Hello, I am a native of Busan who is spending the last part of my 20s with about 3 months left until my 30s expire. I majored in jazz piano and am working as a freelance instructor. Now that I have less work to do, I have more free time, and my cleaning, cooking, and housekeeping skills have improved a lot. Although I’m not married, I feel like I’m almost a full-time housewife these days. So, in addition to watching movies and dramas and decorating the house, I added cleaning and cooking to my hobbies.
The space we will introduce today is a 32 pyeong apartment that was partially remodeled and decorated by ourselves. I hope you enjoy looking at the spaces that have been modified little by little in my life.
house information
| Apartment 32 pyeong
| Vintage, antique, unique, mix and match style
| Partial remodeling, self-remodeling
| Parts: Small room veranda (underfloor work after removing mold), kitchen (complete remodeling), sash (kitchen and utility room sash change), wallpaper (complete change), lighting (complete change), utility room (floor raised, tiles)
| Self: Small room veranda (wall plastering), kitchen (wall tiles, plastering), utility room (wall plastering, paint)
Doing the interior
| BEFORE
The apartment I currently live in was completed in 1999 and was built about 26 years ago. At the time of signing the contract, nothing had been fixed other than the art wall, front and back sashes of the veranda, and the boiler. Then, three years ago, I started renovating the house little by little. Since I had to remodel in my lifetime, I couldn’t even dream of remodeling, but I took care of it with love and created the space it is today.
| Know-how: Paying attention to space separation
The room I am currently using was decorated with great attention to separation of space. As expected from an apartment built from scratch, there was a closet in the room that was about the size of a closet, and there was an unextended veranda. I thought I should make the most of this place. So, I decorated the closet separately by inserting a custom-made steel rack into a visible section and an invisible section hidden by the bed. Place a plant on the visible side to add a focal point, and cover the invisible side with a blanket.
Also, the unextended veranda is being utilized by creating a mini dressing room. I often install a large, full-length mirror on one wall to refine my look. The furniture was arranged in an L-shape, with a blind cabinet inside and a modular hanger outside.
| This is how you do your own interior design!
As I’ve been renovating parts throughout my life, there are a lot of spaces in this house that have been touched by me. From now on, I will introduce you to various places that I completed with my own interior design.
First is the glass block on the middle door of the entrance. There was originally glass, but we removed it, purchased materials, and built it by inserting blocks into the frame.
The ceiling in the living room is the result of my hands. It had a well ceiling, but it was a shame that only white wallpaper was applied inside. So, I bought a three-dimensional ceiling material called ‘Euro Ceiling’ from ‘wallsense’ and installed it. The antique atmosphere is attractive, and since the material was Styrofoam, construction was not difficult.
The next self-construction space was the kitchen. I used the M5S0 Zellige Gesso product in the ‘Marazzi’ tile and I really like it. If you look closely, each tile is different in color and surface detail. It looks even prettier in natural light, and even my father sometimes comments that I did a great job putting up the tiles.
The veranda was originally a space where mold was a problem. In the end, I called a company to remove the mold, and later I finished the job with plastering. Since the surface was already uneven, I took advantage of the grain and texture to create a vintage feel. It was hard, but I’m really satisfied.
| Recommended item: Mirror
The item I would like to recommend for interior design is ‘mirror’. Mirrors are useful furniture in themselves, but they also function as objects. That’s why we have mirrors with a strong presence throughout our house. It may be a bit different for your taste, but if you like this type of design, I highly recommend it!
Explore the space
| living room
Partial construction: Middle door, lighting (indirect lighting, ceiling fan)
Self-interior: Molding work inside the well ceiling
The living room is usually a place to stay when watching OTT or movies. My favorite moment is when the whole family goes out during the day on the weekends, we sit in the living room for an hour or two and watch entertainment, dramas, or movies while eating. It’s really relaxing, and I guess I should say that this space feels like it’s only mine for this time.
The concept of the living room was decided by choosing a mirror I liked. The presence was so big that I had to match this style at all costs. So, I tried to make the atmosphere as antique and vintage as possible.
In the same vein, I chose a round half-moon shape for the cabinet under the mirror rather than a plain one, and I also chose a vintage curtain. I happened to make the TV cabinet in a modern style, but I think it goes well with the kitchen rack next to it.
| kitchen
Partial construction: kitchen furniture, tiles
Self-interior: wall tiles near the dining table, plastering
I wanted the kitchen to feel like a cafe. Since I can see the mountains through the window, I also wanted to create a cozy feel. So I decided to match the overall tone with wood. Thanks to this, the atmosphere in the kitchen has changed 180 degrees!
The most satisfying thing about the remodeling is that the route has become much more convenient. The narrow space was already complicated due to its U-shaped structure, but after changing it to an L-shape, it seems much more open. I can’t say the storage is perfect yet, but I organized it in a way that keeps frequently used tools within easy reach according to the cooking flow.
The construction I thought was done best was installing a rail cabinet in the lower cabinet. An interior design company recommended it to me, and at the time, I didn’t think about its functions in detail, but after using it, I realized that the cabinet with rails was very convenient. I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea to make all drawers into pull-out rail cabinets in the future.
The wall next to the dining table, which I built myself, is a point of satisfaction every time the whole family looks at it. It’s so pretty that it sparkles when exposed to sunlight during the day. If you need a focal point in your kitchen space, we recommend Marazzi tiles!
| bedroom
Partial construction: wallpaper
The bedroom I am using has to fit a bed, storage cabinet, two pianos, and a desk in a small space, so I paid a lot of attention to the layout. We also moved the furniture a few times. Since I have the best layout right now, I feel like I want to change it, but then I give up.
For me, the bedroom is both a resting and practicing space, so I tried to add color to the warm atmosphere. The bed zone was decorated with a yellow butter color as a base, and the piano zone was decorated with a dark red color to add a dark feel to the wood color.
| Veranda
The last space I will show you is the veranda. This is being used as a dressing room, but it was difficult to store clothes because there were two pianos in the room. However, the size of the veranda is larger than expected, so I can store my clothes comfortably.
I hung a mirror on the veranda wall that I built myself. Isn’t the frame really unique? It is an item that comes in a variety of colors and becomes a focal point just by hanging it up.
Finishing the housewarming party
I have the motto, ‘I feel comfortable in my own home, even if it’s in a stable.’ So I always had an attachment to my space. But I think it was difficult to decorate it properly because it wasn’t my house before. Then, signing a contract for this house became a very big turning point. Because I can now change the house as I want. Thanks to this, home has become a happier place for me.
Thank you to everyone who has watched the housewarming party so far. We hope you all create a happy space.
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