If you renovated your home in 2023 and promised yourself you won’t leave taxes until the last minute this year, here’s an extra incentive to follow through on the latter: Deductions are likely hiding in plain sight. Niche projects, like rewiring your home office or adding pull bars in the shower, as well as something as universally appealing as a home-energy audit, are included in the list of improvements that might qualify for a discount from the government.

Didn’t get to it last year and maybe still waffling? Consider it an investment in both your wallet and your peace of mind; a new report from home insurance group Hippo tallied that one-third of homeowners regretted not doing maintenance or renovations. Ahead, we’re highlighting seven types of upgrades, from new windows to replacing old pipes in a historic home, that could net you money back.

Energy-Efficient Updates

If you made energy-efficient upgrades—like structural improvements or the installation of new systems—at home after January 1, 2023, you can potentially qualify for an Energy Efficiency Home Improvement Credit of up to $3,200. Here are just a few of the projects to check against your books.

• If you installed new exterior windows and skylights that are counted among Energy Star’s “Most Efficient,” you could get a credit of up to $600.
• Did you get a home-energy audit from a pro home-energy auditor last year? You could get a tax credit of up to $150. If you haven’t, consider it in 2024: According to the Department of Energy, a home-energy audit could help you save up to 30% on your energy bill. If you want to get crunchy on what’s covered or not, dig in here.
• It might be a little niche, but if you picked up a biomass stove that meets Energy Star’s requirements, you could get a $2,000 credit.

Home Office Repairs and Improvements

Working from home has many benefits, not the least of which is that you may be able to deduct home office repair expenses (to note, improvements don’t count here). If the area where you regularly work required maintenance last year, like replacing damaged outlets and wiring or getting new windows that are dual- or triple-pane, we suggest looking through what is tax deductible. You could even potentially deduct the cost of maintaining and monitoring a home-security system if it relates to your business. The big thing to remember is that the amount you can deduct depends on whether the project impacts the entire home or just the office.

Clean Energy Updates

The Residential Clean Energy Credit might apply to your taxes if you installed new renewable energy properties. Barring a few exceptions, there is no dollar limit for this credit. Perhaps the best-known renewable energy products are solar panels, but there are others on the market that will count for this credit, too, like a solar water heater, geothermal heat pump, and battery storage technology for when power goes down.

Historic Home Updates

Historic homes might require a fair amount of upkeep, but isn’t it worth it to keep that original character? Plus those improvements may qualify for a Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit. If you’ve had to take on projects like upgrading old pipes to get up to code, replacing posts or beams for visually similar ones, or installing an entirely new set of stairs that echoes the original, you should review what’s included.

Medically Necessary Updates

You can potentially get deductions for updates that accommodate a disability or aging in place (for you, your spouse, dependents, or those who live with you) as a part of your medical expense deduction. The amount you can include depends on how the improvement impacts your home’s value, so it’s good to review the details closely.

Lowering your kitchen cabinets, crafting pull-down shelves, or adding grab bars in your bathroom could all count, as well as installing modified smoke detectors or other smart monitoring systems like water leak detectors. You might even be able to write off grading, or leveling, pathways around your home to make them more accessible.

Rental Property Repairs

If you rent out a part or all of your home, repair expenses may be deductible from the amount of taxable rental income that comes in. Limitations apply, of course, but repairing bathroom leaks and insulation leaks, as well as weather stripping around doors and windows, may all qualify.

Capital Improvements

Capital improvements differ from home repairs in that they often add value, but they can be a longer-term bet (as in, the investment might not pay off until you sell). There are also some limitations on what can be used for tax deductions. Acts like installing a new HVAC system to replace one more than a decade old, installing a water softener, or putting insulation in an attic can pay off.

The post 7 Renos That May Be Deductible This Tax Season, From Water Pipes to New Outlets appeared first on domino.

Who says you have to completely demo your kitchen (not to mention your budget) to make it yours? In our new series, The No-Reno Kitchen, we’re highlighting total transformations that prove the power of paint, fixtures, and a little elbow grease. 

It used to be that if you lived in a rental with dated wood cabinets, there was nothing you could do. You were simply stuck with them. No longer. Madeline Scalzi, a New York–based creative and TikTok-er, found a nonpermanent way around landlords’ restrictions. “I had always wanted blue cabinets, but painting was out of the question,” says Scalzi. Familiar with the trend of covering old countertops in removable vinyl, Scalzi had a lightbulb moment: Why not use contact paper for cabinets?

The DIY process admittedly took a bit of trial and error—the fronts’ grooves needed to be worked around—but 10 cabinets and a lot of patience later, Scalzi is a pro. Almost a year has passed and they’re still in good shape. Yes, there’s some sagging behind the stovetop where it gets hot, but that’s nothing another pass with a hair dryer can’t fix. For less than $15 and a weekend of work, here’s how to give Scalzi’s rental-friendly kitchen upgrade a go.

The Supplies

• Contact paper (Scalzi covered 14 cabinets using 6 rolls)
• X-Acto Knife (and extra blades)
• Smoothing tool (foam edged if possible)
• Hair dryer
• Dish soap

Step 1: Smooth It Over 

Before you jump in, it’s important to have a smooth foundation. Start by removing each door from its hinges (put the screws somewhere you’ll remember them!) and giving it a quick cleaning. An all-purpose cleaner is totally fine; you just want to make sure any dust and dirt is gone.

Step 2: Size Them Up

Measure each of the cabinet fronts, and trim a slightly larger rectangle (about an inch all around) for each door. It helps to work one door at a time so there’s no confusion about which paper belongs to which front.

Step 3: Start From the Bottom

Working from the bottom to the top of the cabinet (smoothing away from you) is easiest. It allows more control over the paper and ensures all the air bubbles have somewhere to escape. Grab your first sheet and remove the backing. Gently lay it on top of its coordinating cabinet, lining up the corners. Use the smoothing tool to press the paper firmly into the surface, helping the glue to adhere. Push up and out in long strokes. 

Step 4: Move It and Groove It

If your door fronts have carved panels like Scalzi’s, it will take some finessing to get the paper to lay correctly (it won’t naturally settle into the ridges without a little intervention). Use an X-Acto knife to cut a slit along the center of each of the four sides of the panel. Then use your fingers to smooth down the edges of each slit toward each other, so the contact paper molds to the curves rather than tents over them. The edges won’t meet, but don’t worry about the gaps!

Step 5: Mind the Gaps

“Don’t be afraid to patchwork the seams,” stresses Scalzi. “It won’t look weird at the end.” Measure the length and width of each gap and cut thin pieces of contact paper (like fettuccine!) slightly larger. (If you’re working with an arched panel, you may need to cut multiple smaller strips to follow the curve more easily.) Apply the strips to cover the gaps, smoothing each from center to edges to avoid air bubbles.

Step 6: Frame It Up

Cut a piece about an inch larger than the frames on all sides and apply from where the wood meets the countertops and smooth downward using the foam-edged tool. Wrap the excess contact paper in toward the cabinet’s interior for full coverage.

Step 7: The Cutting-Room Floor

Flip your completed door over and run the knife along the outer edges to trim off any overhanging paper. Now it’s just a matter of rinsing—cleaning the adhesive residue off your knife with dish soap to make starting the next front easier—and repeating.

The Goods

X-Acto No. 1 Precision Knife ($4)

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Blue Peel and Stick Contact Paper ($6)

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Revlon Compact Hair Dryer ($11)

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Smoothing Tool ($5)

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This story was originally published in October 2021. It has since been updated.

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Affordability, location, and square footage are no longer the only factors apartment dwellers weigh when searching for a new place. In today’s economy, renters are looking for a space they profit from. And Airbnb is feeding the demand with Airbnb-friendly Apartments, a platform that matches renters with landlords who are actually cool with residents being hosts. With the continued rise of rents, the option to earn up to $4,500 annually (the average yearly earning for hosts) is pretty appealing. Since the microsite launched in November 2022, the program has grown from 175 buildings in 25 markets to more than 250 buildings across 37 metro areas. If your city isn’t listed, you can add yourself to the wait list to be notified (or give your landlord a nudge to join so you don’t have to move).  

According to Airbnb, hosts have used the extra income to fund their vacations or simply help pay their bills. Barbara Silva, a host in Brooklyn who rents out one of the two bedrooms in her apartment, says her entire lease is typically covered six months out of the year. She has also used the opportunity to make new friends and professional connections around the world. A word of advice: To maximize your earnings, brush up on the essential dos and don’ts of creating a retreatlike space before you begin your hosting journey. Bobby Berk, interior designer and current Airbnb host, says something as little as the wrong fragrance can completely tank a guest’s experience. 

If you’re planning on a move in the near future, it’s worth considering adding Airbnb-friendly to your list of apartment criteria. Whether you’re looking to offset rising costs of living or eyeing flights for that summer trip to Mykonos, it never hurts to have some extra funds flowing.

The post How Does an Extra $4,500 Sound? Airbnb Just Made It Easier to (Legally) Rent Your Place appeared first on domino.

Taking several deep dives into how one successfully transforms a property into a vacation rental—Darrel Maxam, for instance, was able to pay off his mortgage by listing a couple of tiny homes on Airbnb—pushed us to the realization that we had only scratched the surface. More specifically, we still knew little about the less enticing (but arguably even more important!) side of how homeowners can actually protect the hard work and money that goes into running a destination stay. Because with all the glittering promise of rental rewards inevitably comes a whole heap of harrowing risks. The answer we were looking for begins with something called landlord insurance.

After dialing up Datha Santomieri, a former flipper and insurance expert who has worked in the industry for more than a decade, we were able to gain the following insider intel: If you ever envision opening up your doors to long- or short-term guests, seriously consider finding coverage. The act of getting insured, however, can be easier said than done. It was the primary catalyst behind Santomieri’s decision to cofound Steadily, an online policy provider offering coverage across all 50 states. We had her walk us through the ABC’s of landlord insurance, from what it is to who it’s for to why it might be a good idea for you. Let’s dig in.

What is landlord insurance, anyway? 

Landlord insurance offers financial protection against all sorts of risks (natural disasters, burglaries, electrical fires) that come with rental properties that provide income. And this isn’t limited to apartment buildings and condos; it also includes single- and multi-family homes. Santomieri actually prefers to call it real-estate investor’s insurance. That’s because not everyone is a traditional landlord (i.e., an owner of multiple rental properties for long-term leases). 

“Fix-and-flippers” and “fix-and-renters” are also great candidates, Santomieri points out. These types of owners are likely to invest a lot of funds in furniture and decor, and the right policy will cover the entire cost of that personal property loss. 

What is the difference between homeowner’s insurance and landlord insurance? 

Both kinds are all about protection against risk to the building and property within it, but the former is only available if you personally live in the home. A homeowner’s insurance policy also likely won’t cover damages to items you bought specifically to run your rental—think: a security system—especially if caused by a guest who is staying for more than 30 days. 

What does landlord insurance actually cover? 

A common misconception is that landlord insurance covers normal wear and tear at a property. “It’s not a maintenance policy. It’s for large losses that are unexpected,” Santomieri stresses, and there are often caveats. Some policies have exclusions for tenant-caused damages. “It’s important to know what you’re buying and to ensure it’s going to include any damage caused.” 

Typically, though, a policy protects you financially in the event of a freak accident—think: flooding, lightning strikes (which are more common than you’d think), fire, hail, wind, or a busted pipe—as well as lawsuits, vandalism, theft, and tenant injuries. If something were to happen, you’d receive the monetary equivalent of the cost of repairs and renovations. So marble countertops and hardwood floors will warrant a far greater payout than, say, laminate.

“You also have exposure to loss of rent,” Santomieri adds, explaining if a tenant isn’t able to occupy your place, insurance can cover that, too. “If you depend on those dollars for your livelihood, that can make a pretty big dent.” 

How much does landlord insurance cost? 

According to the Insurance Information Institute, landlord insurance tends to cost 15% to 20% more than a homeowner’s policy. An average premium annually, Santomieri shares, is around $1,500. But installing safety devices, like a fire sprinkler system, Steadily’s site notes, can help drive down the overall price.

When should I get landlord insurance?

As early as the renovation period for a rental, Santomieri says, although “it tends to be more expensive because the risk is higher—you’ve got contractors coming and going, you’ve got tools, it’s vacant.” But once construction is completed, you should be able to contact your provider to switch it over to a standard (read: less expensive) landlord policy.

Give it to me straight: Do I really need landlord insurance? 

From a purely legal perspective, no. However, without it, you’ll have to pay out of pocket if things go south. If you’re regularly renting out your space, even if it is your primary residence, insurance carriers will consider your property as a business more akin to a hotel or B&B as opposed to a standard home. If you’re still on the fence, Steadily’s licensed agents are on standby with answers to any and all questions (you can use the chat feature on the website for immediate assistance) and can help get you set up with the right policy.

Pros and Cons of Landlord Insurance

The post So You Want to List Your Home on Airbnb—This Is an Essential First Step appeared first on domino.

We get it: Light switches aren’t the first thing most people dream about when they imagine the dramatic design changes they want to make to their living spaces. That glory usually goes to paint colors, funky chandeliers, or unique tilework. And you know what? We completely understand.

That said, the generic switch plates that come with most apartments are one of those tiny roadblocks that can keep you from fully feeling at home in a temporary space. The good news is that swapping in a stylish light switch is a minutes-long project that’s swift and fairly easy—and, most important, it makes a surprisingly major difference in your everyday quality of life. The even better news is that with so many elevated pieces on the market right now, you’ll surely find something to suit your style—and light up your life—in no time. 

For a Modern Pop

Blob Switch Plate, New Made LA ($25)

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A sunny color meets on-trend silhouette in this plate—which, by the way, was one of our Good Design Award winners in 2022. Snap one up now before they sell out. 

For an Antique Touch

Lewis Single Toggle Switchplate, Rejuvenation ($20)

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Not all of us are blessed with crown molding and French doors in our rentals, but you can definitely fake charm via your light switches. We love the way that the eventual patina on these dimmers will deliver a hint of old-school luxury. 

For Full Transparency

Invisible Switch, Forbes and Lomax (Price upon request)

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If you prefer a bright and breezy look (or just want to show off a vibrant wallpaper), this acrylic option won’t weigh you down. 

For a Hint of Nature

Zaha Switch Plate, Anthropologie ($38)

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A burl-wood veneer gives even an apartment in a skyscraper a touch of Mother Nature. Against a moody paint color, it’ll really pop, but we also love the way it looks against whatever white shade your landlord chose.  

For a Slice of the Rainbow

Porcelain Wall Switch, Dyke & Dean ($88)

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Dyke & Dean’s collection of Technicolor light switches is a color-blocking fan’s dream. They come in almost every hue imaginable, though we’re especially taken with this Kelly green one for a slightly retro feel. 

For a Classic Accent

Hexagon Switch Plate, Matureware ($160)

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The hexagonal shape of this brass plate jazzes up a room without going overboard, which makes it ideal for a space that toes the line between traditional and contemporary. 

For a Cool Finish

Buster + Punch 15A Metal Complete Toggle Switch, Lightology ($110)

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White rental walls and a matte black light switch—it’s a classic pairing that adds a major dose of cool contrast.

The post The 5-Minute Rental Upgrade You’re Probably Overlooking appeared first on domino.

Between the abundance of builder-grade appliances and tight galley spaces, it’s rare to walk into a rental kitchen you instantly fall in love with. More often than not, you find yourself face-to-face with stark-white everything or finishes of all-too-obvious imitation stone. When an expensive remodel is out of the question and you want at least some hope of getting your security deposit back, it’s all about becoming creative. These five clever countertop solutions will instantly revamp even the most tired surfaces. Your landlord might even thank you. 

Cover Your Counters With Concrete

Stylist Courtney Favini’s plan to turn a drab dining space in her Atlanta rental into a cozy corner was to smother the dark granite counters in a bag of Ardex. The textured concrete-resurfacing compound is easy to find for around $40 on Amazon. After roughing up the existing surface with sandpaper, she mixed the powder with water, applied it on top with a putty knife, and used a water-based sealant to finish the job. The counters are now part of her go-to backdrop for content creation, plus they go so much better with the white cabinets.

Resurface Your Counters With Marbleized Paint

For her first New York City rental, Madelynn Furlong wanted her Carrie Bradshaw apartment moment, so the stained white laminate kitchen couldn’t be part of the story. Her instinct was to gut it, but she found a less-expensive middle ground and presented a plan to the landlord that involved resurfacing the counters with a $200 idea instead. She scored a paint kit on Amazon that creates a look similar to black marble. “It’s pretty convincing,” she says. “It’s like a fake ’80s resin, which I love.”

Wrap Your Counters in Contact Paper

Imani Keal always wanted a pink kitchen. Benjamin Moore’s Monticello Rose was an easy choice for the walls (and ceiling!), but she had other plans for the countertops. She was obsessed with a veiny pink and purple stone called plumeria, but the real deal was way out of her price range. Luckily, a quick search on Amazon for swirled contact paper in similar shades came up with an option that looked nearly identical. 

Use Car Paint for Souped-Up Counters

When Emily Ward—half of the design duo Pierce & Ward—decided to lean into the 1970s IKEA cabinetry of her Los Angeles home, she opted to paint instead of renovate. The super-high-gloss look can be credited to car paint, and it took several attempts to get a proper color match. The primary bathroom got the same treatment, in Benjamin Moore’s Southfield Green. “I painted everything: the countertops, the sink, everything,” Ward says. Fair warning: Her family had to vacate for 30 days while the fumes dissipated, “but when you make it work, it’s so satisfying,” she adds. 

Layer Laminate Counters With…More Laminate

It took nearly five years for Mallory Fletchall to finally ask for her landlord’s permission to make some changes to her Brooklyn rental. It only took three weeks to completely transform the ’90s galley kitchen. One of her quick fixes included replacing the sad green surfaces with laminate—a 96-inch-long slab of IKEA’s marble-effect countertop, to be precise. The idea of spending thousands on the real deal didn’t make sense, since the apartment might not be her and her husband’s forever home. The surface looks like real stone, and best of all it’s supereasy to maintain.

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In Renovator’s Notebook, homeowners open up about the nitty-gritty of their remodels: How long it really took; how much it actually cost; what went horribly wrong; and what went wonderfully, serendipitously, it’s-all-worth-it-in-the-end right. For more tips to nail your next project, follow @reno_notebook.

Location: Atlanta

Rough cost estimate: Between $5,000 and $10,000

Square footage (total apartment): 712

Top priority: Turn a drab loft kitchen and dining space into a cozy corner—and a picture-perfect backdrop for shoots. 

Courtney Favini did not get her security deposit back when she moved out of her Atlanta loft recently, and that’s all right by her. “In the last three places I’ve lived, I haven’t gotten it back, and I just call it a wash because I get to do what I want,” says Favini. The interior stylist likes to tell herself that the risks she takes in her rentals pay off, literally—it’s often where she captures content for the brands she works with. And even if things don’t exactly balance out in the end, ripping out her upper kitchen cabinets, for example, is worth the peace it brings her. “My space has such a big influence on my energy,” she explains. “I would rather spend money and put in some elbow grease to have my home feel like me.” 

Favini did in fact run her kitchen design plans by her building’s management team when she moved into the one-bedroom in June 2021. “I was like, ‘I’m probably going to make some changes; they’ll just be cosmetic. As long as you’re cool with that, I promise you, it’s gonna look better,’” she recalls. The seasoned renovator focused on upgrades that would ultimately be an improvement in the eyes of her landlord. And given there are over 700 units in the complex, after they heard her out, they were actually excited to have an apartment that stood out from the crowd.

The entire cooking zone was one big eyesore that needed addressing: The peninsula was awkward and off-center; the floors were a sad black color; and the upper cabinets looked slapped onto the wall. The most crucial step in Favini’s plan was securing a storage unit nearby where she could temporarily house all the things she could no longer stand to look at but knew she’d have to bring back to the apartment for the next tenant. For $250 a month and the help of a mover friend (whom she paid in both cash and beer), she was able to stow the ugly uppers, island, dishwasher, range, and fridge out of sight and out of mind. Then the real work began. Ahead, in her own words, she shares how she put her stamp on the space and why she has no regrets. 

Save: A Clean Slate

The first thing I did was paint the black floors white. Luckily, I got the keys to the apartment about a month before I moved so I was able to do it without working around boxes and furniture. It took a while: First, I sanded everything with a palm sander and then applied four to five coats of Behr Ultra Pure White (an oil-based exterior/porch paint that’s good for high-foot-traffic areas) using a roller. I learned quickly that I should have used an epoxy instead of just white paint because they did get scraped up over time and I had to do some touch-ups. 

Splurge: Aesthetically Pleasing Appliances

I shockingly found a Smeg fridge on Facebook Marketplace for $1,000, which I feel is unheard of. So I decided to snag it, knowing I’d take it with me to my next home, and put the clunky black one in storage. Everything else I sourced through Home Depot—the dishwasher ($449) and the range ($584) are both by GE in its bisque color. Going through a big-box store made the delivery and setup in my building a lot easier. 

Save: Counter Control

To cover up my dark granite counters, I purchased a bag of Ardex (a textured concrete-resurfacing compound) for around $40 on Amazon. After roughing up the surface with sandpaper, I mixed the powder with water, applied it on top with a putty knife, and sealed it (a water-based one will do). It goes so much better with the white cabinets. 

Splurge: A Serene Washing Station

Paying a plumber $500 to take out my stainless steel kitchen sink and install a beautiful white porcelain one with a brass faucet was the change that made me really feel at home. The basin was on the pricier side, ringing in at $618, but the antique-style faucet from Overstock was a steal at $220. 

Save: A Nod to a Backsplash

I would have loved to do a superearthy, organic tile backsplash, but based on the swaps I told my building I was already going to make, I knew that would be way too big of a hassle. The told me that paint doesn’t matter, though, so I decided to add some visual interest to the wall by swathing everything below my open shelf (it’s actually a stair riser I got from a local reuse center!) in Behr’s Cream Puff. The peg rail I bought from the Container Store also got doused in the color. 

Save: A Lighting Outfit Change

The ceilings are so high (20 feet!) that to have asked an electrician to come in and swap the light fixture would have called for a huge ladder. Instead I did it myself without rewiring anything: I cut the plasticky shade off and slipped a paper lantern over the existing bulb. The same went for my living-slash-dining room sconce, but in that case I replaced the old cover with a rattan bowl (I cut a hole through the base) and screwed on a bigger globe lightbulb.

Splurge: Saying Goodbye

My Smeg fridge and the $100 vintage wood chest I used as my makeshift pantry were must-keeps as I prepared to move back to my home state of Pennsylvania. I left the other new cream appliances, along with the sink and the $200 island and stools I got from an antiques auction. Then I returned to my storage unit to bring back the old black fridge, as well as the uppers so the new tenants have the option of hanging them again. I told my management to tell the next renters that they’re getting a space where things were chosen thoughtfully. 

The post A $40 Kitchen Countertop DIY Cost Me My Security Deposit—But I Have Zero Reno Regrets appeared first on domino.

Most people’s apartment wish lists consist of things like a dishwasher or south-facing windows. Erin Starkweather wrote down architects. “I had moved to Los Angeles very suddenly and was stuck in this ultra-modern building daydreaming about mid-century design,” says the head of brand marketing at Saie. Her next place simply had to be a building by Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler, or Craig Ellwood, although the latter was a pipe dream (he had rarely designed for residential use). 

After nearly a year of longingly scrolling through L.A. architecture accounts on Instagram, Starkweather spotted her dream property—a three-unit apartment building by none other than Ellwood—and DMed the account on a whim. Did they know the building’s owner by chance? Actually, yes. “I pleaded with the landlord to let me know if anyone was even considering moving out,” she says. It turns out one of the leases wasn’t being renewed; Starkweather submitted an application for the two-bedroom the next week, sight unseen. “It was kismet,” she says. 

Big into manifestation, Starkweather had been collecting mid-century furniture for years for this very moment. “I thought about each piece I would need, even when they barely fit into my New York one-bedroom,” she recalls, and that was all the apartment really required. With its alternating black and white kitchen cabinets and a bannerless staircase, “I didn’t want to change a thing [structurally],” she says.

Serendipity struck again on move-in day. Despite no prior knowledge of the unit’s floor plan, Starkweather’s Wassily armchairs and Noguchi lanterns found the perfect home. The apartment was nearly finished by the time the movers departed, save for a sofa, one of the last question marks. For a seat that would fit right in, Starkweather had to go custom. Inspired by Donald Judd’s streamlined plywood creations, she designed a high-backed frame (think: daybed vibes) in the same material. 

“I like furniture that gives the space a lot of opportunity to speak for itself,” she explains. “I don’t have any artwork on the walls, because the walls themselves are so pretty. They really don’t need it, you know?”

You’d never guess the apartment was in the heart of Hollywood, a feeling Starkweather doubled down on in the bedrooms, from which, miraculously, you can only see trees. She kept the decor to a bare minimum; in hers, there’s just a bed with a built-in nightstand, some Vitsoe shelving, and a rug to cozy up the cork floor. “Being busy at work and in life, I like to come home and be in a space that’s minimal without lots of clutter,” she notes.

If there’s a con to moving into an Ellwood, it’s this: “Someone actually DMed me the other day, saying a lot of couples who live in his homes end up getting divorced because there’s no storage, there’s no privacy,” she recalls. True or not, Starkweather saw the lack of closets (there’s only one, in the primary bedroom) as a challenge. “It forces me to not hold onto things that I don’t like or need,” she says. As for the latter, it’s a nonissue—she happily lives alone.

The one thing Starkweather did update was the outdoor space: “It was bug central,” she says. With the help of friends, she ripped up the unruly plants to start from scratch. Envisioning a serene, Noguchi-style garden, she opted for native cacti, Home Depot gravel, and a few 500-pound boulders from a nearby quarry. Just like inside, Starkweather let the bones of the building shine. We bet Ellwood would approve.

The post Sliding Into an Architecture Account’s DMs Scored This Marketing Exec a Rare L.A. Rental appeared first on domino.

When you and your partner are both artists, a pied-à-terre in the same city you call home isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. For illustrator Naomi Otsu, known for her work with the Museum of Ice Cream and Adidas, her one-bedroom in Brooklyn’s Boerum Hill neighborhood, a 20-minute commute from her primary residence, isn’t just an office where she can spread out but a place to crash when she’s working against the clock. It has the added benefit of being the first apartment Otsu has rented just for herself, without a roommate. “I’ve never had complete control over a space before,” she says.

As soon as the paperwork was filed, Otsu got to work making a one-tenth scale model of the floor plan on her computer. “I had every measurement,” she says. Otsu had lived in her old place in Williamsburg for nearly 10 years, so she channeled the excitement into planning. By the time moving day came around, the new pieces were already on their way.

Enthralled by furniture catalogs since she was a child, Otsu already had a vision for where each piece would go, starting with her 12 horoscope prints above the workstation, mounted on card stock in simple Amazon frames. “To finally have walls to display everything, that’s all I wanted,” she says.

That and room for her stack of floor pillows. Despite splurging on a jade green sofa, Otsu admits she much prefers sitting on the ground. “It’s where my Japanese side comes into the design,” she says. “I’d much rather gather around the coffee table than up on the couch.” Even meals are taken there—bringing the conversations literally down to earth helps Otsu feel closer to her friends. 

The only time she is ever in a chair for long periods of time is when she’s working on a commission for the likes of New York magazine or Door Dash. Her office space, tucked away in an alcove off of the living room, is sparse—save for a USM desk and small set of drawers for all of her pens. “My environment directly affects my work, and I like that to speak for itself,” she explains. Masking tape is always on hand to display works in progress; during the drafting phase, variations are strewn around the room in order to see as many options at once. 

Her workspace walls are dedicated to her own musings, but the living room features a selection of graphic art posters from icons Herman Miller and David Shrigley, and Swim by Park Sang Hee is front and center on her Frame TV. However, only a few are actually hung. “It started out of necessity, but it makes the space feel like a work in progress,” she says. “I don’t like finality.”

Otsu first got practice mixing textures in her artwork—she’ll blend oil and watercolor paints or digital and analog sketches—but it’s quickly become the norm in all corners of the studio. Chrome hardware on the sofa is contrasted by a rattan basket on the floor, and the kitchen’s metal locker credenza is softened with a paper lantern table lamp. But while mixing and matching is key, Otsu is equally mindful to spread similar finishes out. “I don’t like too much of one thing in a room,” she says. The kitchen island is made of plywood, but the wood doesn’t show up again until the shelving in the living room. White linen adorns the floor pillows and Otsu’s bed. Nothing feels too matchy-matchy, especially when there’s a cobalt blue side table and cowhide rug sprinkled in. The latter is just soft enough to stretch out on for when the next project is done.

The Goods

Last Stool by Max Lamb, hem ($349)

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Right Hand in canvas, Sohn John ($375)

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Watering Can, HAY ($40)

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Cotton Stripe Knot Pillow, Home Union ($125)

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