It’s a toss-up whether Taylor Doran loves her 590-square-foot apartment on Brush Street or her enchanting, friendly neighborhood — Detroit’s historic Brush Park — more.
“There are coffee and brunch spots, great restaurants like Grey Ghost [on the border of the Brush Park and Midtown neighborhoods] and Spanish-inspired Leña,” Doran says. “I can see many from my windows.” She also gives nearby Bar Pigalle’s French fare a thumbs up.
Doran lives above Brush Park Bodega, a charming grocery store and bar. “When you walk into Bodega, you either know people or recognize everyone there,” she says. “And everyone seems to have a dog in this neighborhood. There are lots of 20- and 30-somethings and young families. There’s a huge sense of community here, yet it’s relatively quiet for living in the city.”
Doran, the marketing director at Bloomfield Hills-based Newmark, a global commercial real estate company, has lived in Detroit for several years. Before signing the lease for her City Modern-based abode last December, she lived in a 420-squarefoot studio apartment in Woodward West, just north of her current home.
Along with the additional space, Doran is crazy about her 12-foot ceilings and big windows, which bring in plenty of sun to keep her plants green and healthy. But it’s not all light. She has created a dark and moody interior with deep colors that make the space feel warm, cozy, and inviting. Pattern and texture, she says, are the icing on her design cake.
Doran says, “I choose pieces that bring me joy and surround myself with things I love,” including Cece, her Chihuahuaterrier mix. “That makes coming home feel a little more special every day.” Here’s how this resident made a generally conventional studio apartment into a stylish sanctuary.
Sofa, so good: Doran’s durable, hand-me-down, dark navy velvet couch comes from Restoration Hardware.
Dreamy drapery: “I love drapery; it makes such a big difference,” Doran says of her curtains from Zara Home.
Raising cane: Doran notes that wicker’s texture adds warmth. Her tall living room wicker lamp features an inviting, curved shape.
Under foot: The dark purplish rug is from ruggable.com, and the polka dot rug is from Target.
Dot diva: Doran’s rug, mirror, and flower art showcase a dot pattern. “I love polka dots or patterns that look like dots; my family makes fun of me because when I see anything with a dot pattern, something in my brain goes off,” she says with a laugh. “Seriously, I think they add a whimsical, carefree, playful element.”
Gotta have art: “The biggest challenge has been finding artwork that can fill the large walls without stretching my budget,” Doran says. Her favorite pieces include a flower painting from Commune (Grand Rapids), the black and white Andy Blank paintings above her bed (she stumbled upon the artist on Instagram), and a black bubbletrim mirror from Rebel (also in Grand Rapids).
“I appreciate that the flower art is an original and not a print.”
Cherished chair: A couple Doran dog-sat for has a “great white chair” from Target. “Because they look good and hold up so well even with a dog, I purchased one, too.”
Fabric fanfare: Doran’s green bedding is from Quince (“I shop there for literally anything”), topped with tiger-print tan pillows from Lulu and Georgia and brown leather pillow covers from Amazon.
Plant mom extraordinaire: Doran sources her plants from all over, including The Plant House in Ferndale, where she purchased her rubber fig tree five years ago. “It was less than half the size it is now.”
Charged up: Cordless chargeable lamps rank high on Doran’s list. She found a little maroon one on Amazon. “Cords are an eyesore,” she says, adding that she has her eye on renterfriendly sconces (Poplights).
Inspiration central: Doran turned to Pinterest for inspiration when decorating her coffee table. “I knew I wanted darker colors and greens,” she says. “Have you seen shoppers at Home Goods putting items together and creating displays? I’m one of them.”
This story originally appeared in the October 2026 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Click here to get our digital edition.
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