Entering Megan Zietz’s uber-chic apartment, one could be forgiven for thinking that this full-time blogger is living her best single girl life in a very Carrie Bradshaw pad. Zietz, however, is married with three sons, all by the age of 30!
“I was working as a costume designer, but stopped when my first son was born. I really needed a creative outlet, so my husband suggested that I start a blog. That was seven years ago and now my website, TF Diaries, has become my full-time job. My husband is a producer, so he helps me with photo shoots and videos after we drop the kids off at school.”
Now that is some work-life balance!
Zietz and her husband moved to Astoria from Florida three years ago with two small children in tow, which was no easy task. They found this charming railroad apartment in Queens.
“I love this part of town,” Zietz said. “It’s great for getting around, and the school is really close. We wanted our children to grow up here.”
Zietz’s life is all about style. On her blog she features fashion, recipes and, of course, her fabulous home, which looks like it just fell off the pages of Pinterest (and was giving me serious apartment envy).
The living room is painted a dramatic magenta color with prints in mismatched frames lining the wall.
“A lot of the prints are from Minted, a brand I work with, and some of the others are actually Fashion Week invitations that I thought were pretty,” she said. “A couple are by my grandmother, who used to be a wire-walker in the circus!”
The pink vibe is continued in the beautiful vintage-style rug.
“I picked that up on Rugs USA; they are always having crazy sales,” Zietz said. “I think this one was 80 percent off!”
Zietz’s desk nestles in the corner of the living room and is artfully decorated with candles, books and plants. She made the painting herself. What an inspiring little nook!
Above the sofa is a dramatic feathered hat that Megan has turned into an art piece.
“I won it by participating in an Instagram giveaway,” she explained.
Zietz has really made great use of the limited space in the kitchen by installing a breakfast bar, styled up with bright yellow stools.
“We did have a kitchen table, but we just kept bumping into it, so this was the solution,” she said.
The black wall behind it is painted with chalkboard paint, allowing the children to be creative without wrecking the joint! No space is overlooked in the kitchen; check out the backsplash behind the sink. The abstract paint motif is actually a sticker, or decal as it’s sometimes called.
“We originally had it on our closet doors, but it fits perfectly here,” Zietz said. “It adds a splash of color to an unexpected area.”
This is such a great way to personalize your space, especially if you live in a rental. When it’s time to move out, you simply peel it off the wall.
The master bedroom is a light and bright space at the front of the apartment.
“We finally installed closets after using Ikea rails for years,” she said.
With the sunshine streaming in the windows, Megan used a palette of mainly white to create the feeling of space and added a bright blue throw for a splash of color, resulting a grown-up sanctuary in this family home. I love how she has displayed her hats on the walls — a practical solution to hat storage that also looks super cute.
Hanging out in Zietz’s Astoria apartment is like scrolling through your favorite Instagram interior design accounts. Gallery walls, blog-worthy DIY solutions and clashing prints and patterns that somehow worked perfectly together. All this and two children running around, soon to be three! I don’t quite know how she does it all, but she does it — and with serious style!
Scroll down for many more photos of this chic apartment!
