The First Apartment Book: Cool Designs for Small Spaces

Citing design blog The Selby as one of his inspirations, Schuneman says he wrote this book to, "tell people in their 20s and 30s that this is a time in your life to celebrate. This is your first space—maybe it’s tiny and you have a small budget, or maybe you have landlord issues and roommate problems—it’s yours and you should treat it that way." 

Divided into ten sections centering on ten different apartments, Schuneman focuses on some common decorating styles like "The Prep," "The Collector," and the "The Bohemian." Schuneman even includes his own abode in the book, labeled as "The Homebody." Each featured apartment belongs to friends or acquaintances of Schuneman, which allows him to explain the lifestyles behind his design choices. Overall, Schuneman starts his designs "function first" to guide him creatively and to make a space as livable as possible. For example, in one apartment Schuneman chose furniture with metal legs because of the renter’s pet’s penchant for chewing.

Sprinkled throughout are how-tos and common decorating DIY projects for each apartment. Although from personal experience, one of his projects, "No-Sew pillows," easily falls apart, Schuneman is tuned into common renter dilemmas and practical quick fixes. Some of our favorite projects were: painted chevron walls, creating a "chandelier" out of CB2 glass bubbles, and carving out a cozy bed nook in an awkward loft space.

With suggestions such as how to add color without paint, work under a tight budget, and make a bedroom set of random pieces look cohesive, the book is a useful resource guide. We were especially impressed with the size of the apartments: they are all less than 1,000 square feet, including Schuneman’s own. Plus, his upbeat attitude makes it hard to resist overhauling your own place. As Schuneman says, "Design is so much more than pretty things. If you take the time to make your space livable, interact with it, and make it a reflection of yourself, your space will create high expectations for you."