’s a solid wood chest made in Eastern Europe. It’s actually two pieces stacked, and I had my aunt paint it in that classic wood stain and white midcentury finish.”
After looking at what felt like a hundred options at furniture stores and websites, Bien searched Etsy to find this white dresser. “A seller in Chicago who specializes in glossy painted midcentury antiques had this piece. I fell in love with the brass pulls and the geometric detailing, and I knew I had to have it,” Bien says. “When I reached out to the seller, she said she had a driver doing a pickup later that week and I could have the chest by the next Saturday.”
The couple’s cat, Hamp, enjoys getting cozy on this plush blue rug in their bedroom. “I got her 10 years ago at the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA, and she’s converted Adam into liking cats, or at least liking her,” Bien says. “I’m already a neat freak, but she keeps me even more accountable because the minute there’s a glass of water sitting out, a piece of mail on the counter, or a pair of jeans sitting on the bed, she’s going to get into it.”
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Heather Bien and Adam Shapiro, and their cat, Hamp
Location: H Street, Washington, D.C.
Size: 614 square feet (57 square meters), one bedroom, one bathroom