Welcome to Amplified Apartments: Home Edition, a special edition of ForRent’s Amplified Apartments series, featuring amateur interior designers whose winning decor hacks will save you space whether you’re on the first or fifteenth floor.
Amplified Apartments: Home Edition heads east to Philadelphia, PA this week. Before children entered the mix, Alyssa Cress had a loft with fabulously modern furniture populating it. Now living with her husband and their two year-old son in a traditional home, certain concessions had to be made. The teacher’s beloved aesthetic had to blend with kid-friendly functionality. In the end, clearly the former did not suffer.
Amid Alyssa’s preferred neutral color base are pops of bold touches – a wooden slab coffee table, animal skins, a skull painting. Pieces with character are met with broad space and little clutter giving her minimal home a punch in all the right places. The aesthetic cohesion comes from the couple’s laser sharp design focus—a combination of knowing their tastes and going with their gut—that and having the right friends.
Read on for tips and photos of the rented Philly stunner that married complimentary contrasts in all the right corners.
If you could describe your design concept using 5 words, what would they be?
Modern, industrial, charming, lived-in, simple.
What were your must-haves when designing your space? Did you have to make any compromises?
I loved the animal hide rug and I adore our found mid-century modern pieces, like our chair that our incredibly talented friend, Tonya Mason, recovered for us. My compromise was leaving out a lot of the vintage charm I love because my husband isn’t so much of a fan.
Many of your rooms have a lot of personality without much clutter. What’s your thought process when designing a room?
I like a clean space. I find my most creative energy when things have a home, and there’s not so much stuff. I really love finishing touches, so I think that’s critical when designing a space. Ours is a work in progress and as soon as we get a shelving unit, I’ll be able to have my shelves full of pretty things—or as pretty and delicate as they can be with a two-year-old.
That’s another thing I had to consider when designing our space: how will our little one interact with everything? I try not to sacrifice my design aesthetic to make something kid-friendly. I believe you can have both if you know how to work it.
The main focal points in your living room –your coffee table and animal skin rug –are unique. What’s the story behind them?
I was searching for the perfect coffee table high and low. And then my husband came home with this beautiful and ultra-manly slab of wood attached to some welded iron. A friend of ours had made it and it just so happened to work perfectly in our space and with our vision.
The animal hide was a way for me to hold onto the loft-style apartment and design we used to have. It helped us create that same vision in a more traditional home. Plus, it was reasonably-priced. Thank you, Ikea!
Your aesthetic mixes traditional and modern. What’s the key to keeping that design scheme balanced and not disjointed?
It’s something I struggle with all of the time. You do have to find a balance and play with how things work in your space.
It’s all about how something feels. When it feels good, go with it.
Color is used sparingly but to great effect in your bathroom. Was that a conscious decision you made to make the room seem larger?
I really love neutrals with bold accents. This carries through in all facets of my style— interior and personal. So it wasn’t a conscious effort, more just finding things that I really loved that worked well together.
The artwork in your home is bold, yet minimal. Where did you find it?
Some of the framed accents are photos I took during my travels, others are bachelor pad pieces. The giant skull was a find on Gilt Groupe from this amazing artist, Parvez Taj. It’s actually on metal.
What are your go-to stores for home furnishings and decor?
West Elm, I love. ABC Home, absolutely. Zestt is this new company a friend recommended, great find. CB2 I go to for bold pieces. Ikea and Target never steer me wrong.
And of course there’s always good ol’ Craigslist for the occasional design gem.
What’s your number one tip for solving the small space problem?
Find smart storage solutions and get rid of all the things you don’t need or want. Keep it minimal.
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