Today we are welcoming Annie Butler to the blog as she shares her cute (450 square ft.!) space with us.
"I live in a studio apartment. It's 450 square feet and I love it with all my heart. I knew the very second I walked in that it was the space for me. The high beams in the ceilings, the white brick and yellow walls, the fireplace and airy windows—it felt less like an apartment and more like something I had built in a daydream. It's in my favorite neighborhood of Cincinnati.
"My apartment is so small I really love every part of it. It's hard to distinguish a single space. Out of necessity, I'd have to say my favorite area is probably my coffee corner. I French press every morning, first thing. The sun rises right in front of my windows and streams in directly to my coffee cart. It's so pretty and peaceful. All my coffee equipment was gifted (my friends and family know my love of coffee runs deep). But the cart itself is a thrifted score. One of my favorites.
"I realized pretty early on, with limited floor space, I'd have to move up on the walls. And because it is a rented space, any changes I made had to be temporary. My pictures turned into magnets on the fridge. My pots and pans went into the air. I didn't have room for a kitchen table, so I built a wrap around coffee bar for the walls (inspired by Emma's standing desk, actually!). I have hanging mason jars in the bathroom and wire file storage hanging by my desk. To make the room look bigger, I took the doors off my closet and pushed my dresser inside.
"My studio is the first place I've ever lived in by myself. No siblings, no roommates…just me. I've only been here a year, but I can't tell you how much I've learned already. Like how if for three straight weeks in the winter all the outlets in your apartment mysteriously die, you'll figure it out. And also, even if you don't believe it, you are capable of building things on the wall that will actually support dinner plates. I'm figuring out how to be an adult here. I think that's why I love my apartment so much. It's this tiny perfect, comfortable, space where I can be myself."
Thank you so much for sharing, Annie! You can find more of Annie on her blog and on Instagram. xo
Credits// Author: Annie Butler. Photography: Lydia Phillips and Annie Butler.
75 Comments
What a lovely apartment! I have a tiny flat as well but I love it so much! I also did this going up the walls thing. When you furnish a place in a smart way, tiny places can be very cosy. My advice always is to use only very light furniture and bring color in with decoration
http://www.happiness-treasures.blogspot.com
Thanks, Stefanie! I totally agree – the small spaces can be so cozy. & going into the air makes such a difference too! p.s. love your blog <3
This is so cute! I love how creative she has been with such a small space.
It’s so true! The small spaces can be the most cozy. & since you have to be so intentional with the decorations — I love everything I bring in even more! I love your blog, Stefanie — such a happy place <3
That’s sweet! I am fantasising about a tiny house too, like one of those tiny homes projects and I am really hoping we get to see more of small adorable places on “At home with”. Love!
oddballdoll.blogspot.com
i really, really love your space!
This is so cute ^_^
Laila from Townhouse Palette
Ok, I’m in love. Your space is amazing!! I’d love to see photos of the mason jar bathroom and closet too!! Thanks for sharing your inspiring place!!!!
Fantastic apartment! I have pinned a few images too 🙂
That is one fantastic sofa. Beautiful space! Ours is small too— only 500sqft, but I think layout is everything. Our house is set up like a train. :/
Gorgeous home! http://www.hannamarielei.com
I adore this little space!! What a fun first home! 🙂
http://www.sweetlytattered.com
Wow! I love this! You have a beautiful home. Do I see a fireplace in the bedroom? That must make the room so cozy in the winter.
Sweet little space. Seems just perfect. I really like to black and white tile floors too. Beautiful home.
I absolutely LOVE this space. While my house is bigger than 450 feet, it’s no Taj Mahal. I’ve very inspired to continue to be smarter about the way that I use the space! This is the cutest space and hats off to you, Annie, for learning how to “survive” on your own! 😉
GrHappy day for you my friend… http://icah-banjarmasin.blogspot.com
Adorable! I love how she stores her pots and pans.
Adorable! I love how she stores her pots and pans.
This house is just lovely!! I love the stools and the checkerboard floors.
Leah Faye
I love that Annie’s space is so efficient. I adore the coffee corner, the desk area, and all of the photographs.
Happy Sunday
http://www.lovecompassionatelee.com/thinkoutloud
Absolutely love how the space has been designed it looks super cute!
I love this apartment so much, and I love that she was able to make the small space work as a DIYer in a rental. Perfection!
You have a really cute apartment. You are so well organized. Love the wood bars on your ceilings.:)
http://www.chicuturnonglitz.blogspot.com
Thank you so much, Brittany! It’s been really fun to try new things & figure out what works in a little room. Definitely encourages creativity!!
Oh it’s so fun living in a small space! If you ever have the chance I think you totally should, Eva!
Thank you, Sandy!! I really love it too ☺️
Thank you, Laila! ?
This is such a cute apartment! I LOVE it! I love love the kitchen
Awesome post
Xoxo
http://fashionbackyard.blogspot.fr
Hermoso!!
Acogedor y luminoso, me encanta.
So beautiful, I love the wrap around coffee bar!! Such a great use of space!
Chic & Unique! I luv it!
Best,
Michelle from simplysantabarbara.blogspot.com
What a gorgeous space! Looks more like a trendy cafe than a house x
Erin | http://beingerin.com
Kellie, thanks so much for your kind words! I’ll post some pics of the other spaces on instagram 😀
You’re so lovely to follow along!
That is so amazing of you! Thank you! It’s really a fun space to live <3
Jordanna you are totally right about layout. Even though mine is technically a studio, it feels so much more compartmentalized because its shaped like a U. It took me a while to realize how lucky that was! I love the sofa too 🙂 I saved up for a year to get that!
Thanks, Alyssa! It has definitely been a fun first home 🙂
Trina, yes! A working fireplace! It was GREAT in the winter — I could keep my heat really low & just warm the whole place up with a fire. & since it’s so little, it only took a few minutes to heat up. Thanks for your kind words about my studio <3
Thank you, Emily! The black and white tile floors are one of my favorite features too <3
Thank you so much, Jess! I’m definitely still learning how to be an adult, but I’ve come a long way since moving in! I’m so glad that my space has inspired you! I get inspired every day by things I see online. The small space has definitely brought me a new perspective — in many areas of my life. Thanks for reading about my little oasis 🙂
Thank you! Isn’t that fun?! It was actually my friend’s idea — right when I moved in I was getting nervous about storage & she just said “well why don’t you hang it all?” It made all the difference 🙂
Thank you, Leah! I actually got those stools at Sam’s Club about a year ago. They were very reasonable & I feel so cool because now I see them every where 🙂
Ah thank you so much! Those are ally my favorite things as well! Everything just fit so perfectly, I knew it was meant to be 🙂
Thank you, Jennifer!! I definitely had fun trying to make changes that could be temporary for the rental. I’ve gathered a lot of inspiration over the web, for sure. It ended up even better than I imagined! I’m so glad you like it <3
Thank you, Michele!! The wood beams are what made me fall in love with the space! I had never seen anything like that before. They are so decorative.. and functional! I’m so glad you like the space!
Gracias, Grace!!
Thank you, Laura! That was my friend’s idea! She came over right as I was moving in & getting anxious about the lack of space. She threw out the idea of a wrap around bar & I immediately remembered Emma’s standing desk here on ABM! The rest is history :D.
So glad you like the space!! xox
What a sweet space. So creatively decorated. Lovin’ the coffee bar too. 🙂
Jo
http://www.womaninreallife.com/
I really love this apartment! I actually doesn’t need any extra space and I like tinier apartments as lon as rooms are high. It’s amazing to see how beautiful a rented space can be if you just put a little effort on it.
Such a beautiful, personalized space – filled with so much personality despite the size. Thanks for the inspiration and congratulations on having such a lovely home.
Annie – I love this! So inspirational for someone with a similarly small space. I find I always end up looking a little cluttered, so this is really helpful. Thanks so much!
http://www.emmabyers.com
WoW – I love your little place! It is so cozy and awesome. Especially the kitchen floors and the brick wall – how cool is that! 🙂
xx M.
http://nevermindnm.blogspot.com/
I feel the love coming through 🙂 I totally get it. I had a 450 sq ft space too and it had tons of charm. My fave thing was my outdoor space though lol I was fortunate enough to have the ground floor apt which had a courtyard. A salvaged wooden day bed from the garbage I had repainted and threw cushions on and tons of plants and I had extra living space all summer through to the fall. I miss my space but I moved into my tiny home 9 years ago and love it even more!!! I love the wrap around area with the stools. Genius!!!!
Thank you so much! I’m so glad that you call it a happy place. Because this is exactly what it is supposed to be! A place where people go in there lunch breaks and are a bit happier afterwards!
And once again, I love your flat as well. You furnished it so clever <3
The walls are so beautiful! I have always dreamed of living somewhere with brick walls 🙂
/Cindi
Sweet place – How much is the rent? It reminds me of the NYC apartment I had when I was 20 – 1972! At that time my salary was $100 a week, and the rent was $200. No cell-phone bills or cable back then. Anyway, you brought back wonderful memories – Thanks!
i am absolutely in love with this apartment! <3
Such a cute & cozy home! 🙂 Thank you for welcoming us into your home! 🙂
I love this space! That black and white floor is so fun!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Wow, it is so inspiring to see how you can make such a small space so cozy and inviting! What a beautiful home!
That brick wall is to die for 🙂 And the yellow paint-perfection.
I LOVE the not-quite-straight assembly of pictures everywhere! They make for a perfectly undone look and add a ton of personality to the place! I’m jealous 🙂
The bones of this place is just beautiful with all that brick. Would love to find a place as beautiful as that.
That wrap around coffee bar is so fun! It looks like such a fun atmosphere to be in!
I would love a house like this
So comfy, it is like this warm cup of coffee in winter…
http://www.mykitschworld.blogspot.com.es
Your place is so homey and lovely! I love how you have made it into a space that suits your life and showcases what you love. Really inspiring (also love your couch!)
Liana
http://www.thefrench75.ca
Such a lovely space! I love the brick walls!
Kristi | Be Loverly
This interior house design is inspirational. Adore it and it’s way comfier than one might expect from such a small space! Life goals for sure once we get an apartment of our own! Love the photos xoxo
This space is so cute. I love how little spaces make you truly decide what is and is not important to you.
This apartment is the loveliest little thing I have ever seen! It’s so pretty. It’s also exactly the kind of space I would want for myself should I ever make the jump of living on my own away from my housemates! Being an adult is all so scary and exciting at the same time!!
Beautiful Home! https://mandauefoam.ph/
I love the “hello” on her door!
So adorable. I’ve wanted a place like this for a long time. Its perfect and quaint.
http://www.thrumypeepers.com
super cute studio! I’m curious how you made the photo magnets? thanks for sharing.
This is a great post! It truly shows a young budget-limited apartment-searcher like myself that space isn’t everything, and all you need is a little creativity!
-Emily
http://www.emilyseye.com