Tour a 1930s Long Island Bungalow DIYed Into a Creative Haven

Michelle and I both share a love of classic movies, literature, art, design and homeliness. As two kids from middle-class families, we’ve never had a lot of money to spend on furniture or construction, but our vision and creative sensibility have always been enough to create a space that looks both authentic and custom-fit for our personalities.

When I met Michelle eight years ago, she showed me Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent horror classic Metropolis on our first date. Most modern-day people may have found this an odd selection as a romantic film, but I knew I had found my partner. Our imaginative, worldly spirits forged an instant bond.

Michelle has been an installation artist and painter for close to two decades, producing both large public art structures and gallery work around the country. In my humble opinion, she is a genius with impeccable design sense but she never boasts about it — she simply designs our atmosphere to suit both her and myself. I’m a writer who looks toward the future — in regards to how we view race, culture, food and human life — but with immense respect for the past. Together, we’re a warm, inviting and innovative force to be reckoned with.

Serving as the entrance to our home, our sunroom serves numerous purposes: coffee hangout, workspace, urban garden and happy hour lounge. Michelle handpicked plants from the local nursery and we displayed souvenirs from our travels to the Midwest to create a warm welcome and a relaxing retreat.

To the left of the entrance, we turn to a space that was once used as a formal dining room, now a lush, colorful quarter for entertaining guests. We filled the living room with vintage and antique finds; Michelle’s artwork, “Miami Leaf,” is prominently displayed on the center wall. We added plants to bring the outside in, building additional shelves to feature planter boxes along the window sills as they soak in sunlight.

Step further into the living room and you’ll see our portable record player spinning hits under Michelle’s “Soda Pop” drawing and an antique cabinet that holds our vinyl and film collection. To add to our quirky entertainment space, one of our many vintage movie posters is featured on the wall behind a reproduction Hollywood spotlight.

As you sprawl out under “Miami Leaf,” you’ll notice Michelle’s hand-sewn pillows sitting prominently on our midcentury purple club chairs.

Michelle loves experimenting with different forms and materials, and has always wanted to learn how to sew. Recently, our friend and quilter Diana Cherryholmes gave her an old sewing machine from the 1950s. After one lesson, Michelle was off and running.

As nature lovers, we love incorporating accents of wildlife and nature. A multiracial American of Indian, Puerto Rican and Italian descent, I grew up in a diverse household where earth tones were highly present. Our den blends both earthy and fiery hues into one cozy space to watch a movie (note the Pedro Almodóvar poster behind the couch).

When we first moved in, the rooms were so outdated, the walls were worn and the carpets were moldy. We ripped out the carpets, tied them up and delivered them to the curb. When we finally reached the den, the insulation was disintegrating in our hands. Michelle had finally lost it.

With a new carpet installed, we painted the fireplace white and Michelle filled part of its brick center and hearth in art deco tiles, giving the space an early 20th century exocitism.

At the edge of the den and kitchen once stood a built-in cabinet with frilly doors and accents. We ripped them off, smoothed out the sides and added a coat of chartreuse on the shelving to serve as a backdrop to antique deco tchotchkes we’ve collected over the years.

The kitchen was already spacious and the wood floors were spotless, but the walls and cabinets were outdated. Michelle, a lover of bold colors and design, decided to add black accents, including a new sputnik light fixture, contrasting with a freshly painted white ceiling. Next, we started peeling the old wallpaper that was covering the entire room — even the doors.

Keeping the hardwood floors intact, we assembled a steel kitchen table with metal wire chairs, topped off with wooden accents. To pull seated guests in, we chose Boråstapeter’s Hoppmosse wallpaper by Scandinavian designer Hanna Werning, had it shipped to us and put it up ourselves. Wallpaper can be tricky, especially if you’re lining images together, but teamwork and serious eye squinting were on our side.

The near-complete kitchen is lively and high-spirited, though you’ll see the old cabinets are still dying to be sanded and painted. We kept the room’s original charm without needing to completely gut or remove any elements.

The bathroom’s original tiles were in great shape, but the white walls had to go. Michelle found a beautiful shade of blue and installed the industrial-style fixtures herself. (She also has great balance standing on a toilet seat.)

The bathroom is always an important space and we want to make sure it offers a cool and calming feel for any guest. Adding the right shade of blue, a movie poster, plus industrial fixtures and a plant not only complements the existing tiles, it makes us love spending time here (alone, of course).

As you make your way upstairs, the ceilings and hallways become narrower and slanted, so we knew we had to make good use of its corners and crevices. But before envisioning the layout, we had to remove more old, dirty carpets. I must have removed over a thousand staples by hand and hammer.

Once the carpets were removed, we made use of the existing hardwood floor underneath, laying some basic floor mats down and a desk where I could think and write. The cozy corner has become my sanctuary.

Three pieces of Michelle’s artwork — “B-Bot-Box,” “Golden Glove,” and “Untitled” — hang to the left of my desk, keeping me motivated as I write.

Making use of more narrow spaces, our queen-size bed fits comfortably in this loft-type setting. We colored the walls Palm Springs-green and added industrial fixtures over the bed frame. Our rescue pup Maisie-Mae sits on top of our beloved Double Wedding Ring quilt, handmade by our friend and extraordinary quilter Diana Cherryholmes as a gift to us upon marrying.

Continuing to utilize vaulted angles, Michelle’s desk resides only steps away from our bed; when she wakes up with incredible ideas and visions, all she has to do is hop over to her workspace to bring them to life.