Spacecrafting
Bedroom and large trendy girl carpeted kids' bedroom photo in Minneapolis with purple walls

When it comes to finding inspiration for your house or apartment design, there are a variety of routes you can take. For some, it is important to dive into the latest trends in fashion and art, using only the most popular decor pieces and embracing the color palettes seen on runways or in home and garden magazines. But for others, it’s simply about discovering what feels most like “home.” Ashley Steele, the creator of A Styled Affair, was part of the latter group. “Since my husband and I were moving into a space that was previously owned, I needed a way to make it feel like it was truly ours, and unique to us,” she told our team. A Styled Affair sprang from Ashley’s passion for fashion, and need for a creative outlet. But it soon became more than that. She developed a following, and it quickly became a place where she could share her personal style, travel adventures, and lifestyle tips. “While the blogging industry has become overwhelmed with people sharing their favorite home decor or make-up tips, I think what sets A Styled Affair apart is my commitment to stay true to my unique taste. I have always marched to the beat of my own drum – and that carries through in the clothes I wear, the decor I select for our home, and the travels I plan.” Paintzen connected with Ashley as she was settling into her new home in Boston’s Seaport District. Although she and her husband have lived in Boston for almost 8 years, they were used to smaller, more traditional spaces. Their new home is much bigger, and more modern, than any place they lived before. “I wanted to select colors of comfort, simplicity, and sophistication so we could elevate the space and make it feel more like a home.” Ashley also accurately pointed out that new construction can sometimes feel a little cold and sterile, almost industrial. “I wanted our home to feel like a peaceful oasis after coming in from the bustling city.” Ashley chose soft white paint for her walls to bring a sense of comfort and zen. With lots of wall decor, art work and carefully selected furniture, the walls serve as a clean and comfortable palette, and allowed her more freedom when making her other design decisions throughout the space. Ashley kept the overall palette fairly neutral, and incorporated “modern bohemian” inspired decor throughout the home; the final product was clean and simple, and catered to her style. We asked Ashley what she was most excited for now. “I’m most excited to continue to find new decor pieces to compliment the paint colors and decor we’ve already found for the space. We have been really patient with decorating and selected each piece really careful to make sure it is cohesive and flows from room to room. I’m looking forward to enjoying the space with my husband and dog, and entertaining friends and family in the spring and summer!” A few final questions for Ashley on her experience with Paintzen: “I would highly recommend Paintzen to anyone, especially those that live in the city. There are so many different paint companies and contractors to choose from but going through Paintzen simplified the process and made me feel comfortable that we had the right team working on our space. Their platform for booking services and choosing paint colors made the process seamless and was a great way to keep track of what we booked and chose for colors. Most importantly, the customer service team was outstanding whenever we had a question or needed to make an adjustment.” And advice she would give someone repainting their home: “Patience. I would recommend taking your time and doing your research before selecting paint colors. Lighting changes every color so make sure to bring paint swatches and samples into the space and look at it throughout the day to see the different tones that the light will pick up. I would also recommend researching color trends and recommendations for colors in the family you are looking for. We found our living room color through a blog post listing top-used colors by interior designers and it looks amazing.”

Interior Design concept and project management by Stephanie Fortier. Pictures by Bodoum Photographie
Inspiration for a small transitional guest and girl medium tone wood floor and brown floor teen room remodel in Montreal with multicolored walls

Amy Bartlam
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Example of a bedroom and large transitional boy carpeted and beige floor kids' bedroom design in Portland with orange walls

Bedroom and mid-sized elegant girl light wood floor and beige floor kids' bedroom photo in Toronto with pink walls

Photos by Emily Gilbert
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Example of a farmhouse medium tone wood floor and brown floor bedroom design with beige walls

Photographs: Hiroyuki OKI http://deconphoto.com/

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Example of a beach style dining room design in Philadelphia

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Kids' bedroom - bedroom and small contemporary boy carpeted kids' bedroom idea in Los Angeles with gray walls

Example of a mid-sized trendy master light wood floor, beige floor and wallpaper ceiling bedroom design in New York with white walls

A young couple with three small children purchased this full floor loft in Tribeca in need of a gut renovation. The existing apartment was plagued with awkward spaces, limited natural light and an outdated décor. It was also lacking the required third child’s bedroom desperately needed for their newly expanded family. StudioLAB aimed for a fluid open-plan layout in the larger public spaces while creating smaller, tighter quarters in the rear private spaces to satisfy the family’s programmatic wishes. 3 small children’s bedrooms were carved out of the rear lower level connected by a communal playroom and a shared kid’s bathroom. Upstairs, the master bedroom and master bathroom float above the kid’s rooms on a mezzanine accessed by a newly built staircase. Ample new storage was built underneath the staircase as an extension of the open kitchen and dining areas. A custom pull out drawer containing the food and water bowls was installed for the family’s two dogs to be hidden away out of site when not in use. All wall surfaces, existing and new, were limited to a bright but warm white finish to create a seamless integration in the ceiling and wall structures allowing the spatial progression of the space and sculptural quality of the midcentury modern furniture pieces and colorful original artwork, painted by the wife’s brother, to enhance the space. The existing tin ceiling was left in the living room to maximize ceiling heights and remain a reminder of the historical details of the original construction. A new central AC system was added with an exposed cylindrical duct running along the long living room wall. A small office nook was built next to the elevator tucked away to be out of site.