Lauren Maclean's Beautiful, New, Montreal Home

Do you remember Lauren MacLean's beautiful studio in Montreal? I was sneaking around instagram last night and realised I hadn't visited Lauren's feed for a while - and lo and behold her home had completely transformed. I fired off a quick mail to Lauren to get the low down. "So, the recent photos are actually of my new apartment!" she explained. "I moved right across the hall - which is why it looks so similar! It has much of the same character but it's a little bit larger." The space was in major need of renovation when Lauren first got her hands on it, but with a little grit and a huge amount of determination, Lauren has slowly made it her own and transformed it into a stunning living space. Oh and it's hiding another secret too.

//affiliated links marked with *//

Silhouette Pedestal table* by West Elm, Art by Lysa Jordan

 "I had my eye on this place because I knew I'd want a little more room eventually. I would catch glimpses of it in passing. It was in a terrible shape but I saw the potential to turn it into something special. With a lot of work and just one pair of hands, I cleaned it up, painted it and gave myself a fresh, blank canvas to work with."

Pelle Chandelier*,  art by Lysa Jordan.

"The apartment is an odd layout. It's basically two symmetrical (mirrored) rooms that aren't fully closed off and a small bathroom and kitchen off the back room (I'm still working on those!). I use one room as a living room / dining room and the other as my bedroom / office."

Curvilinear wall lamp*,  art from Citizen Atelier.

 "I changed most of my decor and design. I treat each space as its own and I wanted this apartment to connect with the feeling you get from it when you walk in the door."

"I had more room to work with compared to my last apartment and was therefore able to introduce bolder colours and furniture. I wanted to channel the 'Paris apartment' vibe because the space has so much character, but I also added more relaxed pieces so it still felt like home (soft textures, linens, rattan and other natural materials)." 

And the other surprise?

"I also have an outdoor space that I just completed! It was in terrible shape, but with a little paint and lots of flowers I was able to turn it into a really nice outdoor space for myself!"

"It was so hard to move, I loved my first studio and the chance to take this place came a lot sooner than I had planned, but it felt like now or never so I took the chance and I'm so happy I did! It was quite a nightmare getting through all the work, but I'm so proud I did it all myself and the space really feels like mine."

Is anyone else feeling incredibly inspired by this?! It just does go to show that you should follow your gut instinct, and with a little vision and hard work you can get the home of your dreams! With fireplaces like these too with any luck - how beautiful are they?! 

See more of Lauren's home here, a tour of her previous apartment here and other Montreal beauties here!  

I can't wait to see what Lauren does with a kitchen and bathroom, how about you?

Speaking of hard work... I'm kind of buckling under the pressure of working at the same time as having the kids and husband (he's a teacher) at home for the school holidays.  I love them all dearly but.... err.... when does school start again?! 

I really, really hope you don't mind, but for my own sanity I'm going to have to go back to blogging three days a week until mid August when the school gates open once more! 

So on that note, I'm going to leave you to dream over Lauren's lovely home over the weekend. Have a wonderful, sparkly few days and see you Monday!

Niki