Tour a 1930s Long Island Bungalow DIYed Into a Creative Haven

Michelle and I both share a love of classic movies, literature, art, design and homeliness. As two kids from middle-class families, we’ve never had a lot of money to spend on furniture or construction, but our vision and creative sensibility have always been enough to create a space that looks both authentic and custom-fit for our personalities.

When I met Michelle eight years ago, she showed me Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent horror classic Metropolis on our first date. Most modern-day people may have found this an odd selection as a romantic film, but I knew I had found my partner. Our imaginative, worldly spirits forged an instant bond.

Michelle has been an installation artist and painter for close to two decades, producing both large public art structures and gallery work around the country. In my humble opinion, she is a genius with impeccable design sense but she never boasts about it — she simply designs our atmosphere to suit both her and myself. I’m a writer who looks toward the future — in regards to how we view race, culture, food and human life — but with immense respect for the past. Together, we’re a warm, inviting and innovative force to be reckoned with.

Serving as the entrance to our home, our sunroom serves numerous purposes: coffee hangout, workspace, urban garden and happy hour lounge. Michelle handpicked plants from the local nursery and we displayed souvenirs from our travels to the Midwest to create a warm welcome and a relaxing retreat.

To the left of the entrance, we turn to a space that was once used as a formal dining room, now a lush, colorful quarter for entertaining guests. We filled the living room with vintage and antique finds; Michelle’s artwork, “Miami Leaf,” is prominently displayed on the center wall. We added plants to bring the outside in, building additional shelves to feature planter boxes along the window sills as they soak in sunlight.

Step further into the living room and you’ll see our portable record player spinning hits under Michelle’s “Soda Pop” drawing and an antique cabinet that holds our vinyl and film collection. To add to our quirky entertainment space, one of our many vintage movie posters is featured on the wall behind a reproduction Hollywood spotlight.