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Studio Blog

May 2nd

Dispatches from Gen Z: My First Place

At the start of my school year at the University of Oregon, I had the opportunity to design my first apartment alongside my mom, Tracy, the founder of Tracy Lynn Studio. The first thing I’ll say is–I have one lucky roommate. Though this project was small compared to most of my mom’s work, I saw firsthand how much goes into every design scheme.

Our journey began with many days of consignment shopping and vintage store hunting in San Diego. There’s nothing my mom and I love more than wandering Consignment Classics; an enormous warehouse, filled floor-to-ceiling with home decor and furniture. We shopped until we dropped for a handful of weekends in a row; slapping dust out of rugs and testing to see if dresser drawers would open with ease. When we touched down in Eugene, we made last-minute trips to funky furniture stores for the finishing touches.

For our little project, we were “balling on a budget,” as my mom likes to say. Almost every piece we bought for my apartment was second-hand. I wanted the vibe to be somewhat eclectic with vintage elements, but I didn’t want my space to have the cluttered feeling you often experience in the vintage stores we combed through. I love clean spaces. Like mother like daughter.

On move-in day, the lobby was bustling with college students and their parents. My dad fit right in with the active crowd, lugging furniture up the crammed elevator again and again. With his help, my mom and I were able to maximize our mini-install day. He made countless trips and cracked jokes about how much stuff we had and happily hung up wall art while my mom and I directed.

By the end of that long September day, the apartment came to life. Seeing the final result was everything I had hoped it would be. It was bright and had pops of color while also feeling spacious considering the apartment itself is not. It is so personal to me and I am tremendously proud of the space we created together.

My mom and I picked up this Bud Lite clock from a consignment store in the Midway District of San Diego. We kept an eye out for funky pieces like this one so it was impossible to pass up! Paired with the clear Ikea chairs, it became the kitchen statement piece. 

I was obsessed with these miniature chairs, from Ikea, the moment I saw them. I love all things mini and I also love cookies. We found an affordable cookie jar at HomeGoods to display the sweet treats. If you’ve seen my mom’s work, you’ll know that she loves to put jars on kitchen counters. I call it her signature.

My favorite thing in my room is my surfboard. I brought it to school with me to hang in my room, and it turned out exactly as I had envisioned. Not only is the orange a cool pop of color in the space; it is also a personal reminder of home. It allows me to surf the Oregon coast and doubles as decor!

The vinyl record covers are another special feature in my room. My mom and I spent a day at the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena, hand-picking vintage records from my favorite artists. I’m an old soul when it comes to music, so these make me happy to look at every day. 

My desk setup is a dream. This tray, with silver bows on each side, was exactly what we were looking for. Nestled in the back of a cluttered table at a used furniture spot in Eugene, it was our hidden gem. We found this vintage jewelry box and miniature perfume bottles at our local swap meet. The vase was a last minute find at T.J. Maxx and tied it all together. 

photography by Sophia Lynn

written by Sophia Lynn