A photographer living in a 350-square-foot Berlin apartment with 80 plants showed us how he made the space feel like home
After living in a shared apartment with a minimalist aesthetic, photographer Felix Grimm wanted a more personal feel in his own place, which he has been renting for three years.
The layout of Grimm's 350-square-foot apartment is modest with a bathroom near the front door, followed by a bedroom and living space, and then a kitchen on the right.
Before that, Grimm lived in a two-bedroom apartment where his room was very plain.
"The old flat was very minimalist, black and white, and clean, and I didn't like that," Grimm told Insider.
Therapist Weena Cullins previously told Insider that the white interior trend can cause stress, and interior designer Kobi Karp doesn't recommend it either.
When Grimm got his own space, he said he wanted it to feel homey, warm, and personal.
Grimm painted a colorful, retro design in the kitchen and the main room — starting with a mustard-yellow color.
Grimm painted the entire apartment without much experience, but he said it wasn't hard.
He said if you want a straight line, use tape. If you want a curve, use a pencil and a string to draw the curve.
"You just have to keep a steady hand," he said.
You'll find a lot of macramé in Grimm's apartment. He made it all himself.
Grimm stores macramé supplies on the wall above a table.
All the macramé is handmade, from the hanging planters to the wall decor.
To make it feel homey, Grimm didn't buy new stuff. Save for the bed in the main room, everything was thrifted, found, or handmade.
Nothing in the apartment is new besides the bed. Grimm found every other piece of furniture at a flea market, a secondhand store, or on the street.
"Everything has a story and I just love that," Grimm said. "So I feel very much more at home now."
Felix said the secondhand furniture has loads of storage.
In the bedroom area, Grimm made an indoor greenhouse using a glass cabinet that he bought secondhand.
In the last three years, Grimm has accumulated more than 80 plants.
Turn right from the bedroom to the kitchen, where Grimm built five long shelves out of rope and planks of wood.
Since the room is so small, Grimm needed extra space to store various kitchen items.
Back in the living room, Grimm thrifted a cupboard to hide his closet clutter, which used to be out in the open.
The cupboard is a new addition to Grimm's apartment. He uses it to store clothing and other random items, like a yoga mat.
Just past the bedroom is a balcony. Grimm crafted a bench and hanging decor like a wind chime and disco ball.
Grimm said his top priority when finding a new apartment was having a balcony.
Back inside, the disco ball and other crystals on the balcony reflect and refract bits of light into Grimm's space.
In his colorful, homey flat, Grimm said he doesn't miss the minimalist aesthetic of his previous apartment.
"It feels so much more me and so much more like home," Grimm said of his tiny apartment. "The old flat was just so empty and so organized, which was maybe great for the time, but I would never go back."