It's been forever since I have written a home decor article and that is because the inspo does not come as quickly as in the dynamic fashion world. However, I stayed in a picturesque apartment in downtown Athens and a beautiful bungalow in Rome with jarringly opposite styles. And to be honest, I couldn’t tell which one I fell in love with more. If you’re moving or simply looking to redo your space, use the soothing clean approaches of Greek decor. If you have a lot of things in a small space and that is never gonna change, ace clutter core the Italian way.
Closets: We’re obviously starting with the most important feature of the house, the closet. For apartment’s on the smaller size or simply for closet overflow take advantage of a stylist’s clothing rack. The best art is displaying our finest fashions! Colorize (Like alphabetizing but in color order.) your wardrobe for the week and hang it up. Having your accessories out on a table where you can see all your options is ideal otherwise, you end up repeating the same earrings and chain combo each day and they go unnoticed like a second skin.
Put your jewelry and hair accessories on a vintage mirrored tray (Obviously, gold embossed. Most likely from Marshall’s.) a la grandma’s fragrances and you’ll be wowed how elevated your selection looks. Purses and shoes, especially boots get crushes when you throw them into tubs with a lid. Italians take much better care of the leather goods! Instead use recycled wine bottle crates to display bags and shoes in and on top of the crates.
Family Room: When it comes to setting up your main room, the family room, clean lines are greater than fine lines. Cool gray and white are calming colors that shrouded my space in Greece. Slick slate gray floors that aren’t quite tile but not hardwood either accented the throw rug in the center of the room nicely. Fake anything gets a bad rep but these are some of the best fake plants I’ve ever seen. They were tastefully scattered for a dope boast through all the shelving units in the apartment.
The family room in Rome was truly studio sized. The owner made it feel home-y with a blanket covering the entire loveseat and luxe embroidered pillows. Wooden tiki-like animals made me feel like I was in the jungle even more than the fake plants.
Bedroom: The full fixture wall behind the beds is a merchandisers paradise! There were bins to hide cords, underwear, or any small knick knacks. A frosted door that swings both ways simply for style is just the perfect touch.
If the nightstand lamps look familiar that is because they are from Pixar. They fully swivel for reading or can be pointed anywhere in the bungalow where you want extra light. Flowers are a forever must and I think that is why dried florals are having more than a fleeting moment. The dried roses on the nightstand are decorating at its finest. Marigold accent pillows make the dark blue walls happy. Dark paint for a bedroom seems like an odd call but it helps prevent sun reflection for cave-like sleeping. Furthermore, this place even had a tapestry over the blinds. I’ll snooze to that!
Kitchen: Peel and stick backsplash tiles for the kitchen or laundry room are a fun and easy way to update your space. This Athens kitchen was tiny but the stairwell was massive! White marbling is classic Greek architecture.
Since the rest of the bungalow was loud and vibrant I especially loved the black and white kitchen. This place proves black and white, doesn’t mean boring it means chic! There on the different sized rectangle tile wall is something we all know. We’ve stared at this clock more than any other. It’s the elementary schoolhouse clock. Records have become the biggest collectible and I love the idea of displaying the record itself instead of the case. They’re super easy to hang, just put a single nail in the center.
Bathroom: Instagram influencers love a ladder to store throw blankets by the couch. Greeks have adapted this for towels which is a great call if you don’t know how to install a towel rack by the shower.
In Rome, the bathroom was decorated similar to the kitchen with a lot of old black and white photographs likely bought at a flea market. I always think it is funny to envision old photos of people our generation getting printed and sold for a few dollars at a vintage shop someday.
Outdoor: My personal favorite part of any space is the outdoor section. The balcony view in Athens was beautiful because it's downtown Athens but, other than that it was plain. So we are going to focus on setting up your patio like a Roman courtyard!
The brown walls were lined with a flattened drying rack in a fun turquoise color that made for both art and practicality. A plant expert, I am not but these were some of the biggest succulents I’ve ever seen! They looked like our mini succulents in the states but not like 1-2 buds, they were everywhere spiraling out of pots. A lot of the growth was purple which was a contrast that worked well against the deep orange rustic walls. The sliding raftan straw instead of a sliding glass door reminds me of sand dunes. Behind it was actually an outdoor washing machine to minimize the heat in the tiny cottage. Tie on cushions for your dining set are easy to throw inside during stormy weather and are also cheap to replace. How the records and the guitar on the wall hold up outside remains a mystery to me. A raw iron gate is both mystical and private. It’s like you have to know someone to enter. How every home should be.
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