Pepita matches the decor perfectly.
When Sydney Fazende started making changes to her SoHo, New York, apartment during the pandemic, she wanted to love the space she came home to. She also knew she had to be intentional with the design, given she only had 472 square feet to work with.
Fazende invited Dodo Digs and Isabel Klee of @simonsits in for a tour of her one-bedroom SoHo apartment, which is now decorated with natural materials and soft neutral furnishings, giving it an organic, modern feel.
But what truly made her stylish apartment a home was the addition of a puppy named Pepita a year and a half ago. “I had that mindset when I started making the tweaks around here that I wanted to really love my space,” Fazende told The Dodo. “But when I tell you that I love to come home to her, I love to spend time with her — it’s the realest thing.”
Fazande took inspiration for her design from the exposed red brick wall that dominates her living space. To achieve balance and make the space feel brighter, she chose a cream-colored Moroccan rug and light wood furniture accents.
Pepita also dictates the setup of the space. All the furniture must serve as a perch for the little Havanese so she can watch whatever is going on inside the apartment and out. Accent chairs made of ash wood and auburn velvet allow Pepita to see her mom while she works in the kitchen. But the pup’s favorite spot is a blanket on the back of the Arhaus sofa.
There, Pepita can face the window and watch the street. “She’s friends with everyone in the neighborhood,” Fazende said.
Pepita has plenty of perches and soft surfaces to rest and play on, but one thing you won’t see in the apartment is a dog bed. Fazende tried numerous options, and none of them ever really interested Pepita, which also helps save precious floor space in the small apartment.
“We’re not dog bed people,” Fazende said. “It was sort of a ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’ situation. We couldn’t find one she liked more than the couch.”While most of the apartment’s square footage is devoted to the living room and kitchen, the bedroom has a cozy, romantic energy. All the major design elements are rounded, from the headboard to the nightstand to the side lamp. “I wanted this room to feel romantic — but romantic for me,” Fazende said. “I wanted it to feel a little more feminine, a little more girlie.”
All of which sets the perfect tone for a cuddle party with Pepita, who will start each night on her fuzzy blanket at the foot of the bed and slowly make her way up to right next to her mom’s face.
Pepita and Fazende couldn’t be happier with how the design of the apartment has enhanced their day-to-day lives. And whether intentional or not, Pepita’s blonde, brown and black fur even matches the neutral tones of the apartment. Everything in the 472 square feet, including mom and pup, meshes well. As Isabel Klee confirmed after the apartment tour: “You’re a perfect fit.”