This adorable studio apartment is the home where one of my daughter’s friends and fellow interior design classmates, Michaela (of Michaela Noelle Designs), lived while finishing her design studies. I’m showing her home to you today not only because it is SO cute (not your average college apartment, right?) but because I have a special announcement about Michaela and I wanted you to be properly introduced!
My lovely daughter Courtney (on the right) recently graduated with her degree in Interior Design. Yes, I’m so proud of her (as I am of all three of my kids!). Michaela (also lovely, and on the left) graduated in the same class and is a good friend of Courtney’s. They are both so talented in many ways and have great taste … not to mention they are two of the sweetest girls you’ll ever meet.
Courtney not only helps me here on The Inspired Room with projects, collages and design ideas as well as now working full time for Restoration Hardware, but was also very involved in the design of our recent kitchen remodel. It is wonderful having a trusted opinion and fresh perspective! I valued her guidance, help and input so much while we were working on the kitchen, not to mention it was so fun working with both of my girls on a big project like that!
My other lovely daughter, Kylee, has evolved into my project manager and she keeps me on task (something I desperately need or I would chase after far too many shiny things) as well as being the creator of some of the amazing hand drawn art and recipes you might have seen on The Inspired Room. I’m very blessed to have such a creative and supportive family! I love working with my girls — I feel so blessed!
One of the things we have often joked about, though, is that they need another sister. When the three of us get together, ideas start flowing and we can’t even keep up with ourselves. Haha! Yes, they have a 13 year old brother we adore but so far he doesn’t share our enthusiasm for decorating or DIY projects. Humpf. Although I will say he is pleased with the results of some of our projects like the ice cream party so there is hope for him.
While we are absolutely thrilled with life right now as it is, there are always more dreams and things we want to do than hands to do them. We love being creative and doing projects and expanding what we do. We thrive on that energy. It is just how we are, thus the dream of another sister! After all, there are only so many hours in a day and we all have outside jobs or volunteer work we care about so we don’t have endless time to keep up with our ideas. So that is where Michaela comes in!
After a recent meeting at a Seattle cafe (with big mugs of coffee — how many of our big ideas are born, haha), it was concluded that Michaela may in fact be my girls’ long lost sister. So now you know. We are adopting her.
HA! Well, no. Not really, but we are going to include her and her awesome ideas on The Inspired Room, so that is almost the same thing around here, right?! Starting next month she will officially be a part of our team of girls here, helping us out once a month with some adorable DIY ideas and posts on entertaining that I know you will love and be completely inspired by.
We think she has amazing ideas and great style that will be a great complement to what we do here! We are thrilled to have another sister on board who is as enthusiastic as we are about design and blogging and life — we know you’ll love her too.
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Home Tour — Designed by Michaela along with her roommate Alexa Osgood. Photo credit: Monica Wang Photography
I totally thought you were going to announce a for-real adoption!
I’m so THRILLED to be joining The Inspired Room team. And if you wanted to adopt me, that’d be quite alright :) Waking up every morning to make breakfast in your kitchen…dreamy! :)
How adorable! (The girls and the room.) Love the industrial mixed with the girly in that apartment.
Their apartment is adorable! Wow! Love it! And I love your announcement! How exciting! I can’t wait to see what happens on The Inspired Room during your favorite season…Autumn!!!
Love her cross collection!
I love that you girls have so much fun working on things together. Excited for you!
What a wonderful mom you are-you and the girls are very talented-thanks for sharing.
What a super sweet post and a super cute apartment! I can’t begin to imagine the amount of creativity that is just overflowing when the three of you get together! (especially with coffee. :))
OK, I think you just won the title of best mom ever!!! congrats to the girls and congrats to you for all the fun help you are getting!
Shawna
What a cute apartment! And…welcome Michaela!! How awesome to have like minded daughters and friends to work with.
Michaela, I look forward to your posts and teamwork! This blog, this cyber home, is aptly named “inspired” — it is always a pleasure to visit.
How fun! More creative minds are better than one! Can’t wait to see the new input!
What a lovely place. Such inspiring young women. Congrats on joining The Inspired Room team! :)
How sweet and what a bunch of talented women you have on your team. How wonderful is that? Great apartment btw, can’t wait to see what new goodies show up.
That is NOT your average studio….let alone for college girls….and it is absolutely adorable in every way. Her style is perfect for you Melissa. And I must tell you that I am totally envious of you. After being an only and then not having the blessing of children, my heart swells at this blessing of working with your girls and now a third, too. There is no question. You are absolutely having too much fun. I love your remark about chasing shiny things. :) Squirrel!! Haha! I cannot wait to see what you have in store. It will no doubt be amazing!!! Truly. Now, I’m off to see Michaela’s blog.
Wishing you An Extraordinary Day!!
I LOVE studio apartments that are well done, and this is certainly no exception! I used to live in a 550 sq. ft apartment (so no studio by any means, but definitely still small) and I wish I’d taken the opportunity to decorate to my heart’s content. Unfortunately, I shared it with a tyrant and everything had to be cleared first. Thank goodness for getting rid of him!
What a cute apartment! Michaela, I love the great style that you managed to cram into such a small space. Welcome to the team! Looking forward to seeing things through a fresh new pair of eyes! (I’m new to this site but loving it so far – I’m sure it’s just going to get better from here!)
Hi Melissa,
What a great idea and how fun to have a young and talented new designer on board with you and your girls. Looking forward to what she will be offering here.
If you have a chance stop by my blog today, I did a Summer tour of my home today!
xo Kathysue
This is so sweet Melissa. I can only imagine how amazing and what a blessing it is to live out your dreams and then to have your own two daughters come along side you, work with you, and chase after their own dreams through it. That is like a momma dream come true. I can only hope to have my own daughters one day to share even just a piece of that same passion. And Michaela is just so talented, sweet, and has big things ahead of her…including this! Looking forward to seeing what she has to share here at the Inspired Room. xo
One can never have too many sisters or too much creativity. How fun.
Fondly,
Glenda
BEAUTIFUL home! Congratulations on the new addition :) Looking forward to more gorgeous things to come…
I love that apartment! So clean and fresh looking. And I love the little splashes of color like the bird art and the green cupboard! Gorgeous!