Tour a Crafty YouTuber’s Los Angeles Apartment Packed With DIY Decor

Karen Kavett wears many hats. She is one of HGTV Handmade’s original contributors, as well as the creative mind behind her own YouTube channels: Karen Kavett DIY and Karen Puzzles. After Karen’s roommate moved out of their two-bedroom apartment, she crafted her way to her ultimate dream space.

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October 02, 2020

By: Karen Kavett

Show: HGTV Handmade

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Welcome to My Apartment (and Studio)

I have been making craft videos for HGTV Handmade for the past seven years, shooting out of the bedroom of my San Francisco, and now Los Angeles, California, apartment. When it came time to redecorate my apartment, I knew it would involve lots of DIY projects.

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

A Fresh Start

After my roommate moved out, I had the opportunity to completely redesign my apartment exactly how I wanted. This is the first time I’ve lived alone in almost a decade!

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

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Borendy Geometric Area Rug

Choosing a Color Palette

I decided to stick to a cohesive color palette of black, white, tan and natural wood, pastel pink and green in the form of houseplants. The original floors and walls are all gray — trendy, but a bit cold after a few years of living with them — so I used organic textures and warm tones to make it feel cozy.

Buy the Rug: Wayfair, $205.99

Keep It Simple

My tendency is to fill every empty spot with stuff and more stuff, so for this redesign I made a conscious effort to keep some spaces clear and minimal. The fact that I haven’t stored anything except the TV on top of the media center is a big victory.

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

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Borendy Geometric Area Rug

Trash to Treasure

Large planters can be expensive. Instead, I upcycled a silver trash can, painting it with white chalk paint. The holes in the sides were annoying to deal with as a trash can, but they make a perfect modern planter.

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

The Best Thing I Ever Purchased

I don’t have space for real side tables, so I bought two wood tray tables that slot right over the armrests of my couch. I use these every day to have a cup of tea or water within arm's reach while I’m watching TV.

Buy the Tray Tables: Etsy, $54.99 and Up

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Sofa Arm Tray Table

Shoe Corner

I love collecting shoes, especially unique shoes from thrift shops, so this is the spot I was the most excited to put together. I bought a bookshelf to finally put them all on display. The bench serves a double-duty function: It’s a seat for when I’m getting ready and it holds my exercise equipment.

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

Shoe Heaven

Organizing shoes back-to-front lets you squeeze in a few more pairs and immediately see what you’re looking at. I try to keep my most worn pairs in the center, and the tall heels that I rarely wear are on display at the top.

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

Timeless Pieces

Even if displaying them together eventually feels dated, I think a black-and-white rug, a brass mirror and a white wood bookshelf are timeless pieces that I’ll use for years to come.

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

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Sugaree Tufted Rug

Perfect Match

Sometimes things you buy and things you already own just happen to match. That’s the case with this wooden coat hanger, which perfectly matches my shoe shelf.

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

Ready for Dinner

When it came time to redesign, the first thing I knew I wanted was pink dining room chairs. I paired them with a wooden table and matching wall art that I painted myself.

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

Recycled Art

Large wall art is expensive, so I decided to paint my own to complete the dining room design. And this abstract texture is actually painted on two wood pieces that stabilized the TV shipping box.

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

Centerpiece Secret

I’m pretty sensitive to scented candles, so I never actually light these, but I think they’re beautiful to use as decor.

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

No Cooks in This Kitchen

I’m not much of a cook, so I keep my kitchen counter decor simple with a clear path to the microwave.

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

The Original Inspiration

This cup from Tiny Badger Ceramics inspired the color scheme of the redesign. I love the rustic texture mixed with the trendy, dusty pink color.

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

Keep It Cute

I used to have old, dirty oven mitts hanging here — they worked well but definitely were an eyesore. When my roommate left and took his cast iron cookware with him, I wasn’t using the oven mitts as much, so I replaced them with a cute one made out of fabric from Rifle Paper Co.

Buy the Oven Mitt: CraftTakeover on Etsy, $26.00

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Rifle Paper Co. Floral Oven Mitt

Up, Up and Away

When I was reorganizing the apartment, I came across these hot air balloon magnets that I made for HGTV Handmade years ago. They just happen to perfectly match my new color scheme.

Watch the Video: Paper Hot Air Balloons

Bedroom Goals

I rearranged all of the furniture in my bedroom and added tons of plants everywhere. I think it looks like a serene treehouse, which is exactly what I was going for.

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

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Addilyn Handmade Flatweave Natural Rug

A Bright Idea

One of my main goals for the bedroom was to use lighting to bring a sense of coziness. I hung this lighting display behind my bed; it's very on trend and makes the perfect reading light at night. It’s just a set of hanging string lights, a sheer curtain and some faux ivy that I hung up on a curtain rod.

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

No Green Thumb Required

Here’s another secret — all of these plants are fake. I don’t have a green thumb, so I decided to get solely fake plants so they wouldn’t die on me. This wall features lots of DIY projects, including the corkboard, which I painted with a geometric pattern, and the painting in the upper right corner.

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

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Portland 3-Drawer White Chest of Drawers

A Mini Gallery

To make my mini art gallery, I painted a random collection of old picture frames and cut mats out of white card stock. The drawing on the left is a free download from Fox + Hazel, and the rest are free stock photos that I printed from Unsplash.

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

Out of Storage

I made this wavy wood vessel in a wood carving class in college. It’s been in storage for years because I never had a good place to display it, but now it finally gets to see the light of day.

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

Textures Galore

Since the walls and floor are all gray, I tried to use lots of different textures to bring some warmth to the space. This natural rug brings some much-needed coziness.

Buy the Rug: Wayfair, $134.99

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Addilyn Handmade Flatweave Natural Rug

A Practical Divider

I needed a way to divide the space between my bed and makeup shelf, so I pulled out an old clothing rack that ended up working perfectly. It lets me display my favorite clothes while dividing the space in a stylish way. I made the laundry hamper out of a tablecloth and embroidery thread tassels, and it turns the hamper into a deliberate piece of decor that matches the rest of the room.

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

Wrap It Up

I dressed up the boring old clothes rack by wrapping it in yarn and faux ivy. It adds a custom touch that makes it look much more expensive.

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

More Succulents? Faux Sho

I had a piece of wood custom cut at the hardware store to fit the bottom of the clothes rack. This is where I store my laptop at night, and I also have a thriving garden of faux succulents in planters that I painted.

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

Night, Night

This is just a basic nightstand from IKEA; a great way to dress them up is to add a stylish drawer pull, like this one I bought from Anthropologie.

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

The DIYs Never Stop

This used to be a plain terra-cotta pot. I painted it with a graphic texture that literally anyone can duplicate, no matter your artistic skill level. Since I didn’t try to keep the design perfect, it has an organic feel that is totally custom to my space.

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

The Last Unicorn

Before I redecorated my bedroom, there were unicorns everywhere. I pared it down to just one — a gold lamp from the Target kids section that I painted black to give it a more grown-up feel.

Watch the Video: Karen Kavett's Handmade Home

Right Side of the Bed

I always sleep on the same side of the bed, so I keep the second nightstand clutter-free with just a few favorite pieces, including another HGTV Handmade project: a telephone planter.

See the Latest Projects From: Karen Kavett

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Photo By: Karen Kavett

Tour a Crafty YouTuber’s Los Angeles Apartment Packed With DIY Decor

Related To:

Welcome to My Apartment (and Studio)

A Fresh Start

Shop This Look

Borendy Geometric Area Rug

Choosing a Color Palette

Keep It Simple

Shop This Look

Borendy Geometric Area Rug

Trash to Treasure

The Best Thing I Ever Purchased

Shop This Look

Sofa Arm Tray Table

Shoe Corner

Shoe Heaven

Timeless Pieces

Shop This Look

Sugaree Tufted Rug

Perfect Match

Ready for Dinner

Recycled Art

Centerpiece Secret

No Cooks in This Kitchen

The Original Inspiration

Keep It Cute

Shop This Look

Rifle Paper Co. Floral Oven Mitt

Up, Up and Away

Bedroom Goals

Shop This Look

Addilyn Handmade Flatweave Natural Rug

A Bright Idea

No Green Thumb Required

Shop This Look

Portland 3-Drawer White Chest of Drawers

A Mini Gallery

Out of Storage

Textures Galore

Shop This Look

Addilyn Handmade Flatweave Natural Rug

A Practical Divider

Wrap It Up

More Succulents? Faux Sho

Night, Night

The DIYs Never Stop

The Last Unicorn

Right Side of the Bed

Shop This Look

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