My Houzz: Eclectic Style in a Washington, D.C., Apartment
Budget-friendly finds, original art and DIY solutions come together in this couple’s inviting downtown rental
The apartment is above a bar in the bustling Adams Morgan neighborhood. It still manages to be a cozy escape thanks to an abundance of houseplants, original artwork and styled displays.
Weilmuenster created an entry area opposite the kitchen with a round mirror, a vertical coat rack and a repurposed media shelf for the couple’s shoes.
“I wanted this space to be functional. You don’t want to just create a ‘throw it all here!’ spot,” she says. “I added a large wicker basket to keep atop the shoe space for extra blankets and pillows.” An acrylic tray for rain boots and the umbrella stand protects the floor. Plants including cacti and a fiddleleaf fig add a touch of green to the space.
Green paddle cactus print: The Aestate
No Entry Hall? Create the Illusion of One
“I wanted this space to be functional. You don’t want to just create a ‘throw it all here!’ spot,” she says. “I added a large wicker basket to keep atop the shoe space for extra blankets and pillows.” An acrylic tray for rain boots and the umbrella stand protects the floor. Plants including cacti and a fiddleleaf fig add a touch of green to the space.
Green paddle cactus print: The Aestate
No Entry Hall? Create the Illusion of One
A gallery wall above this eating nook includes travel souvenirs, pieces bought on Etsy and original artwork by Weilmuenster, such as the black-and-white painting in the center.
“That stunning golden scene is a piece I picked up from my travels in Indonesia last year,” she says. “We love to collect art wherever we travel.” The top photograph is from a trip to France and the top left piece, titled Cold Shoulder, was a housewarming gift from Weilmuenster’s sister.
Docksta table: Ikea; Tobias chairs: Ikea; Threshold wood and brass bar cart: Target
“That stunning golden scene is a piece I picked up from my travels in Indonesia last year,” she says. “We love to collect art wherever we travel.” The top photograph is from a trip to France and the top left piece, titled Cold Shoulder, was a housewarming gift from Weilmuenster’s sister.
Docksta table: Ikea; Tobias chairs: Ikea; Threshold wood and brass bar cart: Target
Hallway shelves display books and mementos.
Fjalkinge shelves: Ikea
Fjalkinge shelves: Ikea
Weilmuenster bought this rattan room divider at a vintage shop and uses it to section off Lingwood’s desk area from the rest of the living room.
“Being our first time moving in together, I wanted to make sure we each had our own space. Stephen works from home often, so having an office area was important,” Weilmuenster says. “I wanted Stephen to have full rein over his desk area and make that his space.”
“Being our first time moving in together, I wanted to make sure we each had our own space. Stephen works from home often, so having an office area was important,” Weilmuenster says. “I wanted Stephen to have full rein over his desk area and make that his space.”
The couple display favorite books and knickknacks on this modular bookshelf in the living room. “I’ve had these gold urchins from Lulu and Georgia for a few years now, and I have reused them in every space I’ve lived in,” Weilmuenster says. “They are the perfect ‘shelfie’ addition. But the best decor is art and books. Many of mine are gifts, so that kind of automatically makes them a little more special.”
“Both of us are plant lovers, and one of our first housewarming gifts was an orange tree,” Weilmuenster says. The large window keeps the living room bright and the couple’s many plants happy.
Find indoor pots and planters
Find indoor pots and planters
Weilmuenster likes to experiment with new decor and styles. “I think the more I step out of my comfort zone, in terms of my choices of design layouts or color schemes, the more my style evolves,” she says. “I love connecting with other design fanatics and learning from them.”
Weilmuenster added an easel in this corner to create a space for painting. “Right now, I am really into color,” she says. “I’ve been playing around with different abstract sunspaces. I almost always work with acrylics. I am often changing my mind mid-painting, and you can always start over when it comes to acrylics! My goal this year is to do more with oil painting.”
Weilmuenster added an easel in this corner to create a space for painting. “Right now, I am really into color,” she says. “I’ve been playing around with different abstract sunspaces. I almost always work with acrylics. I am often changing my mind mid-painting, and you can always start over when it comes to acrylics! My goal this year is to do more with oil painting.”
A quirky Jonathan Adler canister adds a whimsical touch to artfully arranged shelves near the easel.
One of the first things the couple wanted to do after moving in was add more storage and counter space to the open kitchen. “I really wanted to create some separation as well,” Weilmuenster says. “Adding a kitchen island seemed like the best bet, so we decided to design our space around our hypothetical island.”
Weilmuenster built her own custom island using two small Billy bookcases from Ikea and two boards from Home Depot, each 1 inch thick, 11 inches wide and 8 feet long, to create the top.
Azzo shell bar stools: Baxton Studio, Houzz
Weilmuenster built her own custom island using two small Billy bookcases from Ikea and two boards from Home Depot, each 1 inch thick, 11 inches wide and 8 feet long, to create the top.
Azzo shell bar stools: Baxton Studio, Houzz
“We spend most of our time in the living space and at the kitchen island. We love to cook — well, Stephen loves to cook — so having that seating space is super convenient,” Weilmuenster says.
The apartment’s only bedroom accesses a small outdoor area. “I love having a space to meditate and unwind,” Weilmuenster says. They also use the outside wall opposite their bed to watch movies using their projector. “[It] makes for the perfect screen. There is nothing better than streaming a good movie outdoors on a summer night,” Weilmuenster says.
Tarva wood dresser: Ikea; Malm bed frame: Ikea; duvet cover in Heather Blue: Parachute
Tarva wood dresser: Ikea; Malm bed frame: Ikea; duvet cover in Heather Blue: Parachute
Lingwood, who enjoys gardening, added some houseplants to an open shelf above the couple’s bed.
The kilim-style area rug in the bedroom is one of Weilmuenster’s favorite splurges. “The hints of pink give me that girly touch I craved and our dark bedding is a perfect contrast,” she says.
Boho kilim Nagar rug: Cost Plus World Market; find more kilim area rugs
Boho kilim Nagar rug: Cost Plus World Market; find more kilim area rugs
Decorative pieces on top of the dresser also function as bookends for the couple’s favorite reads.
Weilmuenster needed more bathroom storage, so she created a little vanity area in the bedroom. “The vanity was a compact space-saver solution,” she says. “The top drawer opens to extra storage and a mirror, which is a huge plus.”
The framed art is original. “I found the A and K vintage lights while thrift-shopping one day,” Weilmuenster says. “They were the last two letters left, so obviously I took it as a sign!”
Glamluxe makeup box: Glamboxes; Brimnes vanity: Ikea
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The framed art is original. “I found the A and K vintage lights while thrift-shopping one day,” Weilmuenster says. “They were the last two letters left, so obviously I took it as a sign!”
Glamluxe makeup box: Glamboxes; Brimnes vanity: Ikea
See more of this home
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
Who lives here: Alysse Weilmuenster and Stephen Lingwood
Location: Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
Size: 1,000 square feet (93 square meters); one bedroom, one bathroom
Alysse Weilmuenster and Stephen Lingwood both lived in studios before moving into this rental apartment in Washington, D.C. “Both of us had our fair share of furniture to bring to the new place,” says Weilmuenster, a stylist and blogger. “Luckily, we are both fans of the midcentury modern look, and this made it pretty easy to incorporate both our styles.”
Weilmuenster sold a favorite pink sectional she’d had for years for the move but doesn’t regret it. “There is nothing I love more than an emerald velvet couch,” she says. Buying the affordable new sofa “left much more room in our budget to upgrade other items.”
Novogratz sofa sleeper in green velour: Walmart; media console: Wayfair; faux cowhide: Amazon; rattan pendant light cylinder: Eclectic Goods; wood slice coffee table: Cost Plus World Market