A woman turned her 500-square-foot studio into a groovy dream apartment. Here's how she made the most of her space.
Kirstie Renae  Â
![A woman turned her 500-square-foot studio into a groovy dream apartment. Here's how she made the most of her space.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstaticbiassets.in%2Fthumb%2Fmsid-95643352%2Cwidth-700%2Cheight-525%2Cimgsize-76182%2Fa-woman-turned-her-500-square-foot-studio-into-a-groovy-dream-apartment-hereaposs-how-she-made-the-most-of-her-space-.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
- A woman turned her 500-square-foot NYC studio into a groovy space and has been sharing it on TikTok.
- Her apartment has a bold and bright style inspired by the '60s and '70s.
Lauren decorates her groovy apartment while saving space in her studio.
![Lauren decorates her groovy apartment while saving space in her studio.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-95643560,width-700,height-525,imgsize-19394/lauren-decorates-her-groovy-apartment-while-saving-space-in-her-studio-.jpg)
Lauren, who goes by @laurenthelolife on TikTok, moved into her 500-square-foot Brooklyn apartment in 2021 and has been sharing her interior-design journey online ever since.
Lauren snagged her studio apartment when she won the NYC housing lottery, a government program that connects potential low-income renters with available apartment lotteries.
She's dubbed the style of her apartment "The Lo Life," a name for her personal aesthetic that blends '60s and '70s style with modern vibes.
Though she works with a small space, she uses a series of tricks to maximize square footage while keeping her groovy style.
Her penchant for DIY decor began during the COVID-19 pandemic.
![Her penchant for DIY decor began during the COVID-19 pandemic.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-95643556,width-700,height-525,imgsize-29818/her-penchant-for-diy-decor-began-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-.jpg)
Though she's developed her own style, Lauren told Insider she wasn't always into home decor and design. Lauren said prior to quarantine, she decorated her space "based on practicality," which is "funny because when you see my space now, you're just like, 'This doesn't seem like a practical person.'"
According to Lauren, her passion for interior design developed in quarantine because she wanted to be in a space that made her happy and excited any time of day.
Though she loves the designs of the past, much of her decor isn't actually vintage so she describes her style as a "modern take on the '60s and '70s."
Lauren's decor was inspired by the '60s and '70s and her favorite cartoons.
![Lauren](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-95643555,width-700,height-525,imgsize-30908/laurenaposs-decor-was-inspired-by-the-apos60s-and-apos70s-and-her-favorite-cartoons-.jpg)
Lauren has filled her apartment with bright colors like hot pink, bright orange, and canary yellow due to her love of the '60s, '70s, and the cartoons set in those decades.
"I'm the biggest fan of 'Scooby-Doo,'" she told Insider. "And definitely the house in 'The Incredibles 2'. The house they lived in? A dream."
Lauren honored "Scooby-Doo" by hanging a framed print of the Mystery Machine. She also loves round shapes and bright colors.
She decorated the walls of the apartment to personalize her space without taking up any floor space.
She purchased the prints hanging on her Murphy bed from sellers on Etsy.
![She purchased the prints hanging on her Murphy bed from sellers on Etsy.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-95643551,width-700,height-525,imgsize-832870/she-purchased-the-prints-hanging-on-her-murphy-bed-from-sellers-on-etsy-.jpg)
Lauren also created a gallery wall on her folded-up Murphy bed because of its basic white color and similar appearance to the apartment's walls.
"I was like, 'Oh, this is a prime opportunity for me to have a gallery wall here," she said. "Then it looks like I have something going on there and not just a big white rectangular."
Many of the prints in Lauren's apartment are from Etsy and most of the other decor is "a hodge-podge" of items she found by chance while shopping.
Flower decals turned an ordinary pot into a unique piece.
![Flower decals turned an ordinary pot into a unique piece.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-95643549,width-700,height-525,imgsize-964492/flower-decals-turned-an-ordinary-pot-into-a-unique-piece-.jpg)
Because she's working with a smaller space, Lauren focused on integrating her style into even the tiniest details parts of her apartment.
For example, she customized a green plant pot with flower-shaped vinyl decal stickers. The project was inspired by a Barbie Volkswagen she had as a kid and the popular daisy motif of the 1970s.
"It was one of those things where I was like, I could just put a regular piece of furniture here or I can jazz it up and make it a little unique so that it fits my space a bit more," she said.
Vinyl stickers transformed a locker from Walmart into a statement furniture piece.
![Vinyl stickers transformed a locker from Walmart into a statement furniture piece.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-95643543,width-700,height-525,imgsize-765526/vinyl-stickers-transformed-a-locker-from-walmart-into-a-statement-furniture-piece-.jpg)
One of the most eye-catching pieces in Lauren's apartment is a locker cabinet from Walmart that she personalized with an independent Etsy designer's custom-fit sticker.
Lauren drew the initial design in Photoshop and then worked with the seller to create the "super specific piece" she wanted.
"I've always liked the idea of a locker," Lauren told Insider. "It just seemed like a fun storage piece in an apartment. I knew I wanted to incorporate it and this worked out perfectly because it became a kind of TV storage."
Lauren also used peel-and-stick wallpaper to make a renter-friendly impact.
![Lauren also used peel-and-stick wallpaper to make a renter-friendly impact.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-95643531,width-700,height-525,imgsize-453170/lauren-also-used-peel-and-stick-wallpaper-to-make-a-renter-friendly-impact-.jpg)
To add splashes of colors and big prints to her space in a renter-friendly way, Lauren used peel-and-stick wallpaper throughout her space. She said the process was easy and she was able to do it by herself.
"My first word of advice is to just think of it as a giant sticker because it comes off so easily," she told Insider. "Honestly it's mistake-proof because of that. I was a little concerned that I would put it down, I'd mess up, and I'd need to fix it and peel paint off the walls."
Lauren gets her wallpaper from a couple of different vendors, including Otto Studio and Yellowpop.
A custom neon sign serves as a statement piece.
![A custom neon sign serves as a statement piece.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-95643521,width-700,height-525,imgsize-401170/a-custom-neon-sign-serves-as-a-statement-piece-.jpg)
For a truly eye-catching piece, Lauren says you can't go wrong with a neon sign. She customized a sign to say "The Lo Life" on Yellowpop, a site that sells premade and custom designs. It hangs above her full-length mirror.
"I love the idea of 'The Lo Life' being on a neon sign and it looks exquisite," she said. "I told them I wanted it in a groovy font and they just went with it."
Mirrors add dimension and color to the space.
![Mirrors add dimension and color to the space.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-95643510,width-700,height-525,imgsize-15492/mirrors-add-dimension-and-color-to-the-space-.jpg)
Another statement piece in Lauren's apartment is her large, orange, full-length mirror. It's one of many mirrors she has throughout the space that helps add dimension, color, and fun to the apartment.
"I'm a huge mirror person," she told Insider. "I feel like they definitely changed the space a lot."
Lauren has found her groovy mirrors through Etsy, Ikea, and Facebook Marketplace. She even DIY'd one herself using a plain mirror and clay she rolled into a wavy pattern.
Lauren incorporates a bold color into her space with her orange couch and throw pillows.
![Lauren incorporates a bold color into her space with her orange couch and throw pillows.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-95643499,width-700,height-525,imgsize-30028/lauren-incorporates-a-bold-color-into-her-space-with-her-orange-couch-and-throw-pillows-.jpg)
Lauren also added color to her small space by adding bright and bold furniture and accessories, the most noteworthy being her bright-orange couch from Ikea. She customized it by adding throw pillows with groovy patterns.
She got her pillows from Society6, an online retailer that sells a range of home decor.
"These colors honestly match perfectly with the couch, and they have different covers so in the case I ever did wanna change it out, I could do that," said Lauren. "I have the pillow insert and I can just change out the pillow covers based on the seasons."
She has even more projects planned because her home is "always a work in progress."
![She has even more projects planned because her home is "always a work in progress."](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-95643486,width-700,height-525,imgsize-18876/she-has-even-more-projects-planned-because-her-home-is-quotalways-a-work-in-progress-quot.jpg)
Next, Lauren wants to add some new decor pieces to her bathroom, like a groovy shower curtain and peel-and-stick wallpaper that covers the ceiling, a project she says will require some friends to help install.
For those who want to decorate their homes in their own personal style but aren't sure how Lauren says the key is to "do exactly what's in your head."
"And don't be scared to do it," she said. "That's what I've been doing. I will come up with something random and be like, 'This is ridiculous.' Like wallpaper up on the ceiling? Stupid. We're absolutely doing it."
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