Hi friends, it’s Courtney (Melissa’s daughter). After spending the past year in my parents’ lower level apartment, I’ve moved into a new little one-bedroom in Bellingham, a lovely waterfront town in Washington.
I’m sharing an empty-apartment tour today, along with three mood boards that show my design plans. I’ve already made a lot of progress in the month and a half since I moved in and can’t wait to share more. Tomorrow I’ll post a full tour of my cozy bedroom, so check back if you want to see how that turned out.
If you’ve been following my Instagram stories, you may have seen some of the updates—there are highlights if you want early peeks.
A few details before the tour: the apartment is about 500 square feet—roughly 100 square feet smaller than my previous one-bedroom in Seattle. I signed the lease in June 2020, before construction finished; delays pushed my move-in from October to mid-January, but it was worth the wait. Bellingham is only about an hour and a half north of my parents in Seattle, so it’s been wonderful to have a home base in both cities.
Now for the tour. First up: the kitchen. For a 500-square-foot apartment this kitchen feels generous. I love the neutral finishes—they provide a great blank slate for decorating.
The floor plan showed an island, but I was pleasantly surprised to find space underneath for counter stools—an unexpected and welcome bonus.
I also appreciate the shaker-style door details. The door next to the refrigerator looks like it might hide a pantry, but it actually conceals the water heater. Still, it’s a cute touch and the kitchen offers plenty of storage for my needs.
Beyond the island is the living room.
The living room is narrow but long—the back nook wall is just under 8½ feet wide and the room runs about 14 feet. I considered several layouts and have settled on a floor plan I really like.
The back wall will hold a wood-woven door console I ordered, which should arrive this week and finish the look (see the mood boards at the end of this post).
Next to the island are double doors housing my stacked washer and dryer with a wire shelf above for storage—super convenient for a small apartment.
Beyond the living room is the bedroom. This was especially exciting after living in an open one-bedroom in Seattle; having a separate room with a door feels luxurious. The bedroom measures just under 9½ feet wide by 12½ feet long, includes a good-sized closet, and gets plenty of natural light from two large windows.
Having a closed-off bedroom has made the space feel cozier and more private. I’ll share the completed bedroom tour tomorrow.
Back in the living room and kitchen area you can see the entry door.
To the right of the entry is the bathroom, where I especially like the vanity and tile choices.
That’s the quick empty-apartment tour. It’s been about six weeks since I moved in and I’m really enjoying the space. Below are the mood boards illustrating the vision for each room.
The Living Room:
Living Room Sources (scroll and click the thumbnails below):
The wood-woven door console I mentioned should arrive this week and I’m excited to see it in place. Other pieces I plan to use include a simple white shelving unit for added storage and display.
The Kitchen:
Kitchen Sources (scroll and click the thumbnails below):
The Bedroom:
Bedroom Sources (scroll and click the thumbnails below):
Other sources: Mint green Forsa lamp from Ikea (no longer sold), but I found similar options I like for bedside lighting.
That’s the vision—each room is coming together more and more each day. I’ll be back tomorrow to show the finished bedroom.
If you want more updates before then, follow my Instagram where I’ve shared progress in story highlights and reels. Thanks for taking the tour today!
Related Posts:
Courtney’s Small Apartment Bedroom Tour
Courtney’s Apartment Tour (500 Square Feet)
Courtney’s Amazon Favorites + Apartment Sources