This Brooklyn Apartment Has a Romantic French Eclectic Style That We Love

Rentals Beyond the Line is a series that highlights beautiful rental homes and how people make their rental homes feel like a forever home, even if it’s a temporary space. You don’t have to own a home to own one, you can easily make your rental space look like your dream space with a little imagination and a tenant-friendly home renovation.

Brigitte Mueller is a full-time content creator based in Brooklyn, New York. She is a homebody who loves to save, decorate, and make videos. She lives in a 560-square-foot railroad-style apartment and has lived there for two and a half years, but has remained a renter for the past 15 years.

How long did it take you to get your apartment to where it is today? Is there anything else major that you’d like to do to your apartment?

I started decorating the space I’m in right away, but it took 6 months before it started to feel like home, and another year and a half before all the big changes were made! Building a house does take time.

There have been a lot of changes at the moment, but there are a few things I want to do in the kitchen. I wanted to add some cabinets to create more storage space, which is hard to find when you’re in a small apartment in New York City.

How would you describe your style and approach to decorating your apartment?

I call my style French eclectic-romantic. It has an old world vibe, feminine and lively, that aims to transport you to another world.

I’m quite impulsive by nature, so when I have an idea, I always want it to be implemented right away. And sometimes when it’s there, I realize it’s not exactly what I’d like, so I change it. This creates the feeling that the house is constantly evolving. Sometimes I get tired, but it really makes things interesting.

Who or what are your biggest design inspirations?

Carly Summers is my biggest inspiration and she knows it. She has the ability to create emotional spaces that delight the heart and soul as much as the eye.

I’ve been following her design work for years, and when I started getting settled into my home, I called her for a consultation to discuss some obstacles I was having with your apartment. She helped me a lot and has supported my journey home ever since. She truly is a gem.

What were the greatest finds or DIY projects in your home? For your DIY projects (if there are any), what was the estimated cost?

I have been a lifeguard my entire life and there are many things in my home that I love. My latest favorite is the beautiful wooden island in the kitchen. I found it on Facebook Marketplace for only $100! I plan to add some wooden legs to bring it up to level.

Another interesting find on Facebook Marketplace was a giant still life oil painting in my kitchen. $125 and that’s huge. I love it very much.

When it comes to projects, I have to admit that I’m not a big DIY person. It seems like every time I try to take on a project on my own, something inevitably goes wrong. I have learned to respect this part of myself and instead hire professionals to help me realize my dreams.

One of my favorite projects to date is a wall of shelves in my living room. It instantly elevates the room and makes room to display my favorite things. From a cost perspective, being a content creator by profession was a huge privilege – for this project I was able to partner with a brand to cover the labor costs. But I think it was somewhere around $3,000 in total.

What has been the most challenging part of making your apartment a home?

I think the hardest thing is the training. I’ve come to realize that when making changes to a space – even small ones – there are a lot of things I don’t know about, so not knowing where to start can be overwhelming.

Another problem is the time it takes to find the perfect parts. I’m such an “I want it now” person that I get upset when the vision in my head doesn’t immediately become a reality, but it makes me feel more satisfied when the vision finally comes true as well. .

Apartments, for most, are temporary. How did you juggle the idea of “this could be a temporary space” with wanting to make it as personal as possible?

I am a firm believer that your home is your home, whether it is “temporary” or not. For me, being a renter is not a good enough reason to put off feeling inspired and at home in my space.

I’ve currently been enjoying my apartment for two and a half years and have no plans to leave anytime soon. Every day I am grateful that I decided to invest in my home. For me it’s really easy.

What’s your biggest tip for any apartment dwellers trying to make their home the oasis of their dreams?

My biggest piece of advice is: get started! Turning a house into a home takes time, and the only way to create your own style is to do it yourself. It’s amazing to see how much your space and your style can change over time. Don’t be afraid to make “mistakes.” They are very, very necessary to get where you want to go.