This Small, Chic Brooklyn Rental Has the Coolest Mirror I’ve Ever Seen
Janelle Hurst, who is a musician and works in the arts, feels like this 600-square-foot Brooklyn one-bedroom apartment reflects her creative life. The unit is a new build she won through the housing lottery (she pays just $1,250 a month in rent!). Janelle has been able to turn a new apartment with “white walls and cabinets” and “traditional but modern fixtures” into a stunning home.
She’s made the apartment her own by “layering in secondhand furniture, family heirlooms, bold colors, and playful patterns. The result is an eclectic, warm space that’s full of personality — definitely not cookie-cutter — which mirrors how I approach both life and art. There’s a sense of individuality and lived-in charm that makes it feel deeply personal and unmistakably mine,” writes Janelle, who shares her home with Tessa the cat.
Janelle continues to describe her home, which she says is a “Parisian-meets-eclectic vibe with a touch of quirkiness that reflects my personality. I’ve decorated mostly with secondhand finds — each piece has its own character and charm. I love to mix patterns and eras, blending vintage with new and modern with traditional elements in a way that feels both special and intentional.
“Color plays a significant role — I’m not afraid to use it — and the space is accented with meaningful pieces passed down through my family, spanning two, three, even four generations. ‘Old stuff is good stuff’ is my motto, and the result is a space that feels layered, lived-in, and uniquely mine.”
Resources
PAINT & COLORS
- Kitchen Wallpaper — Flavor Paper “Queen Elizabeth by Andy Warhol”
- Bedroom Wallpaper — Flavor Paper “Kabloom “
- Bathroom Wallpaper — Flavor Paper “Meteor Flower”
ENTRYWAY
- Shoe Cabinet — IKEA
- Knobs — Etsy
- Mirror — Pottery Barn Kids
LIVING ROOM
- Couch and Chairs Custom Upholstered — HiLo Brooklyn
- Rug — Facebook Marketplace
- Coffee Table — Apt Deco
- NYC Mirror — Dobbin Street in Green Point
DINING ROOM
- Dining Table — Buy-Nothing Group
- Chairs — Facebook Marketplace
- Wall Art Piece — Great uncle’s basement. Likely over 100 years old. Had it custom-framed at Michaels
BEDROOM
- Bedding — Company Store
- Wall Art — My Grandmothers’ Homes
- Headboard Piece — Designers Collab in Williamsburg
- Dresser — Designers Collab in Williamsburg
- Mirror — Facebook Marketplace
BATHROOM
- Wall Art — David Parise custom framed by Michaels
Thanks, Janelle!
This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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