This Philadelphia Rental Apartment Has One of the Most Charming Bathrooms We've Ever Seen (2024)

We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.

Name: Sidney Ro (she/her), Brandon Miller, Sergei (the cat)
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Size: 1300 square feet
Type of Home: One-bedroom apartment
Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting
Rent: $1680 per month

“The moment I stepped inside and saw the bathroom and original floors, I knew that it was the perfect space,” explains Sidney Ro, a sales and trade show coordinator at Aesthetic Movement. “It was even directly across the street from where we were living. Since we had some overlap with our leases, I got to slowly move things across the street on a relaxed schedule. It was a quiet and perfect time to be in the space and imagine how I wanted to decorate. In the two previous places I had lived in Philadelphia, I moved into spaces that had already been decorated or curated, so I was really excited to start with a blank slate.”

“I also love its location on a street corner because we have east- and south-facing windows that allow light to spill in on perfect sunny days. I’m lucky to have great light for my various plants and even luckier to have a cat who doesn’t care about eating them.”

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: Hodge podge of MCM-ish, vintage, thrifted, colorful

Inspiration:The bathroom, of course, can’t help but be a big source of inspiration. The tiles even spill out to the apartment and make up the baseboard all around the space! I tried to mimic the vibrancy of the bathroom with colorful art on our gallery wall, a colorful rug, and a colorful bookshelf. I’m always looking for ways to complement the bathroom while also letting it do its thing.

Growing up, my parents did not care much for interior design or decor, so any little gifted item was proudly displayed and never used (think a pile of candles next to the fireplace). I think I’ve inherited this thinking in my desire for open displays of most things in our space. Our TV console is a funky awesome bookshelf we turned on its side that shows every game, book, and movie while our kitchen island shows off our Pyrex mixing bowls and measuring cups and beloved Vitamix.

I also draw inspiration from pieces and objects that catch my eye and make me happy. I think some people plan objects around the space but I do the opposite. I’ve always loved the look of mixed design styles and I approach my own decor the same way. Because of this, the space is always evolving. Some days, I scroll through Facebook Marketplace for hours in search of the perfect coffee table (which I haven’t quite found yet) or more chairs for the dining room; kind of like hunkering down in a thrift store and digging through the piles for that one perfect thing.

Resources

ENTRY

LIVING ROOM

DINING ROOM

KITCHEN

BEDROOM

BATHROOM

Thanks Sidney, Brandon, and Sergei!

Filed in: