How to Make a Rental Your Own...

While recently browsing House Beautiful's website, I came across their profile of Melissa Warner, of the design trio Massucco Warner Miller, and her sunny, feminine L.A. apartment. In the interview, Melissa shares that her boyfriend calls it "Disneyland"...doesn't it make you smile?

I love that she has little sour watermelon candies in a decorative bowl on her coffee table (it's the little details that make a space a home!), and agree with her advice that in small spaces, using "open" furniture (like her glass coffee table) can make a space appear much larger than it actually is. I also agree with her "grounding" advice - i.e. not using all furniture with the same style of legs in a room, but mixing it up with different legs, skirts, etc.

In the second bedroom (below) Melissa created a home office, and ingeniously dealt with the closet's unwanted sliding mirror doors by reversing the doors and wallpapering them, all of which can be removed when she moves out. Brilliant!

Definitely check out the House Beautiful article and her design firm's portfolio on their website (both links above), and if you're looking for more ideas on how to make a rental a gorgeous home, visit La Dolce Vita's profile of Jayme Armour Leffler's beautiful Atlanta cottage here.

xo Chloe