How I am bringing the soft life to life in my new apartment decor  

Hello, Gorgeous!

Now that I have my dream apartment, it is time to furnish. 

Decorating to me is not simply about making compositions sightly. It is so much more than that if you want to look at something and live in it everyday. 

Here are my top priorities when adorning my new living space. 

Functionality has to symbiose with form. 

Every piece being beautiful is a given but it also has to be livable. 

Comfort is a key factor anywhere I go – whether it be a restaurant with booths versus wobbly wooden chairs or a torture devices disguised as accent seating. 

Understanding where I have gone wrong previously (aka an awkward sofa that could double as Mossad interrogation devices to spill state secrets) I opted for as much ease as possible.

If something is to be sat on, it has to be 

• Warm to the touch with textile
• Wide enough to relax with extreme lethargy
• Bright for the option to be covered with more blankets

Artwork does not only display on walls. 

As a firm believer in textiles making a home, I am deploying landscapes on my napkins, nature on my rugs, and a Monet of shades on even the most minute fabrication.  

Each room will have small glimpses of 

• attitude with embroidered blankets
• vibrantly stitched towels
• weaves with extensive personality 

For me, less is more. 

Not that I subscribe to minimalism as a maximalist, but I have learnt the stresses of having my mind be tied to too much stuff. There is an unspoken weight that comes with having too many items to maintain. 

Multiple-use essentials are luxurious. 

Initially, I wanted to have each extravagant fixture for one sole purpose (i.e., a dresser being only a dresser, a side table only being a side table). I changed my mind to reach my business goals faster, so nothing is purely ornamental. 

A majority of my curations will have multiple roles.

Namely,

• A media centre that also operates as a dresser 
• A vanity mirror that also provides light 
• A rug with a thick rug pad that can double as a bed / seating on exhausted nights 

My research on furniture has never been more intentional to maximise each article’s benefit. 

In addition, I find it so chic when people use an easel as a TV stand. The Spectator as a coaster (though I never would). 

I have been thinking simply about things I need and making them one decadent essential over having a mess of cheap details to lift up the room. 

Do not let colour overwhelm you & use it to create calm.

Growing up with an artist father, loud hues reached every corner of your retinas encompassing vivid square inches. 

It was really stressful having a family room with red and orange-yellow on the walls. It always made me think of mustard and ketchup.

Though the jewel tones were rich and royal, I tend to stay away from these since the amount of stress I retrospectively felt. Later, I found countless studies on the reason for this. If you feel responsive distress at home, this might be justification. 

Citations: Study 1 | Study 2 | Study 3 

A woman artist recently made a comment that my moodboard was lackluster and unexpectedly beige as she was familiar with my expressive disposition. 

Serenity has been non-negotiable especially since the last few years were quite problematic. 

It will be impossible to fight in my home. If it does happen–it is the people. They are never welcome again. 

Incorporate tranquility with wise colour choices. 

I want to reduce as much emotional activation as possible when designing my interiors.

Palette: blue, green, purple, silver, off-white grey, 

Materials: birch, silver, chrome, cotton, wool 

Leaning on my favourite silvered pigments of sky blues and mint greens, I still incorporate my taste into a sense of calm. Coming home after a taxing day should not continue into a draining evening. 

The soft life is my goal for each room, so I use a frosty dégradé when employing my cooler palette. 

Whites are not stark. They are warm or icy greys. Marine blue is my black and misty sages are the middle inflections. 

Use space to construct natural pathways. 

Finally owning a commendable measure of square footage, I can use full size grand scale furniture to float a room on a floor-swallowing rug. 

I noticed tenants of any dwelling are typically fearful of floating their furniture, but I dare venture. 

My floor lighting will take up space. 

My sofas will eat my rent’s worth. 

My wooden outfittings will spread the habitation. 

The only room that will keep things purely quiet

Will be my bedroom. This is where my head lies down hushed. There will be no literal or figurative noise except for the bed itself along with matching nightstands and a rug.

Night lights will be in the form of lightly scented candles and everything will be woven. Nothing cold to the touch – including my feet – will be in this room to capitalise repose.  

It also helps mute the noise when the bedroom is wrapped in textile from head to toe. 

A fresh start with touches from my past

Half the people in my life expect me to be contemporary whilst the other half anticipate an image at least 4 centuries old.

Inherited silver that is now forever gone will be restored in new silver elements that will hopefully never tarnish. I carry them around as trays, hang them as frames, and set them as coasters in this up and coming chapter. 

Musical instruments will be mounted once again. 

Silk will grace my skin. 

Crystal will be raised.  

My place being empty makes me feel lost and alone. This new semblance of home installs an innovated identity. 

This is my soft life in physical form: a home that holds me gently, restores me quietly, and leaves no room for anything that does not belong.

If you loved reading about how I designed my dream apartment, you’ll love learning how to build a life that feels just as intentional and elevated. 

At TheItGirlSchool.com, I teach you how to curate your environment, mindset, and routines so your everyday life reflects the highest version of you. Join TheItGirlSchool.com and start creating your own soft, powerful, beautifully designed life from the inside out.