Tour a Quirky Brooklyn Apartment Full of DIYs

Sam Ushiro and Kyle Laren, creators of Aww Sam, are the Jack and Jill of all trades. Their New York apartment is a testament to what good design and clever DIY projects can do for a small space.

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May 11, 2023

By: Kamron Sanders

Show: HGTV Handmade

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Photo By: Stephanie Diani

Dynamic Design Duo

Industrial designer Sam Ushiro shares a beautifully quirky Brooklyn apartment with her husband, photographer Kyle Larsen. Sam and Kyle work together as the masterminds behind the blog Aww Sam.

DIY Done Right

The space’s unique design elements are born from the couple’s love for DIY projects. When you step into the apartment, there doesn’t seem to a be a single space that doesn’t have a handmade element.

WATCH THE VIDEO: Aww Sam's Quirky Home

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TrafficMaster Vinyl Oak Plank Flooring

Renter-Approved Renovation

First on the list is the floor. Running throughout the apartment are light and bright vinyl planks covering the original wood floors. These planks stick to themselves rather than the floor beneath them, making them a perfect solution for renters looking to personalize their space.

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TrafficMaster Vinyl Oak Plank Flooring

No-Nonsense Kitchen

The kitchen area is stunning in its simplicity. White cabinets, faux marble countertops and a green subway tile backsplash leave the space feeling clean and orderly. Like the rest of the home, the kitchen is not short on DIY solutions.

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Tic Tac Tiles Adhesive Backsplash

White Diamond Countertop Kit

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Countertop Makeover

The bright, clean faux marble countertops were originally, “kind of a black and orange color,” Sam describes. The trick? An easy-to-use kit that allowed the couple to paint the countertops, sponge minerals on the surface for the marbling effect and seal with a top coat.

BUY IT | WHITE DIAMOND COUNTERTOP KIT: The Home Depot, $99.95

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White Diamond Countertop Kit

A Pop of Color

The white cabinets are brought to life with hot pink drawer pulls. The minimalistic drawer pulls are just another DIY added to the list. This time, all it took was a can of spray paint.

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White Diamond Countertop Kit

Nuvo Titanium Infusion Cabinet Makeover Kit

Understated Elegance

On the uppers, you won’t find hot pink. Instead, Sam and Kyle opted for a fun, speckled knob with an elegant gold trim around the edge. The pink accents in the speckles tie the knobs and pulls together effortlessly.

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Tic Tac Tiles Adhesive Backsplash

Nuvo Titanium Infusion Cabinet Makeover Kit

Peel-and-Stick Bliss

This clever couple found a too-good-to-be-true workaround for the bare kitchen wall: a peel-and-stick subway tile backsplash in a soft green. This turned what Sam was afraid would be “a whole situation” into something as simple as “a big sticker.”

BUY IT | TIC TAC TILES ADHESIVE BACKSPLASH: Amazon, $34.99

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Tic Tac Tiles Adhesive Backsplash

Thoughtful Design

Sam and Kyle found it hard to define the individual spaces due to the apartment's very open floor plan. Without the furniture, the kitchen is just another corner of the living room, but they’ve found a way to make the spaces feel separate with a large rug and thoughtfully placed furniture.

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Smeg FAB 32 Refrigerator with Freezer

Pretty in Pink

“I think you had your heart set on that couch the first time you saw it,” says Kyle with a glance at Sam. She knew the pretty-in-pink couch was so perfect, that she made it the centerpiece of the space and made everything else work around it.

Couch Conundrum

Though Sam was determined to make the couch work, it didn't necessarily happen that easily. The biggest issue was the couch's size. Even after measuring the space with a measuring tape and double checking to ensure a proper fit, the sofa still seemed to be bigger than they expected. In the end, it clearly worked out: The space looks stunning.

Get Tips: How to Arrange Your Living Room Furniture

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TrafficMaster Vinyl Oak Plank Flooring

Elevated Beauty

The living room is home to an elegant, minimalist console table that happens to be another one of the couple’s many DIY projects. With the simple addition of wooden legs and knobs, what started as a basic cabinet is now a beautiful console table.

BUY IT | FRANK 80 KNOB: Prettypegs, $7.90

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Shelf Goals

Opposite the console table is a beautiful set of wall shelves towering over the bedroom door. The natural shelves are effortlessly beautiful and are reminiscent of midcentury modern shelf installments. Sam credits the beautiful shelves to Kyle and jokes about how much he researched “how to style a shelf” in the process.

Styling Secrets: Style Your Bookshelf Like a Boss With These 10 Items

Shelf Discovery

Kyle’s biggest tip? Group items in odd numbers, positioned in a way that forms a triangle for the eyes to follow up the shelves. The collection of books, cacti and prints work together seamlessly in this fashion.

More Tips: Style Your Bookshelf Like a Boss With These 10 Items

Going for Gold

Another small detail that made a major difference in Sam and Kyle’s apartment was changing out their doorknobs. They swapped out the basic, builder-grade knobs for glamorous gold knobs in a geometric shape. Sam notes that it was much easier than expected.

BUY IT | GOLD FACETED DOOR KNOB: AnthroLiving | Anthropologie, $48

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Faceted Door Knob

Calm, Cool, Collected

Kyle refers to the bedroom’s theme as a “tiki '60s/'70s vibe.” Sam agrees: “We definitely have a color palette in there that is a little bit different.” White walls, soft pinks and yellows and a beautiful wicker pendant make the bedroom feel like a relaxing retreat.

Labor of Love

The most notable piece in the bedroom is the intricate DIY wall hanging positioned above the bed. The couple refers to it as a labor of love. The individual tassels with varying colors of pink and yellow were all handmade for the piece.

Dreamy Record Nook

In the corner next to the door sits one of our favorite areas in the entire apartment. A quaint nook with a record collection and player. A gorgeous floral wallpaper adds a beautiful dose of texture to the space and serves as a perfect backdrop for the vining plant.

A Touch of Romance

To top off the dreamy little nook, Sam and Kyle have opted for a cute, yellow neon sign that reads “just like honey,” a nod to their first dance song. The sign is the perfect story piece to tie the space together.

Design Royalty

If there was any doubt that Sam and Kyle are the queen and king of colorful DIYs, their home proves otherwise. From the renter-friendly hacks to the ultra-cozy bedroom, this tour may just go down as one of our favorites to date.

Tour a Quirky Brooklyn Apartment Full of DIYs

Related To:

Shop This Look

Dynamic Design Duo

DIY Done Right

Shop This Look

TrafficMaster Vinyl Oak Plank Flooring

Renter-Approved Renovation

Shop This Look

TrafficMaster Vinyl Oak Plank Flooring

No-Nonsense Kitchen

Shop This Look

Tic Tac Tiles Adhesive Backsplash

White Diamond Countertop Kit

Nuvo Titanium Infusion Cabinet Makeover Kit

Countertop Makeover

Shop This Look

White Diamond Countertop Kit

A Pop of Color

Shop This Look

White Diamond Countertop Kit

Nuvo Titanium Infusion Cabinet Makeover Kit

Understated Elegance

Shop This Look

Tic Tac Tiles Adhesive Backsplash

Nuvo Titanium Infusion Cabinet Makeover Kit

Peel-and-Stick Bliss

Shop This Look

Tic Tac Tiles Adhesive Backsplash

Thoughtful Design

Shop This Look

Smeg FAB 32 Refrigerator with Freezer

Pretty in Pink

Couch Conundrum

Shop This Look

TrafficMaster Vinyl Oak Plank Flooring

Elevated Beauty

Shop This Look

Shelf Goals

Shelf Discovery

Going for Gold

Shop This Look

Faceted Door Knob

Calm, Cool, Collected

Labor of Love

Dreamy Record Nook

A Touch of Romance

Design Royalty

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