The Soul of the Space: How to Curate Apartment Decor That Feels Like You
By Camille — Style isn't about clothes. It's about knowing who you are and dressing like you mean it. ·
Living in a West Village walk-up has a way of teaching you exactly what matters. When you’re working with 400 square feet, every single object—from the brass salt cellar on my counter to the vintage print leaning against my baseboards—has to earn its keep.
My years at Vogue taught me that fashion isn't just about what you put on your body; it’s about the narrative you construct for the world. The same applies to your home. Style isn’t about filling a room with trendy pieces from a catalog; it’s about knowing who you are and decorating like you mean it. If your home doesn’t feel like an extension of your own skin, you’re just living in a showroom.
Start With the 'Anchor' Pieces
When I moved into my current apartment, the first thing I did wasn't buy a rug or a gallery wall set. I bought a singular, velvet-upholstered armchair in a deep moss green. It was a bit of a splurge, but it felt like me.
My advice? Don’t try to decorate a room all at once. It leads to that ‘catalog look’ that feels hollow. Pick one anchor piece—a piece of furniture that feels substantial and speaks to your personal aesthetic—and let the rest of the room orbit around it. If you love a minimalist vibe, make it a sleek marble coffee table. If you’re a maximalist at heart, start with a patterned ottoman. Everything else in the room should be a supporting character to that one main hero.
Lighting is Your Best Accessory
If there is one thing that drives me absolutely mad, it is the ‘big light.’ You know the one—that singular, harsh overhead bulb that makes your living room feel like a dentist’s office. I don’t care how beautiful your sofa is; if the lighting is bad, the room will never feel like a home.
Layer your lighting the way you layer an outfit. You need ambient light (a soft floor lamp), task light (a chic reading lamp by your bed), and accent light (a small table lamp on a bookshelf). If you’re in a rental and can’t change the fixtures, use dimmable smart bulbs or plug-in wall sconces. It’s an immediate mood shifter. When the sun goes down in Manhattan, my apartment glows. It’s warm, it’s inviting, and it makes that elaborate pasta dish I’m cooking look like a Michelin-star meal even if I’m just eating it in my pajamas.
Don't Be Afraid of the 'High-Low' Mix
Just like in your closet, your home should be a mix of high and low. Some of my favorite items in my apartment are vintage finds from the Brooklyn Flea that cost less than twenty dollars, paired with a few investment pieces I saved up for months to acquire.
Mixing eras and price points is what gives a room soul. If everything is brand new, it feels sterile. If everything is old, it feels like a museum. Pair a modern, clean-lined side table with a vintage gilded mirror. The contrast creates visual tension, which is essentially the secret sauce of good design. It shows that you have a point of view, not just a credit card.
The Power of Personal Artifacts
I’ve always said that style is about knowing who you are, and that has to be reflected in your decor. If you love to cook, your kitchen shouldn't be hidden away; display your beautiful copper pots or a stack of well-loved cookbooks. If you’re a reader, let your books spill off the shelves.
My living room has a small stack of fashion sketches from my days as an assistant, framed simply in black wood. They aren't expensive art, but they remind me of the journey I’ve been on. Your home should be a living archive of your life. Don't hide the things that make you you just because they don't fit a specific ‘aesthetic’ you saw on social media. Authenticity is always in style.
Edit, Then Edit Again
Finally, the most important part of home styling is the edit. Every few months, I do a ‘home audit.’ I walk through my apartment and remove things that don’t bring me joy or serve a purpose. If a candle holder is just collecting dust, or a throw pillow feels ‘meh,’ I rehome it.
We change, our lives change, and our spaces should evolve with us. You don't need to do a full renovation to change the feel of a room. Sometimes, it’s as simple as swapping the art on your walls or rearranging your books by color. Don't be afraid to shift things around. Your home is a work in progress, not a finished product.
Ultimately, your apartment is your sanctuary. It’s where you decompress after a long day in the city, where you invite friends over for wine, and where you get to be exactly who you are without any performance. Make it cozy, make it personal, and for heaven’s sake, turn off the overhead light.
How are you styling your own space lately? Are you a maximalist or a clean-line devotee? Tell me all about your latest home find in the comments below—I’m dying to know what you’ve been sourcing lately.