It’s not surprising that home decor YouTuber Alexandra Gater has an apartment that is brimming with design inspo. She gave the once plain, 860-square-foot space a pretty-in-pink makeover that brings her joy. “The pink is bright but warm and the look is boho treehouse,” she says. “I’m on the third floor and there’s trees on either side of the apartment so it feels like I’m floating in the trees sometimes.” It’s an imaginative space and wait till you see the home office… Bonus: check out the video of this super creative space.
All products featured on HGTV Canada are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy through links in this article, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Open Plan
Alexandra was able to sneak a dining area into her tiny apartment and make it still feel organized and welcoming. “I opted for a round table to keep things feeling open,” she says. “The white top helps it blend in and not take up too much visual space.” She paired the circular table, a second-hand piece she scored online, with chairs from Casa Chic and pom pom cushions from H&M Home. “They really add the boho look I was going for.”
Related: Renovation Ideas That’ll Make a Studio Apartment Look Bigger
Light Show
Natural light floods the apartment, highlighting original features like the exposed brick wall. The dramatic pendant light, which Alexandra scored after it was featured in a magazine shoot she worked on, is a conversation starter. “People either love it or hate it, but it’s such a feature of this room and that’s what lighting should be. It adds so much personality and I think the room would be kind of lackluster without it!”
Related: Sarah Richardson Explains Why Exposed Brick Isn’t All it’s Cracked Up to Be
Skirt the Issue
Alexandra’s DIY spirit is on display with this stylish mirror, which is a replica of a very expensive one she saw in a high-end boutique. She copied the look for a fraction of the price by adding a skirt of raffia to a simple circular mirror.
Related: DIY Projects From HGTV Canada Stars That’ll Make Your Home Look Expensive on a Budget
Artful Lodger
A professional looking gallery wall includes a floating shelf and features one of Alexandra’s favourite pieces: a simple but impactful pink heart she purchased online. Plants add a lively green splash and baskets impart texture and smart storage.
Related: This Insta-Worthy Reno Blends Bright Style With Boho Details – and Plenty of Plants
Think Pink
“I live alone so really wanted to lean on my design favourites fully, without needing to consult with a partner first,” says Alexandra. “I know that I won’t be living alone forever, so for now I’m defaulting to pink paint and accessories whenever possible.” Here it defines her mini home office and wait till you see it full on.
Small but Mighty
How adorable and inspirational is this home office? Alexandra transformed a closet into a highly functional and fun work space by adding a floating shelf and desk that houses her files, printer and stationery. Best part (other than the sweet decor)? She can shut the door and close it off to signify the end of the work day.
Related: Tiffany Pratt’s Closet Makeover Begs the Question: Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Pink?
Board Meeting
A pegboard elevates the practicality of this small space, providing more useful storage and a space to highlight pretty things. The chair’s mix of soft chenille and elegant brass proves that office chairs can be lovely too.
Related: The Homemade Pegboard Entryway Organizer That’s Surprisingly Simple to Create
Supply and Demand
Displaying supplies in plain sight demands some ingenious planning – they need to be easily accessible and still easy on the eyes, more collected than chaotic. This hanging container ticks all the boxes.
Related: Sarah Baeumler’s 7 Creative Office Renovation Ideas to Boost Productivity
Tile Files
Renters, take note! “My pink backsplash is so amazing because it’s completely renter-friendly and removable!” says Alexandra. “It’s from Smart Tiles and I’ve had them up in this kitchen for more than a year and they are completely like new. They’re waterproof and so many people who come into my kitchen think they’re real tiles. When I leave this apartment, I’ll just peel them off the wall and no one will ever know they’d been there.”
Related: Backsplash, Tile, Cabinetry: The 15 Top Kitchen Trends for 2021
Metal Winner
Renovating a rental was out of the question so Alexandra relied on little things to breathe new life into her kitchen. As well as adding the ingenious backsplash, she upgraded the standard-issue hardware to brass knobs from CB2. They feel vintage and feminine – perfect for the apartment’s aesthetic.
Related: Subway Tile Backsplash Ideas That Are Totally Timeless
Picture This
Personal accents feel permanent in a rental and Alexandra dialed them up with her kitchen’s gallery wall. Family photos, printed and framed at Posterjack, transform an empty wall into a gallery of memories. Her plan is to keep adding more and fill the space from top to bottom.
Related: Picture Perfect: A Foolproof Guide to Hanging Your Pictures Perfectly, Every Time
Look Up
“This is one of my favourite pieces of artwork because of its size and simplicity,” says Alexandra. She placed it on top of the kitchen cabinets to draw the eye up and accentuate the tall ceiling.
Related: Genius Low-Cost Kitchen Updates That Only Look Expensive
New Heights
The ladder, which came with the apartment, wasn’t attached to the wall so Alexandra couldn’t access the loft space. To solve the problem, she purchased an inexpensive library ladder kit off of Amazon. “It’s functional now and I also just love the way it looks.”
Pretty in Pink
For continuity and to layer in softness, Alexandra extended the pink in her home office to the bathroom. It’s a feminine backdrop to the Moroccan black and white sticker tile floor.
Related: Kitchen and Bathroom Colours That Will Totally Transform Your Home
Basket Case
“I’m a big advocate of storing everything in your bathroom in pretty storage bins, especially when you have limited closed storage like I do,” says Alexandra. Woven baskets are just one of the ways she does this and we love how she added pom poms here to replicate the ones on her dining chairs.
Related: 15 House Plants That Help Reduce Humidity in the Bathroom
Makeover Magic
Floating shelves are a renter’s best friend. This raw wood one not only imparts warmth but also offers an accessible perch for toiletries, makeup and accessories.
Sleep Well
We love the casual makeup of this bed – no crisp edges or tight folds – and it is very much intentional. “Linen is my favourite bedding material because of how laid-back and relaxed it looks. This duvet cover is from Flax Sleep, a female-owned, Canadian business. I want to dive into this bed all the time.” The pink accents play up on the soothing vibe of the room and if you look closely, you’ll notice more pom poms trim the curtains.
Related: 6 Bedroom Decor Tips That Will Ensure You Get a Better Sleep
Raising the Bar
A simple bar cart is repurposed as a snazzy night table that feels airier and more feminine than a typical wood table. It, again, mixes pretty with practical and is easy to move when the time comes. Check out these beautiful and affordable bar carts for some inspiration.
Calm and Collected
Lavender and essential oils make great bedside table staples and Alexandra elevates them here with fun and feminine styling – how cute is this vase?
Related: 18 Rejuvenating Zen Bedrooms That’ll Help You De-Stress
Gold Standard
A whimsical gold peacock lamp shares the dresser with two of Alexandra’s favourite design elements: pink accessories and woven baskets. Styling every surface makes your room look collected and not cluttered and fends off the feeling that this is a temporary rental.
Related: The Joy of Less: 10 Minimalist Bedroom Decorating Ideas That Aren’t Boring
Form Meets Function
“My friend ‘DIY Danie’ custom-built these shelves for me,” says Alexandra. “The best part is that they are completely renter-friendly as I can dismantle them when I move.” They show off her eye for styling too. “One of my favourite styling tips is to colour code your books. I also layer in tons of trinkets and artwork and it makes me so happy whenever I walk into this space. Like almost everything in my apartment it’s decorative but also functional.”
Related: These Home Library Designs Are Every Book Lover’s Dream
Colour Coded
Here she breathes life into the black spines with circular shapes and brass accents.
Related: We Love These Novel Ways of Turning Book Collections Into Works of Art
Pump it Up
When hidden storage is minimal, display pretty items in plain sight. Here, stylish shoes act as mini sculptures and are easy to access.
Brush it Up
To soften this bamboo pendant lamp from IKEA and help it blend in with the bedroom’s peaceful scheme, Alexandra dry-brushed it with white paint. The gold sconces add a bit of burnished elegance and the plant injects a lively note thanks to its colour and texture.
Related: The 20 Best Bedroom Plants to Help You Get a Better Sleep
Black Mark
How cool is this wall treatment? Simple black lines liven up the bedroom wall and are easily painted over when it comes time to move. We love the references to the skirted mirror in the living room via the circular mirror and wicker handbag.
Related: Tiffany Pratt’s DIY Free-Hand Wallpaper is Your Answer to Boring White Walls
HGTV your inbox.
By clicking "SIGN UP” you agree to receive emails from HGTV and accept Corus' Terms of Use and Corus' Privacy Policy.