**The Evolution of My Apartment: A Constant Transformation**

I've always believed that an apartment is a constant work in progress, much like the person who inhabits it. I don't think anywhere I ever live will ever be done – there's always room for change and improvement. As someone who has lived in New York City for six years now, I've had the opportunity to explore various design styles and philosophies that have shaped my approach to decorating and renovating my space.

Growing up in a family of real estate investors and handymen was instrumental in shaping my passion for interior design and decorating houses. My parents would buy houses and flip them, and as a child, I would get to choose the paint colors, light fixtures, furniture, and other details that made each house unique. This experience taught me the importance of personalizing spaces and making them reflect one's personality.

As a 90s kid, we didn't have the luxury of online resources or tutorials like YouTube and blogs. Instead, I learned through trial and error, experimenting with DIY projects and repairing items to make them my own. This approach taught me that even small changes can make a significant impact on how a space feels. For instance, painting a vase and then applying it to a chair leg was a simple transformation that made the chair look entirely new.

Another influential factor in my design philosophy is my love for the video game "The Sims." Playing this game with families from our neighborhood helped me understand how people use space and how different layouts can affect the functionality of an apartment. I also developed an appreciation for creating cohesive and inviting environments that reflect the personalities of those who inhabit them.

My apartment, like many others, is a collection of items that have been acquired over time – some given to me by loved ones, while others were found through thrift stores or online purchases. A casserole dish shaped like a cabbage was made by my great-grandmother and has become one of my favorite pieces in the room. A chair given to me by my friend Jack, who owns a furniture-making company, adds a touch of industrial chic to the space. My plants, inherited from my friend Sarah, have become an integral part of the apartment's ambiance.

One of my most recent additions is a painting done by my friend Daisy Holden, an incredibly talented artist from Hollywood. She often gives her artwork as gifts, and I treasure each piece for its unique energy and personality. The rest of my items, including thrift store finds like a coffee table from Salvation Army and IKEA stools with painted tops, have been transformed to fit my personal style.

My bathroom, a classic 1940s-1950s New York City design, was in dire need of a makeover. I decided to take the plunge and gave it a bold new look by painting the walls pink and decoupaging little Joey Ramones stickers onto them using Mod Podge. The result is a space that feels vibrant and playful.

My friend Claire lives upstairs, and her attention to detail has inspired me to create similar features in my own apartment. One of these details is the use of rugs as borders rather than traditional flooring options. Not only are rugs more affordable, but they also help define different spaces within a larger room.

As I look around my apartment, I'm reminded that it's not just a collection of items – it's a reflection of my personality and experiences. Each piece has been carefully chosen to create a space that feels inviting and comfortable. By embracing the imperfections and unique characteristics of each item, I've managed to craft an environment that truly feels like home.

**Embracing Imperfection**

One of the most important lessons I've learned in designing my apartment is the importance of embracing imperfection. Big-box stores often tout their products as perfect and polished, but I believe that's where the magic happens – when we add our own unique touches and make something our own. Shopping from big-box stores can be convenient, but it lacks the soul and character that comes with putting your own stamp on a space.

My approach to design is not about creating a Pinterest-perfect space; it's about making my apartment feel like me. By incorporating items that have been passed down through generations or find them in thrift stores, I've managed to create an environment that feels authentic and personal. And as I continue to live in this apartment, I know that it will evolve and change – just like me.

Ultimately, the key to creating a space that truly reflects your personality is to be open to experimentation and imperfection. Don't be afraid to try new things, make mistakes, or add items that might seem out of place at first glance. With time and patience, these imperfections can become your strengths – and the foundation upon which you build a home that feels uniquely yours.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enan apartment is kind of a constant evolution I don't think anywhere I ever live will ever be done I'm always ready to buy a new blanket for it or buy a new pillow or add a new color on the walls I think that an apartment should constantly change as much as you do hi my name is Shawn TEI I'm an architectural designer and an interior designer I live in New York City I've been here for six years now but I originally grew up in New Zealand my parents used to buy houses and flip them when I was a kid and so because of that they would buy these handyman's facials and I had three younger sisters and instead of choosing everything that would be involved in the renovation they would let us choose so we would choose paint colors light fixtures furniture and that's kind of where my passion for interior design and decorating houses really started so I was a 90's kid and we obviously didn't have YouTube we didn't have tutorials we didn't have blogs we didn't really have the Internet till I was like 9 years old so we had to find out how to DIY and make stuff ourselves and that was purely through trial and error and once you learn one little thing it can teach you other stuff once you learn how to paint a vaz and then you can paint the legs on a chair and then you can paint an entire room thrift something just fix it up a little bit and repair it and then it's worth so much more and all it takes is that little bit of energy to get there another influence I had when I was a kid is slightly more nerdy but it relates a lot more to my job now a couple of families in our neighborhood were so into the game the Sims and that really influenced my love of creating houses and decorating them and understanding how space worked and understanding how people use it too even though it's a computer-generated AI program seeing someone live in something that you designed is really fascinating everything in my apartment kind of came to me by accident or was given to me by someone I love so I have a casserole dish that made great grandmother made that shaped like a cabbage which I absolutely love I have a chair which was given to me by my good friend Jack who has a furniture making company called Sterling and six most of my plants come from my friend Sarah who lived down the street from me and quit her job and went around America to go rock climbing so I inherited them I also have a bunch of paintings that are done by my really talented friend Daisy Holden she's an incredible painter from Hollywood and she gives them to me for my birthday or for Christmas a lot of the other stuff are just thrift store finds my coffee table comes from a Salvation Army I also have a few things that are just simple IKEA pieces like my stools and I really like the Arctic versions of those would fit obviously can't afford them so I painted the tops of them and put some layer on those to make them a little bit more reminiscent of the real versions so my bathroom is a pretty run-of-the-mill 1940s 1950s New York City bathroom I love it but I really wanted to make it my own a little bit really quickly and easily painted the walls pink and then I printed out a whole bunch of little Joey Ramones and I decoupage them on with Mod Podge : now it kind of looks like a high end wallpaper which I really like my friend Claire lives upstairs and she had done this really cool detail on her floor and so I did the same thing on mine it helps to form a border around the room instead of using rugs which are expensive and they're hard to move I feel like if you have a lot of objects in your apartment even if they're not I don't know your kind of style they'll all come together to form something that is your style because it's filled with people and ideas and memories of things that you love and that's how to form an apartment that you really feel comfortable in it should be constantly filled with things that are literally from your personality in life it shouldn't just be something that you walk up to a big-box store and grab off the shelf and put it next to the same thing they had in a display there's nothing wrong with shopping from big-box stores but I think you should try and feel objects a little bit closer thanks for watching I hope you guys got some inspiration for adding your own personality to your own space and the things that you own youan apartment is kind of a constant evolution I don't think anywhere I ever live will ever be done I'm always ready to buy a new blanket for it or buy a new pillow or add a new color on the walls I think that an apartment should constantly change as much as you do hi my name is Shawn TEI I'm an architectural designer and an interior designer I live in New York City I've been here for six years now but I originally grew up in New Zealand my parents used to buy houses and flip them when I was a kid and so because of that they would buy these handyman's facials and I had three younger sisters and instead of choosing everything that would be involved in the renovation they would let us choose so we would choose paint colors light fixtures furniture and that's kind of where my passion for interior design and decorating houses really started so I was a 90's kid and we obviously didn't have YouTube we didn't have tutorials we didn't have blogs we didn't really have the Internet till I was like 9 years old so we had to find out how to DIY and make stuff ourselves and that was purely through trial and error and once you learn one little thing it can teach you other stuff once you learn how to paint a vaz and then you can paint the legs on a chair and then you can paint an entire room thrift something just fix it up a little bit and repair it and then it's worth so much more and all it takes is that little bit of energy to get there another influence I had when I was a kid is slightly more nerdy but it relates a lot more to my job now a couple of families in our neighborhood were so into the game the Sims and that really influenced my love of creating houses and decorating them and understanding how space worked and understanding how people use it too even though it's a computer-generated AI program seeing someone live in something that you designed is really fascinating everything in my apartment kind of came to me by accident or was given to me by someone I love so I have a casserole dish that made great grandmother made that shaped like a cabbage which I absolutely love I have a chair which was given to me by my good friend Jack who has a furniture making company called Sterling and six most of my plants come from my friend Sarah who lived down the street from me and quit her job and went around America to go rock climbing so I inherited them I also have a bunch of paintings that are done by my really talented friend Daisy Holden she's an incredible painter from Hollywood and she gives them to me for my birthday or for Christmas a lot of the other stuff are just thrift store finds my coffee table comes from a Salvation Army I also have a few things that are just simple IKEA pieces like my stools and I really like the Arctic versions of those would fit obviously can't afford them so I painted the tops of them and put some layer on those to make them a little bit more reminiscent of the real versions so my bathroom is a pretty run-of-the-mill 1940s 1950s New York City bathroom I love it but I really wanted to make it my own a little bit really quickly and easily painted the walls pink and then I printed out a whole bunch of little Joey Ramones and I decoupage them on with Mod Podge : now it kind of looks like a high end wallpaper which I really like my friend Claire lives upstairs and she had done this really cool detail on her floor and so I did the same thing on mine it helps to form a border around the room instead of using rugs which are expensive and they're hard to move I feel like if you have a lot of objects in your apartment even if they're not I don't know your kind of style they'll all come together to form something that is your style because it's filled with people and ideas and memories of things that you love and that's how to form an apartment that you really feel comfortable in it should be constantly filled with things that are literally from your personality in life it shouldn't just be something that you walk up to a big-box store and grab off the shelf and put it next to the same thing they had in a display there's nothing wrong with shopping from big-box stores but I think you should try and feel objects a little bit closer thanks for watching I hope you guys got some inspiration for adding your own personality to your own space and the things that you own youan apartment is kind of a constant evolution I don't think anywhere I ever live will ever be done I'm always ready to buy a new blanket for it or buy a new pillow or add a new color on the walls I think that an apartment should constantly change as much as you do hi my name is Shawn TEI I'm an architectural designer and an interior designer I live in New York City I've been here for six years now but I originally grew up in New Zealand my parents used to buy houses and flip them when I was a kid and so because of that they would buy these handyman's facials and I had three younger sisters and instead of choosing everything that would be involved in the renovation they would let us choose so we would choose paint colors light fixtures furniture and that's kind of where my passion for interior design and decorating houses really started so I was a 90's kid and we obviously didn't have YouTube we didn't have tutorials we didn't have blogs we didn't really have the Internet till I was like 9 years old so we had to find out how to DIY and make stuff ourselves and that was purely through trial and error and once you learn one little thing it can teach you other stuff once you learn how to paint a vaz and then you can paint the legs on a chair and then you can paint an entire room thrift something just fix it up a little bit and repair it and then it's worth so much more and all it takes is that little bit of energy to get there another influence I had when I was a kid is slightly more nerdy but it relates a lot more to my job now a couple of families in our neighborhood were so into the game the Sims and that really influenced my love of creating houses and decorating them and understanding how space worked and understanding how people use it too even though it's a computer-generated AI program seeing someone live in something that you designed is really fascinating everything in my apartment kind of came to me by accident or was given to me by someone I love so I have a casserole dish that made great grandmother made that shaped like a cabbage which I absolutely love I have a chair which was given to me by my good friend Jack who has a furniture making company called Sterling and six most of my plants come from my friend Sarah who lived down the street from me and quit her job and went around America to go rock climbing so I inherited them I also have a bunch of paintings that are done by my really talented friend Daisy Holden she's an incredible painter from Hollywood and she gives them to me for my birthday or for Christmas a lot of the other stuff are just thrift store finds my coffee table comes from a Salvation Army I also have a few things that are just simple IKEA pieces like my stools and I really like the Arctic versions of those would fit obviously can't afford them so I painted the tops of them and put some layer on those to make them a little bit more reminiscent of the real versions so my bathroom is a pretty run-of-the-mill 1940s 1950s New York City bathroom I love it but I really wanted to make it my own a little bit really quickly and easily painted the walls pink and then I printed out a whole bunch of little Joey Ramones and I decoupage them on with Mod Podge : now it kind of looks like a high end wallpaper which I really like my friend Claire lives upstairs and she had done this really cool detail on her floor and so I did the same thing on mine it helps to form a border around the room instead of using rugs which are expensive and they're hard to move I feel like if you have a lot of objects in your apartment even if they're not I don't know your kind of style they'll all come together to form something that is your style because it's filled with people and ideas and memories of things that you love and that's how to form an apartment that you really feel comfortable in it should be constantly filled with things that are literally from your personality in life it shouldn't just be something that you walk up to a big-box store and grab off the shelf and put it next to the same thing they had in a display there's nothing wrong with shopping from big-box stores but I think you should try and feel objects a little bit closer thanks for watching I hope you guys got some inspiration for adding your own personality to your own space and the things that you own you\n"