In this article we will tell our readers abouta small but very stylish apartment of 55 square meters, which became the first independent housing for photographer Annie McElwain. This unique piece of design art is located in the Venice, California area. Perhaps this apartment will become only a temporary shelter, but McElwain seeks to decorate it too. Clever storage solutions, many décor elements and beautiful vignettes add individuality to the room without any structural changes. Rug: Overstock.com; pillows: West Elm; bedside lamps: Etsy. Favorite books are easily accessible, they are on the shelf next to the bed. Accessories were purchased at Rose Bowl Flea Market and Ventura Flea Market. Curbstones: flea market; bedside lamps: Amazon; shelves: Umbra. 
McElwain liked the idea of using boxesfor milk as storage, what she saw in one workshop. She found the drawers during a visit to the Ventura Flea Market, and her boyfriend hung them on the wall. 
Storage is always a problem in sucha small apartment, and McElwain has most of his property in sight. The stylish shelving holds the shoes and linens in the bedroom. Organizer: Urban Outfitters. 
The omnipresent California light penetrates intolarge windows in each room. This natural lighting was a huge plus for McElwain when choosing an apartment. A beautifully worn, vintage leather sofa stands next to a metal magazine rack and a table in the living room. “I feel that the furniture must come from many places, otherwise the space looks like a page from a store catalog,” says the hostess. Table: Urban Outfitters; magazine rack: Etsy, chair: leather, Jeni from Found Vintage; Rug: West Elm. 
Since McElwain had first decorated herown apartment, she quickly realized that it was difficult to make the space beautiful and functional at the same time. Although the girl looked at photographs from the Internet for inspiration, it was very difficult to find a setting that would completely suit her. Sofa: Urban Outfitters; coffee table: flea market; pillows: eBay. 
Simple vignettes help to demonstrate ordinary things in a favorable light. A wooden stand for the lamp and the books Annie gave her parents when she was still small. Glass lamp: CB2. 
Cameras, skateboards, wallets and other trinkets look like part of a vignette that is placed on a simple white shelving. 
Having a boyfriend with artistic inclinations is very helpful. McElwain recruited him to design and build these shelves. 
Since the apartment is rentable, the kitchen wasready, and McElwain was able to make only minimal changes to it. Fortunately, this simple design is pretty easy to decorate. The whole setting is a wooden bar and a couple of work surfaces with two chairs for eating. 
The built-in shelving in the cooking area is one of the few storage solutions that were already in the apartment. 
Linen Heath Ceramics makes the kitchen even more stylish. 
A photographer is not just a profession, but a way of life. And it does not matter at work or not. McElwain hung polaroid pictures of close people on the fridge. 
Beautiful interior of a small apartment in California
