As an Italian architect living in North London, Silvia discovered a two-bedroom space with tons of potential in Stoke Newington where she would live with her Irish boyfriend—who is also an architect, musician, and rugby-enthusiast. After moving in about a year and half ago, they began to think about how they could make the space feel brighter, cleaner, and more open. In order to breath light into the flat while sticking to a budget, they painted the whole space white, made some small fixes in the bathroom, lined the windows with simple white blinds, and outfitted the space with a black-and-white palette. She chose furniture and lighting from a variety of sources including affordable Ikea furniture, iconic Italian and Scandinavian designs, and art they’ve collected from their travels. She also interspersed pieces that she made herself, including pillow cushions she sewed and photographs she took with her boyfriend.

In the past, Silvia spent time working for Claudio Silvestrin Architects, as well as for Piero Lissoni in Milan—both of which have been personally influential to this day. Today, she acts as an Art Director at a creative and branding agency—but also spends time developing her interior design blog, Silvy Loves Beautiful Things.

If you updated your small space on your own and would like to share it with us, send us your story to community@dwell.com.

Also Appears In

Modern World Awards 2011