Emily Lawrence, known as @emilyalexandrea on social media from Melbourne, Australia moved into her apartment 4 and a half years ago. Initially, it was a blank canvas, lacking life and personality, but thanks to Emily’s savvy decor styling, she has transformed her space from a home that lacked lustre to a colour retreat which she now calls her happy place.  

Speaking exclusively to Ruggable, Emily has shared how she has transformed her home into what it is today, as well as how the renovation helped her mental well-being during the COVID-19 lockdown. 

With Emily’s love for vibrant interiors, the dopamine decor trend aligned perfectly with what she wanted to exhibit in her own home. 

“I’ve always loved bright, fun homes with personality. My parents are antique collectors, and I grew up in a home with an aesthetic that wasn’t my own, so when I got the opportunity to live alone during lockdown, I knew I would be making it my own with lots of colour, and unique decor. I drew inspiration from so many things, but Pinterest really helped me piece together exactly what I wanted to create.”

The COVID-19 lockdown was incredibly challenging for everyone, with many finding ways to stay occupied at home. For Emily, continuing her home transformation during this time, lifted her spirits, boosting her mood and productivity levels.

The dopamine decor made her excited to work from home

“Bringing colour into my home during the COVID lockdown helped me so much, especially as I live alone and have for many years! It improved my work-from-home environment so much, and made me excited to work at my little desk every day.”

Amid the current cost of living crisis, Emily wanted to ensure she kept her transformation as budget-friendly as possible and did this by savvy shopping and thrifting.

“With the cost of living, I would never have been able to afford the items in my home if I had shopped directly, and it turns out that some of my vintage items can be resold for thousands of dollars now! I have spent over 4 years going to Opshops 3-4 times per week and managed to gain a ton of friends through this hobby, and now we look for items for each other.”

Emily saved $3K on a single item: shopping second-hand for 95% of her purchases 

“However, if I’m not purchasing second hand, I always try and purchase via small businesses or businesses with ethics I can align with! Honestly, my house is a labour of love, and I can proudly say 95% of the items in my home are second-hand, or upcycled by myself. I allocated most of my budget to my newly upgraded bed. I purchased it second hand and saved $3,000 AUD, as if I was to buy it brand new it would have been over $3,800 AUD.”

“Where I was able to upcycle, I did”

“There are a ton of things I either DIY’d or upcycled, such as my plant stands, and frames which were all hand painted by me. A lot of my decor is found and then repainted to suit my decor and colour scheme more and I absolutely love it.”

With any renovation there are challenges, however, Emily was able to overcome them and would love to improve some areas in the near future.

“One of the challenges I faced with decorating my apartment, was not being able to drill into the cement walls, however, this was quickly overcome by 3M stickers that I used to put up my artwork instead.”

“There are other things I would love to improve If I did have an unlimited budget, like investing more money into more custom art, a new rug, and honestly– a good luxury dog bed for my dog Herbie, as dog beds are so insanely expensive!”

“Regardless of the ‘what if’s’, I was able to transform my apartment into a cosy inviting home I adore”

“I am beyond happy that I was able to transform a basic apartment, into a cosy inviting home that all my friends want to spend time at. I love coming home every day, and I love finding new little bits and pieces to fill my home with. It’s absolutely my happy place, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”

Emily’s biggest piece of advice for those wanting to carry out this type of renovation?

“Keep visiting your thrift stores, save your searches on Facebook Marketplace, and be open

to new styles and ideas as you never know what you might find. Also, invest money into things you use every day like bedding, towels, rugs, sofas and mattresses, as this will help you save money in the long run.”

IMAGES: @emilyalexandrea

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About Ruggable: Ruggable creates a new approach to home design, creating beautiful, long-lasting, machine-washable rugs that prioritise style and function in equal measure. Whether you are hosting parties and playing with the little ones, enjoying red wine or spending time with your beloved pets -Ruggable ensures worry-free moments and allows you to master the beautiful messiness of life. Ruggable offers thousands of products in a variety of sizes, materials and designs to suit all spaces. Each product is made to order, reducing waste.

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