Julie's Apartment: DIY Black and White Striped Nook

My apartment doesn't have much of an entryway, but it does have a random nook in between our front door, kitchen, and master bedroom that has been dead space ever since we moved in.

It's a pretty tight space, with no outlet for any lighting, so I knew that I wanted to do something with the space that brought in a little bit of style and also gave us some extra storage.  I have always loved the look of bold black and white stripes in decor, so thought this might be the perfect spot to try some out. 

When I stumbled across this project by Jenny Komenda from Little Green Notebook, I thought Japanese washi tape might be the perfect way to get the look of stripes without risking our security deposit.  Because I'm a child and cannot delay gratification, I trekked around NYC until I found a store that sold black washi tape (for those interested, Kinokinuya Bookstore on 6th Avenue has a great selection). For those of you capable of waiting on standard shipping, Happy Tape is the place to go.  Once I got the tape, it was time to measure.  Basically, Sarah and I decided on how many stripes we wanted, how far apart we wanted them, and then got to measuring.  

After that, it was time to tape.  This tape is really easy to work with, and peels right off and sticks back on if you make any mistakes.  I stretched the tape longer than I needed it to go, and then used an X-Acto knife to get straight edges.

The above shot was so flattering we just couldn't help but put it in this post.  You're welcome.  After LOTS of taping and cutting...we ran out of tape.  

Clearly, our math skills need a little tweaking...my head is bowed in shame.  The next day, we ran out for more tape and then finished up.  Since then, we've added an embroidered print from HomeGoods and an Ikea Hemnes shoe cabinet, which we got for a steal off of Craigslist and has been such great storage system for my shoes.  "After" pictures coming soon.

We love the look of the stripes, and that such a simple project has turned this nook into a functional, pretty space.