Today I'm tackling one of the most requested on screen decor inspirations: Mindy Lahiri's apartment from the show The Mindy Project. While Mindy's gorgeous brownstone apartment would probably break most of our budgets, borrowing her colorful, eclectic style doesn't have to.
While Mindy's bedroom and kitchen are adorable, I wanted to focus on her living room. Let's look past the beautiful architectural details, coffer ceilings, and spiral staircase to break it down:
Color Palette: With hardwood floors and light gray walls, Mindy's color usage could really be applied to any standard apartment with a neutral backdrop. The main hues she uses: burnt orange, dark plum, beige, and variations of white/cream. The accent colors you'll find: dark blue, fuchsia, pink, golden yellow, and turquoise.
Furniture: With curves, tufts, and nail trim in all the right places, Mindy's ivory sofa and dark plum armchair are unabashedly feminine – this is a bachelorette's pad after all. She balances out that femininity with a sleek glass desk. And then she throws in some exotic accents with carved wood cabinets and consoles in the back. I know that placing Mindy's desk behind the sofa is great for shooting television, but it's also a unique idea to try out in your small space – especially studio apartments.
Big Accents: What do you really notice about Mindy's apartment upon first glance? For me, it's that bright, bold orange area rug. It adds a major splash of color – perfect for a space with neutral walls! The color is repeated in the curtain panels and a lamp shade.
Decor Details: Mindy fearlessly mixes patterns and styles in her place. The sofa is dressed up with plain, zig-zag, and geometric printed pillows thrown beside a faux fur blanket. The turquoise chandelier screams "girly glam" while the metallic and orange table lamp is sleek and modern. Neutral, geometric art fancies up the walls without competing with the wild, colorful patterns on the couch.
Tips for Stealing Mindy's Style:
#1. Make do with "similar" if you can't find the "same."
This goes for any room you decorate like a tv or movie character's space. If you can't find the exact style of Mindy's couch, opt for something similar. Just focus on a cream or ivory color and pulling in some of the details like tufting or curved arms.
#2. Hit up the cheapest places first to save money.
Brightly patterned pillows can be had for a decent price at stores like Pier 1 and One Kings Lane. But first! Hit up Target and even Family Dollar. I'll always choose $5 pillows over $25 pillows.
#3. Exotic doesn't mean you have to go far to find it.
Kirklands and Home Goods are great sources for that exotic-looking, carved-wood furniture that emulates the look of Mindy's cabinets.
#4. Don't forget to do-it-yourself.
Can't find or afford a fancy turquoise chandelier? Just hit up an antique store for an old brass one and spray paint it. (Be sure to have someone check the wiring.)
#5. The best decorating tool? Your personality!
Mindy's space is so colorful, cheerful, and fun because she is! Go ahead and borrow ideas from sets, but don't forget to mix in the most important ingredients: your style, your personality, your taste.
As always, if you'd like to shop for items shown in the Polyvore set above... click here.
More on Mindy:
I had a ton of fun research Mindy's apartment and stumbled across some great posts for those of you looking to achieve her decorating style:
Did you know that in real life, Mindy's one-bedroom brownstone apartment would be worth $2.5 million? Or that Mindy Kaling's favorite part of the room is the turquoise chandelier?!
Read about how Mindy Kaling personally picked out much of the decor used in the apartment set. (Pssst! She even sourced some of it from Etsy!)
Take a peek behind-the-scenes of The Mindy Project. There are some great up-close shots of her kitchen, bedroom, and spiral staircase for additional inspiration.
1 comment:
I love Mindy's apartment, it's so cheerful! :)
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