A Modern House Tour: a house log

Woot, it is Friday! And we are hard at work painting the trim in the living room at this. quite. moment. So it seems like as good a time as any to go house crashing. We thought we’d share pics of this amazingly inspiring NYC pad that we virtually house crashed while we are off getting our paint on. One thing’s for sure – Herman and Eduardo (the proud owners) certainly have made every last inch count. Speaking of size, their pad is simply 500 square feet and it consists of a modestly sized kitchen, dining area, living area, bedroom, and bathroom. But it feels luxe and lovely, like it is all anyone would ever need. It is such a good example of living simply and making the smartest use of your space. Plus Herman and Eduardo did a ton of stuff themselves (from demo and floor planning to sewing their own pillows and curtains). But sufficient chitchat. Let us start with the living area…

See that big black piece that they brought in to create a pleasant partition (from the bedroom) and tons of storage (accessible from all three sides)? It is genius. An of course we enjoy the art and those pillows and that vivid texture-rich rug from West Elm.

Speaking of that colorful art, we like that it does not take itself too seriously (and it is simply begging to be DIYed for anyone out there in need of some wall interest). And there are some of those DIYed pillows that Eduardo made.

Here is the TV that is placed across from the sofa in front of a charming painted brick stripe (which was built out with drywall to include a little display nook- such a lively modern departure from the average wood mantel).

And see those Knoll Bertoia chairs over yonder? They are like a celebrity crush. I know I will likely never be able to get my mitts on them, but oh how they make me weak in the knees (John says I am allowed to look all I want, I simply cannot touch. I know, I am a lucky lady).

As you can see from the last picture, the living area is simply a few feet away from this über chic dining zone complete with a vivid marble topped tulip table (get that look on the budget with this similar version from Ikea). Oh and speaking of budget, Eduardo made that vivid mirror himself.

And around the corner there is a short hallway that leads to a dreamy bedroom. But I am getting ahead of myself. We will get there in a minute (but check out those strong built-in drawers for a second):

Before moving back to the bedroom we have the office, which is truly simply a corner of the same room that includes the kitchen, living area, and dining zone. And get this, they built the desk themselves. And then covered it with plexiglass for a slick look.

Speaking of the kitchen, here is that corner (they raised it up a bit on a clean-lined pedestal to assist define that zone in the room). It is remarkable how there is room for everything and even a pleasant large span of countertop work space thanks to the peninsula packed with storage that was also brought in to subtly section off the area. Plus the counters and cabinets are from Ikea, so they did not break the bank. Even though they look like they did with that customized everything-fits-perfectly layout.

The time has come to revisit the bedroom that you saw a peek of from that second dining room shot. It is vivid and dramatic yet especially serene, complete with lovely metallic curtains along the back wall paired with a gleaming silver texture-rich headboard and a sunny yellow extra long bolster pillow. And in money-saving news, not only did Eduardo make that pillow, they in fact got the coverlet from Bed Bath & Beyond. Sweet.

Next we have a peek at the bathroom (small rooms are hard to shoot- but we enjoy this glimpse!):

So that is Herman and Eduardo’s remarkable home. Sometimes it is the smallest spaces that force people to be the most creative- and we enjoy soaking up all the eye candy and inspiration. We are sending out a big thank you to H & E for sharing the virtual tour while we paint the day away. Oh and you can drop in on Eduardo’s journal here for more info and inspiration. Now let us play the what is-your-go-to-part game. I am obsessed with the vivid metallic headboard and the punchy art in the living room. John’s digging the remarkable three sided storage unit in the living room and the cool modern light fixture in the dining area. Your turn.

Psst- Check out more house crashing adventures here.