Cream walls were repainted in crisp white to create a gallery-like backdrop for the homeowner’s art and other pieces she’s collected. Next, color came in a few bold strokes delivered via upholstery, rugs, and the ceiling, which is painted high-gloss black in most spaces, and even wallpapered in the primary bath.

Here are all the best condo decorating ideas she used to transform this builder condo from plain to personal.

Credit: Edmund Barr

Upgrade the Textures and Finishes

Murray revitalized the living room by adding velvet jewel-tone furniture and an antique Persian rug. In order to balance the dark tones, she added reflective elements such as a vintage mirrored folding screen, shiny brass tables, and black metal lamps. The designer expertly combined textures—mirrored and lacquered, soft and fluffy—and mixed together different furniture styles to create a look that’s both eclectic and polished.

Murray also incorporated a narrow console table into the living room as a desk, while side tables with drawers provide storage for linens, candles, and dining essentials. These versatile pieces automatically enhance functionality in small spaces.

There are hints of vintage, traditional, and contemporary, which keeps a home feeling classic, not locked into one decade or era. It’s definitely a theme of cultivated caprice.”

Credit: Edmund Barr

Don’t Be Color-Shy

Neutral colors can end up making small spaces feel even smaller. Using colorful hues on walls, floors, or ceilings can open up a room, creating a sense of expansiveness. In rooms that lack natural light, Murray adds her own brightness by painting the powder room walls a peach color for a jewel-box effect. She updated industrial-looking floor tiles with graphic concrete tiles and coordinated black and gray shades throughout with a marble-top vanity, black fixtures, and a rounded mirror. Deco-inspired sconces increase the opulence of the space.

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When choosing room colors, you should consider adjoining areas and use a repeating hue in order to connect spaces. Murray’s selection of Julian Opie’s modern art reflects the hallway’s transitional purpose, located near the main living spaces.

Instead of opting for a gallery wall, try hanging fewer pieces of large art can create a powerful design statement in a condo or any small space.

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Layer with Accessories

The beige carpet throughout the condo was replaced with sleek seamless stone flooring that resembles poured concrete. This created a contemporary foundation for retro-style elements like the black metal hexagon shelving unit and the velvet-clad chair in the bedroom corner.

Personalize your own home with fun accessories like books, throws, lighting, and decorative accents that reflect your personality. Items such as stacked books, throws, pillows, vases, and collections neatly arranged on trays, tabletops, and shelves bring depth to a room. “Don’t go to extremes, but if a room is too bare, the space feels smaller,” says Murray.

Every room should have at least one black object. It offers a sense of sophistication.”

Edmund Barr

Play with Scale

The dining area features sculptural rattan chairs, a black lacquered oval wood table, and a gem-shaped, faceted glass pendant that create elegant silhouettes while keeping the space feeling open and inviting. Pops of color are added with a lavender rug and a gallery wall of art. “You have to strike a balance between hefty pieces and furniture with more modest silhouettes,” explains Murray. Consider different furniture sizes by using a few substantial pieces instead of an abundance of small-scale items, which may make the space appear cluttered.

Credit: Edmund Barr

Change the Materials

In the kitchen remodel, the layout remained the same, but a wall was removed to open it up to the rest of the condo. Murray introduced a waterfall peninsula as an understated divider and painted the cabinets a gray color, creating a striking contrast with the white quartz countertops.

Using quartz as a durable material on the backsplash, countertops, and waterfall island adds both elegance and style to a small condo design.

Retaining the existing layout—known as a pull-and-replace renovation—keeps remodeling costs manageable by avoiding major wall alterations and plumbing changes.

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Add Wallpaper Accents

In the primary bedroom, Murray introduced a softer touch with a graphic, muted-color wallpaper on a long wall, adding visual interest to the space. An airy iron four-poster bed naturally draws attention upward, while floor-to-ceiling draperies offer privacy and soften the lines of a sliding glass door that leads to a balcony.

Applying wallpaper on a single wall creates a gorgeous focal point in the room.