This Was the Most-Liked DIY of 2024 on Apartment Therapy’s Instagram
In a small space, you have to make every square inch work for you. That’s doubly true in a studio apartment, where you’re both short on elbow room and walls. Maybe that’s why the most-liked DIY from Apartment Therapy’s Instagram account this year was a small-space-friendly studio hack that was as brilliant as it was simple: using a painted roller shade to hide an out-in-the-open shower.
The hack comes courtesy of Austin Larkin, whose 240-square-foot studio in New York City has an especially quirky layout: The tub/shower is in the middle of the apartment, while the toilet is in its own closet at the back of the unit. When Austin moved in, the shower was “hidden” by curtains — which really did more to emphasize it than camouflage it.
Austin scrapped the curtains and instead ordered custom-sized roller shades that reach all the way from the ceiling to the floor (they’re on the adjacent closet, too). Once those were installed, Austin hand-painted them with a color-blocked design to match the colors of the cabinets in his kitchenette, which is to the left of the shower. When the shades are pulled down, there’s not a hint of the shower behind it — a true DIY success!
Commenters were just as wowed by this DIY as I was (and still am!). Aside from the over 58,000 likes, they were quick to heap on the praise. “The cleverness with this space and the fact that he did something really creative and hard to make it work is so cool. I have an apartment crush,” wrote one. “I didn’t even notice the curtains at first, that’s how good they look!” wrote another.
But one comment is my favorite of all: “THIS is apartment therapy! Such a clever, attractive solution for a small space.”
This DIY is a perfect example of making the most of a small space — and, more importantly, of creating a home that matches your style and needs. It’s no wonder that it’s the most-liked DIY on our Instagram feed in 2024. It’s certainly on my list of most-loved DIYs for the year!
Further Reading
Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Article’s DTC Furniture
We Tested (and Rated!) All the Sofas at Pottery Barn — Here Are the Best for Every Type of Need
