My Houzz: The Antidote to Dreariness, in One Small Brooklyn Apartment

1. Stir spirited colors together. 2. Sprinkle in playful decor. 3. Top off with the striking creativity of the gifted artist who lives there

Chris Dorsey 5 April 2013

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Every corner of Laura Lee Gulledge's Brooklyn, New York, apartment oozes with her philosophy that color adds happiness. "I think a lot of people are scared to bravely use color, especially in decorating,” says Gulledge, a graphic artist, writer and educator. "New York can be such an ugly environment sometimes — dark, gray, dirty. Everyone needs a space where they can walk in and immediately feel happy and bright."

Her happiness-inducing style is made possible by her collection of artwork from friends, family and store display windows, which provide a creative and personalized environment where the decor never lacks inspiration.

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Laura Lee Gulledge and her cat, Rory
Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York
Size: About 900 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, small office

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"Everyone loves this little door," says Gulledge, shown here in her favorite spot. "It has an Alice in Wonderland feel to it with the tiny door and regular-size chair." Gulledge brought home the door after it was used in a Lord & Taylor holiday window display she designed. She hopes to eventually add a hinge so it will actually open to reveal something. Next to it hangs a framed greeting card with Elvis.

Gulledge's decor is grounded in her travels and experience designing seasonal eye-catching window displays for large retailers. The star lanterns were picked up on a trip to Spain.

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The apartment came with a nook on the left, where Gulledge added a custom-built bookshelf with her father.

The black cat drawn on the corner of the wall is inspired by a web comic about a "party cat." Gulledge drew it spontaneously as an ode to her own love of throwing parties.

Red paper lanterns: Pearl River

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Gulledge found a way to personalize even her noisy radiators. "I named [them] Melissa and Peter, after two of my favorite people from studying abroad. When I first moved in, the radiators would make freaky noises in the night, and those two friends have the best laughs in the world. Now when I hear them rattle around, it makes me smile."

She played with opposites in choosing her paint colors. The living room has a lot of art with red accents, so she chose Cool Aqua by Benjamin Moore to provide a complementary backdrop, then went with Redstone by Benjamin Moore for the kitchen.

Framed corner art print: page from the book Habibi, by Craig Thompson

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In a small room in the front of the house is Gulledge's office and art studio, filled with inspiring objects and past projects, including a large rainbow circuit board left over from a Macy's window display.

"Everything in my apartment is inspirational. It's nice, because writing can sometimes feel like a solitary endeavor. When I'm here I am surrounded by creativity," she says.

Desk: Under the Roof; paint: Summer Blue, Benjamin Moore

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Gulledge's beloved cat, Rory, loves to sleep on top of her desk. "I named her Rory as a little Gilmore Girls inside joke; together we're Laura Lee and Rory," she says. The show focuses on a mother named Lorelai and her daughter, Rory.

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In her office Gulledge finds a creative way to keep organized and display her upcoming projects. "I knew I had to have some sort of system, so why not make that creative too? This is my 'project stove,'" she explains. "The pots up front are the first that are going to boil, and the ones toward the back, I have a little more time on."

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When Gulledge works from home, she finds ways to stay motivated. "I have all kinds of inspirational knickknacks floating around. It's all about incorporating you into your apartment," she says. "This particular one says 'Go' on one side and 'Go Faster' on the other." It's also an item left over from a retail holiday display.

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Gulledge has written and illustrated two books: Page by Paige and Will & Whit, set to release in summer 2013. Page by Paige is about a girl named Paige Turner who just moved to New York, and in the pages of her sketchbook, she tries to make sense of her new life, while Will & Whit explores a girl coming to terms with a family tragedy and her fear of darkness.

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Gulledge's decor in the bedroom includes plenty of memories. "I made this umbrella for the Mermaid Parade. It’s a parade out on Coney Island every year, where people dress up in these crazy costumes and outfits and just have a good time," she says.

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The bedroom is painted in bold green and blue stripes, while handmade paper pom-poms and a collection of clothespins hang from the ceiling. The print above the bed is from the Mucha Museum in Prague; a painting on the adjacent wall is a study piece Gulledge's grandmother did of her when she was a child.

Blue paint: Summer Blue; green paint: Stem Green, both by Benjamin Moore

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A few photos her father took through an airplane window are framed in clever frames, and a Linus yarn piece from Junk in Williamsburg hangs above.

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Gulledge likes to leave herself little notes where she will see them, as shown above the mirror here. The necklace holder to the right was a gift from a friend; each hook is made from a tiny animal head figurine.

Art above belt rack: Bishop203

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Esther Bergling

I love her ability to not only use so much color but to also work around it. My brain wouldn't allows it or perhaps ive smothered it all these years. Viva de colores!

2 Likes 17 June 2013 at 9:13pm

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ellymay878

Love the color aqua on the walls...my favorite color. I Love your freedom of expression with color and childlike abandon.Be yourself and don't care what others think..please yourself. Your home is a happy space!

2 Likes 14 July 2013 at 8:14pm

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kdgalachef

Forgot to mention how lovely Rory is!

1 Like 1 February 2014 at 6:46am