Turning my Millennial Grey Apartment into a *Romcom Set* ✨🏡 (miss honey meets you've got mail!)

This is Desi, a whimsical individual with a fondness for florals, fairy tales and feline cohabitation. Who has, to her deepest horror, just moved into a millennial grey home. So grey. Grey like the grey in a dental office. Or a sad robot. Or a sad robot in a dental office. She's handling it well. Ah, she lives. And it appears she has plans. We're going full Lorelei Gilmore meets Kathleen Kelly meets Miss Honey. But, if the rooms were decorated by Anne Shirley Cuthbert. After three cups of tea and a trip to the local antique store. Just more green. Ah, so you're summoning the spirit of a cosily cluttered cottage. Part children's literature, part Manhattan apartment that smells faintly of chamomile and dust jackets. All complete with wifi strong enough to stream. You've got mail for the 43rd time. Exactly, yes. But let's not pretend it's just been 43 times. Honestly, 43 was probably just last autumn. And now she consults her sacred texts, the Pinterest boards. A digital oracle of floral wallpaper, vintage lamps. And the eternal question, do I need more bookshelves? One can always use more bookshelves. And so it begins, the transformation. Step one, beadboard, classic, charming. Ah, here we go again with the cats. Excuse you, these are my children, I birthed them. This one even has the same hair color, see. Anyway, back to the beadboard. As I was saying, classic, charming and surprisingly heavy. When you have three of them together, yeah, it's heavy. That probably wasn't the best way to pick them up. She'll definitely be fine. She has optimism. As one would, this is when a person would cut, measure or hammer and straighten. She did none of those things. Instead, she command stripped it into submission. I'm a renter, not a carpenter. These guys are my power tools. Whoever built this place did not make the walls or this, what's this called, on the bottom very straight. It continues to be gaps in the beadboard. Wait, where are we? I thought we were installing beadboard, not taste testing waffle cones. Okay, I know, but I earned this break and this cone made with real mint leaves. It's the best mint ice cream ever and this game. That beadboard took it out of me. So, I deserve it. This actually feels like the perfect time to tell you about the sponsor of today's video, June's Journey. Which, if you've been here for a while, you know I love. I play exclusively like two mobile games and June's Journey is my favorite. It is a beautifully illustrated hidden objects game set in the 1920s. That vintage charm is there and just makes it so aesthetically pleasing to play. It's full of mystery and plot twists that feel like they've come straight out of an Agatha Christie novel. It's my go-to, especially during those times when I just need to pause the chaos. But right now is an especially exciting time to play because June's Journey is taking place in a super cool event called the Green Game Jam. It's an annual event organized by the UN Environmental Program that brings environmental issues into the world of gaming, which is so cool. This year, there's a special nature trails challenge that runs from June 4th to the 17th. Players like me, and I know many of you too because a lot of you have said you enjoy this game as well, are collecting animal tracks by completing different events in the game. And the best part is, we all reach 16 million tracks together. June's Journey will donate to protect 800,000 square feet of wildlife habitat and plant 25,000 trees. Plus, another really cool thing that's going on now is that there's an exclusive seasonal set that you can use to decorate your island. It's inspired by the flora and fauna of East Africa. It's so beautiful. I love the decorating side of the game just as much as I love the mystery solving aspect. So if you want to join in on the challenge and help make a real impact for the planet, or if you're like me and find joy in making things beautiful, even if it's just in a game, you'll love collecting the seasonal decorations and styling your island. You can download June's Journey for free using the link down in the description or with this handy dandy QR code to get started. They had eaten. They had hydrated. They had... misplaced their paint stir stick. Clearly, they were ready. But also, lacking a little foresight. The whole paint before installation thing. Just a minor detail. Jared, lacking a proper stir stick, used a soup spoon to stir the paint. We ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time. Desi is still pretending to forgive him. And then, like any great modern love story, they synced audiobooks and got to work. They chose the colour, basil. A green meant to mimic the hush of leaves. The calm of shaded gardens. A little nature inside. Their strokes weren't perfect. But the effort? Entirely sincere. Tomorrow, there would be more to do. But tonight, the walls were green. The tea was warm. And that was enough. And then, morning came. Why does it look like a restaurant? It's giving restaurant. Why is my brain think... Why is my brain going to restaurant? I have no idea. But it's not giving cozy cottage living room. What are you eating, Gatsby? She dreamed of a forest. She got a franchise. And so, the chapter closes. Basil, once beloved, now banished. Repainting begins next week. And so the heroine sets out in search of treasures. And possibly, donuts. Oh yes, because it's Saturday. And in Desi's world, Saturdays begin with donuts. She claims it fuels her vision. Really, she just loves donuts. But we're letting her have this. What? It's a tradition. It's a non-negotiable, especially on Saturdays and especially on thrift days. Fuel for the chaos. Phase two, the hunt. She enters the realm of mismatched wonders and mysterious pricing strategies. This place smells like potential. And possibly, someone's attic. Every item holds a question. Could this be spray-painted? Could this be loved? Is this hideous? Or is it perfect? No notes. Pure art. These prints are so pretty. And they're different, but they go together. But I don't like this dark wood. I'm trying to imagine if they were gold. But they would be so pretty above a fireplace. This one speaks. It says, I belong to a woman who hosted dinner parties in 1986 and wore silk indoors. We like her. She does not need more candlesticks. She will buy three. It's only $12. You say it's only $12. I say it's practically a moral obligation. She made the right choice. She usually does. And thus concludes the treasure hunt. Frames were found. Potential was spotted. The living room has no idea what's coming. A hall of little things. Let's take a closer look. Floral plate. $8. Not for eating. For purely decorative whimsy. Fake flowers. $1.50. Real ones are toxic. The cats live here. The flowers are guests. Frame. $3. Probably cursed. Perfect. Candlesticks. $2 each. For ambience. Or summoning. Magazine rack. $4. Unapologetically adorable. Possibly sentient. Wicker bag. $3. For books. Fresh cut flowers. Or any beautiful excuse to leave the house. The small things were the opening act. Now, it's time for the headliners. The blue hutch. A little crooked. A little magical. Exactly her brand of perfect. The floral couch. Equal parts Miss Honey and Morticia Addams. Soft, mysterious, and slightly too beautiful to be practical. In other words, perfect. The round wooden table. Pulled straight from her Pinterest board and into real life. There's just something cozy about it that feels like home. Accent table. Slightly worn, but deeply charming. It clearly once belonged to someone who hosted tea at least semi-regularly. And so, the room rested. Knowing that by morning, the magic begins. There she is. Sleepy-haired, matcha-fueled, and running almost entirely on dry shampoo and willpower. Barefoot, determined, and dressed like a Victorian ghost with a to-do list. Okay, rude, but fair. And yes, I do have a to-do list. Anyway, good morning friends. I'm so excited to finally get started on really bringing this room together. So let's go over what the plans are for today. We're going to start with bringing in all the big pieces of furniture. Also want to do a plate wall for the breakfast nook. And then, smaller things. Like, I got these gold bees to put on the outlet covers. And then, I got two rugs. One is my dream rug. I have seen this rug for a few years, and it has been on my ultimate home decor dream wish list. But, I am a little skeptical that it might not fit with all the furniture. And if it doesn't, we do have a backup. Nothing special, but it might look a little bit better. And I can't wait to get started, so I'm doing this in my nightgown. I don't know, I love the idea. It's early in the morning, we're putting furniture together. I kind of just never want to take it off. I don't know if I ever will. Just kidding, that would be really gross. Furniture meet floor. Floor meet chaos. The quest to make it feel like a storybook begins. That's crazy. You may be wondering, where did the bookshelves come from? My books needed a home, and that's a project for a future Desi. I'm not worrying about that right now. Maybe, if you guys are interested, or maybe I'll just do it for Patreon. A bookshelf makeover tour. These are just little Ikea shelves, and I don't love them. But we are only going to be here for a year, year and a half. So I can't commit to doing anything too extraordinary. But I know, I know that I can make them look so much better than they are. If you just know something's going to be a certain way, and just believe it's going to be a certain way, it will be. If you're decorating your room, and you're like, oh, I really want it to look a certain way. You just have to believe that it will be. And it will come together, even if you don't fully have the inspiration for it yet, or you don't know how it's going to come together. Just know that it will be. And it will. Ah yes, the dream rug. Hand picked, heart chosen. The one that felt like the one. Soft, romantic, just the right amount of drama. And now, the moment of truth. It's so beautiful, but I feel like it's not beautiful in here. She deserves a more elegant, moody, dark kind of like drawing room or library. I feel like we're clashing with the lighter colors. But what would you guys do? Oh, I don't know. I'm so torn. It's beautiful, almost painfully so. But maybe, just maybe, not beautiful here. A new rug enters the story. Not the showstopper, but maybe the one that makes everything else make sense. I think the brightness of it adds to the room. The green was just too dark, and it made everything feel really dark, especially with the dark walls, which we are going to repaint. This just looks so, I don't want to say basic, but it doesn't have much personality. We're going to add other stuff to the room, so it will complement it. True. Ta-da! A midday delivery, and from Sonderflor? Ah, she's going to be thrilled about this. Linen, of course, gifted by Sonderflor, because the universe occasionally delivers exactly what she'd been daydreaming about. She wasn't just decorating anymore, she was crafting a life. The kind Anne Shirley would write about in her diary, three pages at a time. Jared returned from his quest, mirror in hand. Gold. Ornate. Regal. Nearly perfect. If not for the villain of our tale, a sticker engineered by the gods of resale to never come off. Why do they use glue that could survive an apocalypse? This is crazy. She tried heat, then patience, then, eventually, the cake spatula. And against all odds, it worked. I don't want to talk about how long that took. Oh my gosh, that was ridiculous. We did it. She's squeaky clean. Ta-da. Ooh, she's pretty. Not me, the mirror. Oh, you're dying yourself? This is where it all comes together. The stories, the colors, the memories yet to be made. Watch closely. This is the moment it becomes hers. Maybe, I won't wait so long for you tonight. Cause baby, I'm not such a fool, I've seen the light. Name your game. Mm, lady. You just keep me hanging all the night. I didn't, I forgot about that. That is for all of the electronics back here. That is not going to stop this vision. I realized, I never use the fire during the summer months. I save it exclusively for cozy season. So why have this big black box right here? When I could have, I don't know how this is going to look. So just, this is going to be a trusted process thing, I think. Let me know when it's my move. Name your game, just say it. Let me play the same game too. Name your game. I'm just wondering if it needs more, if it needs flowers throughout. Or would that be too much? I do love this though. I took a lot of inspiration from whimsical bookstores. Sorry, there's a cat hair up there. I hope that wasn't obstructing your view. But do you know the ones I mean where you go into a bookstore and there's like book pages hanging from the ceilings. There are mismatched shelves. And everything feels like it was put there with intention to make you feel like you've been transported into a storybook. I thought, okay, this is a little bit, maybe a little bit much. But is it too much for a whimsical bookstore? I don't think so. I think this totally looks like something you would see in a whimsical bookstore. So therefore, something that I want to bring into my home. Don't be afraid to take risks. Do fun things with your space. I think I might actually need to name it. Why is my brain saying Carl? I'm so sorry if your name is Carl. I just, it's not what I would name this plant. Hmm. If you have any names, who knows? Maybe he's sentient. We don't know. Gotta choose a good name. Wait, is that a bookshelf she's putting behind the sofa? And empty? On its side? Actually, that's kind of genius. A budget console table. Unexpected? Yes. Unreasonable? Absolutely not. She's not following the rules. She's rewriting them in cursive. Cue the breakfast nook transformation, now. And just like that, a corner became home. Not to mention tea tastes better here. That's just science. Ah, the soft blue glow of a summer's day. Surely this shelf will be filled with light beachy reads and July romances. Wait, wait. Is that autumn? Obviously. But it's June. Which is practically August. Which is basically September. I don't think she can be stopped. Look at her. She's stockpiling pumpkins. I have to be ready. Summer me, she is thriving. Absolutely loving this season. But autumn me is on the horizon. And this shelf belongs to her. Because it is summer. And we must honor that. I will be putting the spines facing inward. Which I know is very difficult for some of you to understand. I get it. If this pains you, feel free to look away now. This is going to be the reality. And if that hurts your eyes or offends you, I don't want to offend you. So look away. Oh, I forgot. I'll be right back. Something so cool. I am so excited about this. The amount of serotonin that I get from that. In the future, I want to get some vintage books. Okay, not vintage, but like older ones that maybe have staining or water damage. Take out the papers and put the book cover around this so that it actually looks like a book. I have one more. So let's get this bookshelf decorated. From empty walls and echoes to rom-com storybook charm. Dear viewer, the transformation awaits. She can't work in his department unless she has a PhD in children's literature. I love daisies. You told me. They're so friendly. Don't you think that daisies are the friendliest flower? I do. When did you break up? If you could return, don't let it burn. Don't let it fade. Realize now that I had bare feet in some of the clips earlier. Maybe you guys won't see. Maybe I will have edited them out, but I didn't want to offend or get any... I don't think any of you guys are weirdos. But this is a weird place. I don't want my feet on any... I have to be ready. Oh my god. I'm so glad that didn't break. What are you waiting for? We're waiting for the sun to go away because it's a little harsh. But there are clouds. They're right there. They're almost about to cover the sun. Letting donuts make you emotional, but it's good food. Donuts can be a good food. Donuts are a good food. Like yeah, going to a Michelin star restaurant. This is my Michelin star restaurant. I like your new umbrella. Oh yeah. I thought about getting a parasol, but then I thought, why not just get a table. It is a beautifully illustrated hidden object. Blah blah blah blah blah. Oh no. Nate. I almost just hit my head. You didn't see that. High five. Let's go get the bird.