See How One Designer Transformed a Small Brooklyn Rental Into an Airy, Parisian-Inspired Home

Pick the Right White

The first step: repainting. "A lot of rentals are off-white, kind of beige…but if you get the right white in there, it's going to feel so much fresher and bright and light and new," says Girard, who chose Chantilly Lace from Benjamin Moore for all the rooms. "And generally landlords won't have a problem with bright white, and they won't make you paint it when you leave."

The other big project was getting rid of all the ceiling fans. "They were in every room and some of them were kind of normal, but one had huge bamboo shades," says Girard. "So we asked her if we could change out all the lighting. That goes a long way into making your place feel special and not like a rental." And it does feel special—thanks to a mix of modern and vintage, new and old, that makes the apartment feel clean yet lived-in at the same time. "I am really happy with it," says Girard. "I actually really like change and starting over, so it was exciting."

• How to Pick the Perfect Paint Color

Carve Out an Entryway

Unlike many Brooklyn apartments, which share a stairway, Girard gets the whole entrance and second-floor hallway to herself. "Just having our own entrance up the stoop and that whole area up here being private felt like bonus space," she says.

• 13 Ideas for Creating a More Organized Entryway

Look for DIYs

To make the entrance feel even more like part of the apartment, Christopher knocked down the doors, which creates the illusion of more space and encourages a more natural flow. Plus, it's an easy temporary fix. "The doors are all in the closet, so when we move out, we can just pop them back into their hinges," says Girard.

Replace Light Fixtures

Girard wanted to let the bay windows shine, so she kept the palette in the living area neutral, with some gold accents. She and Christopher got rid of the island-looking ceiling fan with huge bamboo shades and installed a modern gold fixture from Restoration Hardware, which casts a soft glow to the pristine white room. The ceiling medallion, which looks like plaster but is actually lightweight foam, came from Architectural Depot online. "It's super lightweight and easy, but it helps fancy it up," says Girard.

The couch, a modern Chesterfield from Interior Define, is new, while the two midcentury vintage chairs and side table came from Denver with the couple. "I like to have a mix of the old and new," she says.

• How to Arrange a Living Room

Display Your Goods

Girard has a lot of books, picture frames, candles, and other pieces of décor. But instead of chucking them or hiding them in storage, she decided to showcase them by stacking them, or leaning them, on the floor and on the radiator.

Have Fun Styling

"I spent a lot of time figuring out [how to arrange them] when we moved in," she says, adding that she takes the covers off the hardcover books so they aren't too distracting. "Some of them are by color, some are just kind of by size."

Stash Storage in Plain Sight

The tableau in front of the bay window not only acts as a showcase for some of Girard's vintage pieces and artwork, it also provides hidden storage. "The tablecloth not only looks nice, but it hides a basket full of blankets underneath," she says.

Create a Gallery Wall

The "gallery wall" has become something of a signature for Girard in her work at Havenly. "I usually don't plan the gallery wall," she says. "I basically put art everywhere else and this is kind of what was left over—and then I had this big empty space so this is where they ended up."

Have Fun with Art

Art is one of the ways that Girard says renters can help make a home feel more like their own. Her walls contain a mixture of Artfully Walls and paintings by her husband and grandfather, while she likes putting vintage heads and busts on pedestals and even on the floor throughout the apartment. "I like our place to feel kind of museum-like, but not like too precious," she says.

Showcase Your Sentimental Items

Girard's old Denver dining room could fit an enormous farmhouse table. "The size here is just so different," she says. "So this room is mostly new." (Save for a portrait of Girard's grandmother, painted by her grandfather. "That will stick with us, wherever we go," she says.)

Find Furniture to Fit Your Needs

The round marble-topped table, from Burke Decor is more compact than a rectangular shape. The hide rug comes from Amazon "adds a little funkiness" to the space, while two big cabinets from Pottery Barn allow her to store all the dishware that didn't fit in the tiny kitchen. "We had so many glasses and plates and bowls and serving stuff, so I figured a couple cabinets for shelves would be good," she says. "And we put more stuff in there: coffee table books, random objects, vintage stuff we found, a head, artwork…I call them the cabinets of curiosity."

• How to Put Impractically Small Kitchen Cabinets to Good Use

Mix High and Low

In her years working as an interior designer, Girard has gotten adept at mixing contemporary and vintage furniture and sourcing from a ton of places.

Shop the Teen Section

The bedroom includes a low bed from Restoration Hardware, nightstands from CB2, lamps from West Elm, and a vintage dresser that she had painted white. The funky crystal chandelier, meanwhile, is from RH Teen. "I have a few pieces from there," she says. "It's a good way to find things that are less expensive."