My Houzz: Modern and Airy Style on a Budget

Since purchasing her first home at age 23, Abby Taylor has slowly transformed the condo, just north of Seattle, from a standard drab unit into a cozy, colorful and personality-filled space. Raised in a creative household, Taylor enlisted some familiar help for many of the projects: “My contractor team is my family: my dad, an architect and artist; my brother, an engineer; and my mom, my soft goods and kitchen consultant,” she says. “Between the four of us, we have the knowledge and tools for anything I want to do.”

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Abby Taylor and her cat, Mia
Location: Shoreline, Washington
Size: 717 square feet (67 square meters); 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
Year built: 2003

Influenced by the clean aesthetic of Scandinavian design, Taylor has made gradual renovations that have rid the condo of its original builder’s-beige tones. “I added a little more color and pattern to fit my eclectic, cozy personality,” says Taylor, “but the current furnishings really reflect my desire for more light.”

The midcentury-inspired sofa is a recent splurge item. Taylor made the accent pillows.

Crosby Sofa: West Elm


The floor lamp is one of Taylor’s favorite pieces in the condo. “It’s just perfect in every way. The walnut is smooth, the proportions are perfect, and the style is timeless,” she says.

Close friend and local furniture maker Stuart Shank designed and built the coffee table. One of Taylor’s New Year’s resolutions is to regularly buy a bouquet of fresh flowers for the table. This week’s selection: pink peonies.

Taylor made the two large geometric art pieces as part of an ongoing series she is creating on plywood panels. “I’m currently obsessed with triangles, which is also reflected in my quilt designs,” she says. “I love how you can twist and turn them to create completely different feelings depending on their arrangement.”

Wall paint: Oxford White 869, Benjamin Moore; lamp: Ample Furniture; Phoenix Wool Dhurrie Rug (discontinued): West Elm


“I really like tweaking basic pieces to be perfect for my lifestyle,” says Taylor. One such example is what she calls a “fauxdenza” anchoring one side of the living space. She created it by mounting standard cabinetry units from Ikea so they float below her TV.

Cabinetry: Bestå, Ikea


She then topped the cabinets with two long panels of Russian birch plywood, creating a multipurpose furniture piece that serves as a media center, cocktail bar and desk space. The project’s total cost, including the cabinetry, was about $400. “I splurged on soft-close drawers and don’t regret it for a second,” says Taylor.

Tray: West Elm


One of the biggest changes to the original space was the installation of wood-look luxury vinyl plank flooring, another family project. While Taylor says the installation was easier than she expected, she still put her engineer brother on corner duty. “He didn’t mind the tedious measuring and cutting involved,” she says.

The new flooring, about $3.25 a square foot before installation, became the modern backdrop for her home’s design. “I had always hated the carpet but didn’t realize how much of a difference the wood look makes,” says Taylor. “It bounces the light differently, it feels cleaner, and it makes the space feel like a house instead of a small apartment.”

Flooring: Tandem Luxury Vinyl Plank Tile in Windsor, TAS


Taylor is a self-described spray paint addict. She used it to give fresh looks to an Ikea shelving unit, flower pots, serving trays and tiny letters at very little time and cost. “It’s nice to do things one at a time and watch the condo slowly transform into the home I love,” she says.

The small wooden cars next to her collection of cookbooks were built by Taylor and her dad for a Pinewood Derby, held by the architecture firm they both once worked at together.

Shelf: Vittsjö, Ikea; paint: Oxford Blue Satin, Krylon


Taylor uses clear canisters throughout the home to both organize and showcase some of her sewing, baking and craft tools. “I can’t separate my artistic side from the rest of my personality, so I like that my supplies are mixed in with the rest of my things,” she says.

Heritage Hill Glass Jars With Lids: Crate & Barrel


Many of Taylor’s soft furnishings are her own creations, including her bedspread and the living room pillows. A few years ago, she painted most of the condo walls white, but painted her bedroom a very soft aqua. “It’s so calming and makes me very happy,” she says.

Paint: Dillard’s Blue 0685, Miller Paint; bed frame: Ikea


When Taylor moved into her condo, she scraped by on a frugal budget with mostly castoffs and stock Ikea pieces. “I ended up with a beige sofa and heavy, dark furniture with red accents, very masculine and not me,” she recalls.

Though the rest of the home has changed, the red accents have stayed in both her decor and her work, as seen in the finished quilts and works in progress resting on her dresser.

Various artworks: Etsy; cowboy print: Myrtle Alley Press; dresser: Hemnes, Ikea


A geometric frame made of navy blue washi tape showcases one of her original figure drawings. “I’m loving most of the pieces in my home, because I made them to be exactly what I want,” says Taylor.

While she wishes she had more space for a proper dining table, she is proud of the Thonet chairs she found at Goodwill. “They were a major steal at $12 each,” she says.


Although Taylor made most of the artwork on the walls, these two pieces that hang just outside her bedroom are from close friends. “Art is so important! You have to have beautiful things in your space that make you feel good,” says Taylor.

Paintings: Krista Welch (top), Jon Zegers (bottom)


The wall hook and flamingo tote in the entryway are from local Seattle firm fruitsuper design. Taylor created the lush wall hanging for a photo booth at her best friend’s nautical-themed wedding.

Deer wall hook: Anthropologie; wall paint: Rialto 2305, Pratt & Lambert


Taylor made this pendant light using a radiator screen from The Home Depot as an experimental DIY project. She considers it a temporary placeholder until she can save up for the pendant she covets: the white and brass Bluff City Pendant from Roll & Hill. She concedes that the project didn’t turn out as well as she’d hoped. “It’s a reminder that even for an experienced maker, not all DIY projects come out perfectly,” she says. The floating walnut shelf was also a DIY project.


“I have gone through many iterations of storage pieces, finding the balance between accessibility and visual clutter,” says Taylor, who meticulously organizes miscellaneous craft supplies on a shelf in the hallway. “When you’re an artist, anything could be material for the next project.”


Taylor is an executive assistant at a local interior design firm by day but is going through the licensing process for her weekend business project, Hot Buns Bakery. She does all of her baking at home and specializes in weddings and special events, but is always baking goodies for friends and family as well. Pictured here is a pistachio cake with raspberry buttercream frosting in Taylor’s favorite color — pink.


“There’s always something I’m scheming about,” says Taylor (seen here), “but I’m so lucky to have such talented and collaborative family and friends in my life to help me carry out my plans.”

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