Color-enthusiast Lauren Renee’s Alameda apartment is proof that scale has nothing to do with style. At just 350 square feet, her space leans fully into color, nostalgia, and joy — a deliberate rejection of the minimalist, beige-forward small-space playbook. As an influencer and content creator, Lauren treats her apartment less like a backdrop and more like a personal archive, where every corner reflects a phase, a memory, or a version of herself she’s proud to claim.

The Details

• Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana
• Currently: Alameda, California
• Size: 350 square feet
• Status: Rent
• Rent Cost: $1,850
• Beds: 1
• Baths: 1

Lauren describes her design style as whimsical, lively, and eclectic — and the space delivers on all three. Rather than designing for longevity or resale appeal, she designed for self-recognition. “I combined my inner child’s dream dollhouse with the present version of myself,” she says, landing squarely back at the word that anchors the entire apartment: girly.

Color is the connective tissue throughout this space. Soft pastels and candy hues move seamlessly from corner to corner, creating visual continuity without uniformity. In the kitchen, pale blue cabinetry, warm yellow walls, and playful accessories transform a traditionally utilitarian space into something expressive and lived-in. Vintage-inspired art prints — from cocktail illustrations to travel motifs — bring a sense of escapism, while Lauren’s fun thrifted dishes and accessories reinforce the point that taste matters more than budget.

That philosophy honestly shows up everywhere you look in this space. Most of the apartment is furnished through secondhand finds and big-box staples — Salvation Army, HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, Ross, and Amazon — all filtered through Lauren’s finely tuned eye. Her most expensive purchase, a Wayfair bed frame priced under $220, becomes less about cost and more about intention. For Lauren, good design isn’t about spending more; it’s about knowing what belongs together.

The bedroom continues the story with layered pinks, patterns, and playful text details that feel personal rather than precious. Everything from the pillows to the wall art reference humor, self-awareness, and softness — a reminder that design can be expressive without taking itself too seriously. Even in a compact layout, it seems as though Lauren successfully resisted having to edit herself down. Instead, she curated tightly, allowing her personality to lead and she deserves her 10s.

What makes Lauren’s apartment really impressive, though, isn’t just how it looks — it’s what it represents. In a culture that often pressures women to “outgrow” playfulness, her space feels like a quiet act of defiance. It’s a home that celebrates creativity, thrift, and self-trust, proving that even the smallest spaces can hold a fully realized point of view.