This 500-Square-Foot Apartment Is a Superchic Mix of Goth and Kawaii

July 21, 2025 / Billboard Lifestyle /

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HOME TYPE: Apartment

LOCATION: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

STYLE: Mid-Century Modern, Minimal

BEDROOMS: 1

SQUARE FEET: 500

Fashion blogger, content creator and TV host La Carmina just finished a revamp of her 500-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment in Vancouver that she’s owned for eight years. Known for her minimalist, modern, and Japanese styling, her goal was to elevate the modern interior’s decor by investing in high-quality, microplastic-free pieces. She also wanted it to represent her personality, passions, and unique work and lifestyle: “Goth, Japan cuteness, travel, design,” she writes.

“I’ve identified as a Goth since my teenage years (—) I love all things spooky, such as bats and graveyards, and have visited destinations like Dracula’s Castle in Romania, the HR Giger Museum in Switzerland, and Highgate Cemetery in London,” La Carmina writes. “I wanted to express my Goth identification without cluttering my small space with stereotypical plastic Halloween-y or Tim Burton decor, or anything too dark colored (as that can make my tiny apartment look even smaller).” Credit: La Carmina

“I’m accustomed to living in small spaces, as I am in Japan for about a month every year, and spent significant time in Hong Kong during my childhood,” she writes. “In Asia, tiny apartments and making clever use of limited space are the norm, which inspired my design choices! I’m also fond of minimalism and constantly trying to pare down my possessions, so my apartment’s small square footage was not an issue for me.”

A modern kitchen table with a decorative ceramic face, a candle, a vase of eucalyptus, and a stone sculpture. — “Although my space might not look that ‘Goth’ upon first glance, if you look closer, you’ll notice ghoulish accents like an *Anatomica* book by Joanna Ebenstein of Morbid Anatomy, skull spirit art by Iceland’s Jon Saemunder, a talavera skull sculpture, and a Mobital wood and glass coffee table with pentagram-shaped legs topped with a pentagram coaster from Kobe’s Gothic Bar Idea,” she describes. Credit: La Carmina

When she was searching for a home, she intentionally looked at smaller new-build apartments that were close to public transport. This unit has high-quality modern finishes like stainless steel and marble that she was looking for as well. “I also sought out a high-rise with tall ceilings, big windows, and a balcony for plenty of natural light and sky-high views.”

Cozy living area with a wooden sofa, a white bunny rug, a TV, and large windows showcasing a scenic view. — “People always ask me about the two large-scale original paintings, which feature striking portraits of skull-like spirits. They are by Iceland’s Jón Sæmundur Auðarson, a brilliant artist I met at his Dead Gallery in Reykjavik. His powerful art incorporates skulls and themes of death and spirituality, which is why it resonates strongly with me. The paintings also have mid-century modern colors that vibe with the rest of my decor,” she writes. Credit: La Carmina

La Carmina explains that her design style has been influenced by Japanese minimalist and Zen design, and that she learned firsthand how to decorate small spaces growing up spending so much time in Hong Kong and Japan. “My dad and I always gravitated towards clean, mid-century modern lines and space age materials, so I focused my decor on this aesthetic (while putting my own twist on it),” she continues. “I stuck to MCM colors (orange, sky blue, wood, chrome, avocado green) and incorporated Japanese washi paper lanterns and furniture with hairpin steel legs, including a Magis XZ3 Tavolo table that matches the form of two Eames chairs with metal legs, and a Verner Panton modular wire cube in chrome.”

A bear-shaped lamp glowing softly next to wooden cooking utensils and a framed sketch on a marble countertop.

The family connections are strong in her apartment; she’s been able to include a macramé owl made by her mom in the 1970s, and the white leather chair and sun mirror were found by members of her family in the 1990s. “I also focused on natural materials (glass, wood, paper, ceramic, metal) as I’m committed to reducing microplastics as much as I can,” she writes. Along with her blogging and TV appearances on shows like “Bizarre Foods” and Travel Channel’s “No Reservations,” La Carmina has also published three books with Penguin and Simon & Schuster. You can read more about her on her website.

Resources

Living room with a green sofa, white dining chairs, a large TV, and a Miffy lamp on a wooden shelf.

Japanese paper floor lamp and teak utensils — Havenly
Japanese washi paper UFO-shaped hanging lantern — Vin Lighting
Miffy and Brown Bear lamps — Mr Maria
Miffy wool carpet and throw blanket — Maison Deux
Dry eucalyptus bouquet — Karinya Botanicals
Quasar wood and glass coffee table — Mobital
Goth skull spirit paintings Jón Sæmundur — Dead Skeletons
TV stand — Verner Panton wire extended module
Herman Miller Eames chairs & Magis Tavolo XZ3 dining table
Cavett loveseat in lemongrass green — Crate and Barrel
Art — Family and travels (Easter Island moai sculptures and glass bottle, Puebla Mexico skull ceramic by Talavera de la Reyna, roadrunner Brutalist sculpture by my dad, macrame owl by my mom)
White leather curved chair and sun mirror — Family pieces from the 1990s.