My Houzz: Daring Experiments With Color in a Harlem Apartment
Bright jewel-box hues fuse with global chic style in this couple’s fearlessly decorated 730-square-foot rental
Archer, who is originally from Guyana, moved to New York from Chicago in 2009 for a job transfer. After she was subsequently laid off, she used the time in between jobs to finish a few decorating projects around her home. It was during that time that she discovered her love for interior design and began to study it seriously. She found herself drawn to those who used a lot of color and pattern. “I always thought I would grow tired of color, but I saw people do it well like Miles Redd and Nick Olsen,” she says.
Experimenting with color in both her own home and with clients has helped her to craft a space that is special to her and her Turkish-born husband. “We wanted to create a space that was stylish and welcoming,” she says. The couple frequently host friends and family, as well as the occasional Airbnb guest.
Experimenting with color in both her own home and with clients has helped her to craft a space that is special to her and her Turkish-born husband. “We wanted to create a space that was stylish and welcoming,” she says. The couple frequently host friends and family, as well as the occasional Airbnb guest.
Archer saved money on furniture by sourcing items from vintage and thrift stores. “I always try to find budget-friendly items that look more expensive than their cost,” she says. “You have to be diligent in searching for unique pieces that will make the decor sing.” She scored this credenza at a thrift store, then refinished it and swapped in new knobs.
The abstract painting is a DIY project Archer created — a high-end look at a fraction of the cost. “I think the key to great design is knowing where to save and where to splurge,” she says. A pair of midcentury-style lamps completes the entertainment area.
Credenza: Salvation Army; Lewis Dolin brass pulls: The Hardware Hut; Volongo stone ivory buffet lamps: Overstock
The abstract painting is a DIY project Archer created — a high-end look at a fraction of the cost. “I think the key to great design is knowing where to save and where to splurge,” she says. A pair of midcentury-style lamps completes the entertainment area.
Credenza: Salvation Army; Lewis Dolin brass pulls: The Hardware Hut; Volongo stone ivory buffet lamps: Overstock
A wall of bookcases looks like built-ins without the price tag. Archer bought the bookcases unfinished and painted them. She initially chose the same color as the wall but was unsatisfied with the result. She then went with a red to complement the green sofa. A row of square bins on top of the bookcases adds interest along with a sense of organization.
Reynaldo end table: Willa Arlo Interiors, Wayfair; bookcases: Arthur W. Brown; Smokin Hot bookcase paint: Behr; Kottebo baskets: Ikea (no longer available)
Reynaldo end table: Willa Arlo Interiors, Wayfair; bookcases: Arthur W. Brown; Smokin Hot bookcase paint: Behr; Kottebo baskets: Ikea (no longer available)
“I’ve painted and/or wallpapered almost every inch of the apartment — sometimes multiple times in just a few months,” Archer says. “I learned that pretty much anything can be reversed, so why not take a chance.”
She lined the back of the bookshelves with gold grasscloth wallpaper.
She lined the back of the bookshelves with gold grasscloth wallpaper.
The couch, bought 10 years ago, was originally white. Since it was in good condition and its lines are classic, Archer decided to reupholster it. “I don’t like to waste, so I’m always thinking, ‘How can I reuse this?’ ” She chose a rich velvet chartreuse to brighten up the room — a decided departure from her “safe” color years.
Archer bought a sewing machine so she could make her own fabric projects. The solid-color sofa pillows are one of them. “Custom pieces really make for a unique space and are not necessarily expensive,” she says.
Petrie sofa: Crate and Barrel; upholstery fabric: Mood Fabrics; suzani pillows: Pillowme
Archer bought a sewing machine so she could make her own fabric projects. The solid-color sofa pillows are one of them. “Custom pieces really make for a unique space and are not necessarily expensive,” she says.
Petrie sofa: Crate and Barrel; upholstery fabric: Mood Fabrics; suzani pillows: Pillowme
“We enjoy filling our home with things that are culturally significant,” Archer says. A Crate and Barrel glass coffee table found on Craigslist, with the trim painted gold by Archer, displays travel mementos. The couple brought the red rug back from a trip to Turkey and layered it over the jute rug. “I love the idea of layering,” Archer says.
She updated the laminate desk in the corner by covering it with a red grasscloth wallpaper. She first painted the desk with primer so the wallpaper would stick.“I’m lucky that my husband gives me free rein to mostly do whatever I like — probably because I’m more handy than he is and end up doing most of the projects myself.”
Desk: Overstock; desk wallpaper: Steve’s Blinds and Wallpaper; Minerva wall mirror: Wayfair; desk chair: Tig metal dining chair: Crate and Barrel; hand-woven braided jute rug: Overstock
She updated the laminate desk in the corner by covering it with a red grasscloth wallpaper. She first painted the desk with primer so the wallpaper would stick.“I’m lucky that my husband gives me free rein to mostly do whatever I like — probably because I’m more handy than he is and end up doing most of the projects myself.”
Desk: Overstock; desk wallpaper: Steve’s Blinds and Wallpaper; Minerva wall mirror: Wayfair; desk chair: Tig metal dining chair: Crate and Barrel; hand-woven braided jute rug: Overstock
A green-patterned console and leopard bench are part of an eye-catching vignette on the other side of the credenza. Archer re-covered the console in a heavy upholstery fabric.
Console: LivenUPdesign; fabric: Mood Fabrics; leopard bench: Ballard Designs; Minerva wall mirror: Wayfair
Console: LivenUPdesign; fabric: Mood Fabrics; leopard bench: Ballard Designs; Minerva wall mirror: Wayfair
The makeshift bar reflects the couple’s love of entertaining.
Archer repurposed two candle jars of one of her favorite fragrances as windowsill plant pots. “I don’t like to waste anything. So I put plants in them rather than throw them away,” she says.
Warm Tobacco Pipe candles: DW Home
Warm Tobacco Pipe candles: DW Home
These Rorschach-like paintings were DIY projects. “I just started painting until I saw a pattern, and repeated it,” Archer says. She also painted the frames gold.
Archer got the dining table on eBay, painted the legs gold and covered the top with a marble remnant for a more upscale look. She bought fabric for the chair seats and had them made at the nearby Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Market.
Table: eBay; tabletop: C&B Marble; Tig metal dining chairs: Crate and Barrel; J. Ennis chair fabric in Brick: The Fabric Co.
Archer got the dining table on eBay, painted the legs gold and covered the top with a marble remnant for a more upscale look. She bought fabric for the chair seats and had them made at the nearby Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Market.
Table: eBay; tabletop: C&B Marble; Tig metal dining chairs: Crate and Barrel; J. Ennis chair fabric in Brick: The Fabric Co.
As renters, the couple have worked around not being able to make major renovations to their kitchen. “For now we make cosmetic changes, so we don’t fret about the things we can’t change,” Archer says. She initially painted the cabinets a darker shade of green, then decided to go with more of a lime green hue. A collection of red wooden vases and jars on top of the cabinets adds contrast.
Floral Burst chandelier: West Elm
Floral Burst chandelier: West Elm
The walls and fabrics in the kitchen originally had animal print patterns, but Archer swapped them out for more neutral-colored trellis patterns, enhanced with green velvet trim. She chose the Baroque mirror for its classic feel. Flowers and artwork provide a bit of romance in the kitchen.
Panatis window treatment fabric by J. Ennis: The Fabric Co.; Watercolors Lattice wallpaper in Grey, Black by Carey Lind Designs: The Fabric Co.; small Jacqueline mirror: Horchow; artwork: eBay
Panatis window treatment fabric by J. Ennis: The Fabric Co.; Watercolors Lattice wallpaper in Grey, Black by Carey Lind Designs: The Fabric Co.; small Jacqueline mirror: Horchow; artwork: eBay
Many pieces in the master bedroom are also DIY projects, including the headboard and pillowcases. For the headboard, Archer bought a piece of wood and covered it with foam and velvet. For the bedding, she dyed white sheets with indigo for a shibori effect. She had her dry cleaner put trim around the pillowcases for a tailored look. The lumbar pillow was re-covered in fabric from the Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Market.
Archer’s dresser is from her days living in Chicago. She styled it with a pair of vintage gold lamps. The lampshades were upgraded with gold paint on the outside and silver leaf paint on the inside. Archer also added gold paint to the round mirror frame.
While some may have opted for solid-color curtains, these zigzag-patterned curtains, sewn by a seamstress in Chicago, complement the exuberant wallpaper.
Rectangular Directoire table: Global Views; lamps: eBay; A7336 Glimmer curtain fabric: Greenhouse Fabrics
Archer’s dresser is from her days living in Chicago. She styled it with a pair of vintage gold lamps. The lampshades were upgraded with gold paint on the outside and silver leaf paint on the inside. Archer also added gold paint to the round mirror frame.
While some may have opted for solid-color curtains, these zigzag-patterned curtains, sewn by a seamstress in Chicago, complement the exuberant wallpaper.
Rectangular Directoire table: Global Views; lamps: eBay; A7336 Glimmer curtain fabric: Greenhouse Fabrics
The master bedroom is Archer’s favorite room in the apartment and the first space she completed. Once she found the vintage German wallpaper for a “steal” on eBay, her self-proclaimed obsession with wallpaper was born. “The quality is amazing and the pattern is a subtle metallic with beautiful movement,” she says.
Archer opted for a decadent gold on the ceiling. “It does very much feel like a jewel box to me,” she says. The coconut shell chandelier has a glamorous feel and mimics the movement in the wallpaper.
Chandelier: Z Gallerie; browse eclectic chandeliers
Archer opted for a decadent gold on the ceiling. “It does very much feel like a jewel box to me,” she says. The coconut shell chandelier has a glamorous feel and mimics the movement in the wallpaper.
Chandelier: Z Gallerie; browse eclectic chandeliers
Design books and jewelry dishes form an arrangement on the dresser.
Even the closet doors are covered with wallpaper. A juju hat and fabric-covered bench next to the window make for a quaint and bright seating area.
Bench: The Ark Retail Thrift Shop; velvet fabric on bench: Mood Fabrics; juju hat: eBay
Bench: The Ark Retail Thrift Shop; velvet fabric on bench: Mood Fabrics; juju hat: eBay
The spare bedroom is layered with reds and blues and a mix of abstract, scenic and ethnic patterns. The rug is from Turkey. “I’m drawn to West African, Turkish and Moroccan rugs — I just find them more interesting,” Archer says.
While Aslan wanted a larger bed and fewer furnishings here, Archer convinced him to go with a single-size bed to make room for more design options. “It’s where practicality and design clash,” she says.
Curtain fabric: Plume Redux Persimmon, Dwell Studio, Fabric.com; Penelope dresser: West Elm; artwork frame: Framebridge
Curtain fabric: Plume Redux Persimmon, Dwell Studio, Fabric.com; Penelope dresser: West Elm; artwork frame: Framebridge
Archer first fell in love with this wallpaper when she ordered the sample while designing a room for her mother. The subtle leaf pattern has a metallic finish.
Archer made much of the bedding herself, including the bed skirt, cover and pillows. The mudcloth is from the local Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Market.
Calix Sage Sienna Leaf wallpaper by Kenneth James: Brewster; juju hat: eBay; cover fabric: B7153 Surf, Greenhouse Fabrics; bed skirt fabric: B3762 Gilt, Greenhouse Fabrics; pillow fabric: B5004 Paprika, Greenhouse Fabrics; Performance sheet set: Target
Archer made much of the bedding herself, including the bed skirt, cover and pillows. The mudcloth is from the local Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Market.
Calix Sage Sienna Leaf wallpaper by Kenneth James: Brewster; juju hat: eBay; cover fabric: B7153 Surf, Greenhouse Fabrics; bed skirt fabric: B3762 Gilt, Greenhouse Fabrics; pillow fabric: B5004 Paprika, Greenhouse Fabrics; Performance sheet set: Target
As she did with the red desk in the living room, Archer covered a laminate desk with a blue grasscloth wallpaper to add texture. Simple accents like the aluminum chair, gold wastebasket and task lamp complete the work area.
Lachlan glossy black sofa table: Overstock; industrial task table lamp: West Elm; round brass decorative wall mirror: Target; find more round mirrors
Lachlan glossy black sofa table: Overstock; industrial task table lamp: West Elm; round brass decorative wall mirror: Target; find more round mirrors
Thoughtful touches like this portrait (bought at a flea market) add detail to the space.
“Everything started with the shower curtain,” Archer says of the decor in the bathroom. She liked the gold and created the design around it.
To cover an unsightly laminate floor, she installed interlocking flooring over it. She covered the original gray walls with blue grasscloth wallpaper. A Guyanes rug finishes the look.
Shower curtain fabric: Isabelle De Borchgrave Embroidered Hall Gold: Fabric.com; rug: Gypsy Rugs; Ling Turquoise Fountain Texture wallpaper by Beacon House: Home Depot
To cover an unsightly laminate floor, she installed interlocking flooring over it. She covered the original gray walls with blue grasscloth wallpaper. A Guyanes rug finishes the look.
Shower curtain fabric: Isabelle De Borchgrave Embroidered Hall Gold: Fabric.com; rug: Gypsy Rugs; Ling Turquoise Fountain Texture wallpaper by Beacon House: Home Depot
Archer’s niece created the artwork displayed behind an open shelf of bathroom accessories.
Vase: Ikea (no longer available)
See more of this home
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
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Vase: Ikea (no longer available)
See more of this home
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
Who lives here: Minetta Archer and Ozgur Aslan
Location: Harlem neighborhood of New York
Size: 730 square feet (68 square meters); two bedrooms, one bathroom
Looking at Minetta Archer’s colorful apartment in Harlem, it’s hard to believe it was once beige. Rich colors, ethnic rugs and a mix of patterns cover nearly every inch of the home, which the skincare sales manager-turned-interior decorator shares with husband Ozgur Aslan. “In the past I was prone to more neutral interiors … [but] I’ve learned to be much more fearless in decorating,” Archer says.
She describers her style as a mix of “Hollywood regency, modern eclectic, midcentury modern, transitional, global chic — you name it. If I like something, I try it.”
The side table was a Salvation Army find that Archer painted lime green.
Curtains: Lynx Geo in Persimmon, DwellStudio, The Shade Store