shabby chic condo. The owners are based outside the country, so Michelle considers this particular project her first long-distance relationship—professionally that is. Despite the distance between the stylist and the young couple, Michelle still made sure she gets to know the owners. “It is essential for me to get to know the people I’m designing for,” she shares. “Every detail helps me turn a space into something personal where items look well-chosen and homey.” 
So, Michelle took inspiration from the couple’s lifestyle, and fused in a bit of minimalist Australian design. “Both of the owners are flight attendants…So it made sense to reflect their travels across the globe,” Michelle shares. “Australian design is sunny but not too country, [it is] informal, clean, and spacious.”
Michelle incorporated the hues usually used in standard classroom globes and painted the walls in light blue, pink, and green. The light palette makes the modern shabby chic condo feel cozy, inviting and warm despite its very compact size. Besides that, pastel colors are actually one of the owners’ non-negotiables, along with a barn door, subway tiles, an entertainment system, and a space to hide their luggage bags.
Taking cues from the couple’s checklist, Michelle replaced the regular bathroom door with a sliding barn door for better design flow in the small unit. Opposite the bathroom is the kitchen, where the bar area is next to. Above the bar are the words “eat, pray, love” requested by Kristel, and hand-drawn and digitally rendered by Michelle. A gallery of the couple’s adventures also adorn the walls in the bar area.
Across, a neutral-toned sofa bed is placed in the living room, for the couple’s other relatives who want to sleepover when they come to visit. In front of the sofa is the entertainment system placed behind the partition between the living room and the bedroom. As for the bedroom, Michelle elevated the floor to make room for extra storage.
When asked about Michelle’s first meeting with the owners for the turnover of this modern shabby chic condo, she smiles and says, “They loved it.”
This story first appeared on CondoLiving September 2016. Edits were made for CondoLiving.OneMega.com.
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