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Fashionable + Functional On a Budget

How do you make a studio apartment fashionable and functional, without spending a lot of money?

We asked Heidi, a Boutique Apartments resident who lives in a studio at H2O, and whose 350 s.f. apartment is up for voting in Apartment Therapy’s “Room for Color” contest, and here are her responses:

How long have you lived in your Boutique Apartment, and where did you move from?
I moved from Denver to New York in April 2011. I had worked in the snowboard industry for years on the East Coast, and it was always a dream to make it out west. So, I packed my Subaru, and did it.

More specifically I moved to Boutique Apartment’s H2O because of the aesthetics and neighborhood. And, why wouldn’t you want sea monkeys in the laundry room?!

What do you do for a living?
Right now I work from home, running 2 vintage Etsy shops, and I just signed on with SEE Eyewear for some part time showroom work.

What was the biggest challenge with furnishing your studio apartment?
Budget. Mostly because I have a storage unit in New York filled with furniture, and didn’t want to worry about buying and then moving expensive pieces from out here back home one day.

Where do you shop for furnishings?
I go on the road 1-2 days a week, buying for my Etsy shop, so most of my furnishings have come from second hand and thrift stores. Oh, and let’s get real. I was definitely at IKEA the first week it opened.

What tips can you offer for residents looking to furnish their apartments on a budget?
Patience. I feel like too often people think they need to fill the whole space as soon as they move in. I find it’s much better to let it evolve and find pieces one by one that fit each other.

Any specific interior design tips?
Pull tear sheets from magazines of rooms you like, and use them for reference. Or digitally reference online shelter mags.

Are there benefits you’ve discovered of living in a small apartment?
I’ve actually lived in a studio that was smaller than this one before. I think it’s always refreshing to realize how how little you need to live comfortably!

Thanks, Heidi, we couldn’t have said it better ourselves. You can check out Heidi’s stellar fashion sense in her entry in the Room for Color contest, and at her vintage Etsy shop.