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Apartment Therapy featured artist Alea Lovely’s two-bedroom Kansas City rental, where she combines dark wood tones and brown paint with neutrals, mirrors, natural materials and lighting. Lovely says the design reflects her preference for a calm, low-clutter home; she and her daughter moved in seven months before the report.
Artist Alea Lovely has decorated her two-bedroom, 1,000-square-foot rental in Kansas City, Missouri, with deep woods and brown paint alongside neutrals, mirrors and natural materials. In a home tour published by Apartment Therapy, Lovely describes creating a welcoming, elegant space for herself and her child without making the rooms feel visually busy.
Lovely moved into the apartment seven months before the tour, seeking what she called “a safe and healing space” for herself and her child. The home is in a roughly 102-year-old building in Hyde Park, a neighborhood she describes as leafy. She said the apartment was in good condition but much of its original wood had been painted over, leaving what she called a “white box.”
Rather than relying on one color throughout, Lovely describes the living room palette as a contrast of deep woods, mauves, chrome, black and beige. She mixes wood with metal for what she calls a “vintage Parisian-meets-contemporary” effect. The dining room now serves as a home office, with its walls painted “Death by Chocolate” by Behr.
The tour describes a blend of existing architecture, paint and renter-friendly furnishings. Lovely’s own large painting anchors the living room; she says it represents the supportive life she hoped to build with her child. Many items, including the sofa, coffee table and wooden divider, came from Facebook Marketplace or other secondhand sources. Other pieces came from retailers such as HomeGoods, Target and West Elm. The report does not specify which changes were approved by the landlord or how they will be handled when the lease ends.
How Contrast Keeps Brown Rooms Open
The tour offers a specific example of how renters can use dark paint and wood tones without making every surface dark. Lovely’s approach depends on contrast: brown is set against beige and other neutrals, while chrome, mirrors and lighting add different finishes and reflect light. Her home’s original architectural details also provide character beyond the chosen color scheme.
Her choices are also shaped by practical and personal needs. Lovely says she has sensory issues and wanted to avoid elements that felt busy or bothersome. She favors natural materials such as wood, marble, linen and florals, which she says help her feel calm. The tour illustrates that a home’s atmosphere can depend on texture, layout and furnishings as much as on whether its walls are light or dark.
For renters, the story also distinguishes between changes made with paint and decor that can be moved or sourced secondhand. It does not establish that every renter can paint or alter a rental; permission and lease terms vary. The example is best read as one household’s design choices, not a guarantee that the same changes are allowed in other homes.
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A Hyde Park Rental Made Personal
The apartment’s layout is one of Lovely’s favorite features. She told Apartment Therapy that it flows well, particularly for a rental, and contrasted it with a railroad-style Brooklyn apartment she had lived in previously. The building’s age and the apartment’s woodwork shaped the design, even though Lovely said much of that wood had been painted over before she arrived.
Lovely works as an artist, writer and astrologer. She said she wanted the apartment to feel like a calm, welcoming and upscale space, while remaining suited to her artistic preferences and her child’s needs. The home tour includes several rooms, from the living room and bedroom to the converted office and her daughter’s room, and lists a mix of secondhand pieces and retail purchases.
The home is still a work in progress. Lovely said she and her daughter have settled in well but that she has more plans for the rental. The source does not detail those plans or give a budget for the decorating work.
““I love mixing woods with metals to give a vintage Parisian-meets-contemporary update.””
— Alea Lovely, as quoted in Apartment Therapy
Lease Rules and Future Plans
The Apartment Therapy report does not say whether Lovely received landlord approval for painting, whether the walls must be restored before move-out, or what restrictions apply under her lease. It also does not provide a decorating budget or measurements for the room-by-room layout. Those details matter to renters considering similar changes, since rental policies differ.
Lovely said she has additional plans for the apartment, but the report does not identify them or give a timeline. Her account of how the colors and materials affect the home is her personal experience, not a measured assessment of lighting or other design outcomes.
More Changes as They Settle In
Lovely told Apartment Therapy that she and her daughter have settled in well, while noting that she still has more ideas for the apartment. No schedule or specific next project was given. Any further changes involving paint or permanent fixtures may depend on the terms of the rental and permission from the landlord.
The published tour provides a snapshot of the home seven months after the move. Whether Lovely carries out additional projects, changes furnishings or shares an updated tour remains unknown.
Key Questions
Where is Alea Lovely’s apartment?
It is a two-bedroom, 1,000-square-foot rental in Hyde Park, Kansas City, Missouri, in a building described as about 102 years old.
What brown paint did she use?
Lovely painted the dining room, which she uses as a home office, in “Death by Chocolate” by Behr.
How does the home combine dark colors with lighter elements?
Lovely describes pairing deep woods and brown with beige, mauve, chrome, black, mirrors and varied lighting. The report presents these as features of her own design, rather than a tested formula.
Did she buy all the furnishings new?
No. The tour lists many pieces as secondhand or from Facebook Marketplace, alongside items from retailers including HomeGoods, Target and West Elm.
Is she finished decorating?
No. Lovely said she and her daughter have settled in well but that she has more plans for the rental. The report does not specify what she intends to do next.
Source: apartmenttherapy.com
