Emily Johnston, an artist and photographer has her home in East Village, Manhattan. Her apartment is stylishly furnished throughout in muted shades and has a calm and harmonious ambience.

“What I really liked about this apartment when I saw it for the first time, was that it had a space I could use as an office, and that the living room had doors and is separate. As I work from home it’s really important to find ways to make a separation between work and relaxation. I determined that the living room was a place I wouldn’t work in, but would be where I could relax, read and think. I like the layout of this place too. You can be in the kitchen and another person can be in the living room and you feel like you are in a completely different space, which is a nice feature for such a small apartment.”

She has been living in her 450 square feet* apartment for about four years. Before discovering this apartment she visited nearly a hundred other ones, finding most of them dark and depressing. This one was light and airy with windows in every room. “With daylight in all the rooms I feel the passing of time and the qualities that brings,” she clarifies.

The bedroom is in a tiny alcove tucked away in the passage between the kitchen and office space. There is a large window here too but the ceiling-to-floor drapes in front of the bed makes this space very private. The dark grey walls enhance the cosy feeling. “There isn’t a wasted space of a separate bedroom which is another thing I really like here,” she says.

“Where did you get your inspiration from when you created this home?”
“From things I see everywhere. In looking at lots of different homes, artist studios, and magazines. Generally looking at the way people conceive their spaces. And then mix different impressions and not apply one specific style. Asking myself, what makes sense for me? I like cooking, so I like the open shelving in the kitchen because the way I like to cook is like having a palette. I see what I have and can compose my meals with what I see on the shelves.”

“Do you think that your home reflects who you are?”
“My work is shifting and I’m eager to rearrange my home too, but
I’m not ready to do that yet. So yes, I think my home reflects tremendously who I am. So much so that the fact that I’m changing makes me want to change it. It’s obviously a very strong reflection of who I am and who I have been.”

”What is the best advice you can give people in terms of making a home for themselves?”
“To think first about what you want your home to be for you. I believe most people approach decorating or arranging their home by trying to make it aesthetically perfect, following a code or a style…”

This is an excerpt from the book Home Life Around the World and is one of the unique and personal homes I visited.

Release date 15th May.
Home Life Around the World is available for pre-order in iBooks store, Kobo and Google Play. ISBN 978-91-984455-1-0
The book is also available for pre-order in the Kindle format. ASIN: B079VDPBVF
Print edition ISBN 978-91-984455-0-3

Copyright and photo: Anita Martinez Beijer