Apartment Blog

Are you experiencing some difficulty decorating your apartment? As I’m sure you already know, decorating a small space so that it looks good and works well can be a challenge. There are several factors to take into consideration when you’re trying to figure out the style, space limitations, paint restrictions, budget, etc. So I’ve compiled some quick apartment decorating tips that should help get your creative juices flowing.

While you’re focusing on the aesthetics of your room make sure you remember it needs to be functional as well. You’ll need places to store your mail, groceries and paperwork. Whatever requires your daily attention must be readily available! You can have organization without sacrificing your style just by having colorful/patterned/textured containers to store those items in. Various shelving units also help with organization. Multi-functional pieces, such as storage ottomans which provide seating and storage, are a bonus as they make your smaller space work better for you.

If you’re in an apartment like mine, you aren’t allowed to paint the walls. This makes it tough to express your true design. However, there are plenty of alternatives to paint for putting color on your walls. For example, you can do a temporary mural, a large framed poster/artwork, fabric, etc. One thing I’ve tried at my apartment is cling stickers. I found them at the Dollar Store! In my guest bathroom there are little shells and fishes swimming on my walls! It’s completely different than any other decorative element I’ve tried, but it works and best of all: they don’t hurt the walls! So don’t be afraid to think outside the box when you are decorating your space.

Given that you may or may not be able to paint, accent pieces play an important role in getting the maximum impact. In any room you’ll notice the items that carry the most weight, meaning the items that have more vibrancy or add an interesting element to the space. They can include lamps, vases, curtains, pillows, etc. Whatever your motif, add an accent color, shape or pattern with these items; it’ll provide the extra glam that you’re looking for. For example, a paper lantern floor lamp or a unique arch lamp will create visual interest while being functional and cohesive to your design.

I hope these tips help you on your way to creating your stylish apartment. Do you have any more useful ideas to share? I know we’re all in the same boat trying to find unusual decorating ideas with our restrictions, so let your ideas flow!

The warmer weather will be here soon. Everyone is starting to rummage through their home for ‘spring cleaning’ and getting organized for 2008. So while you’re focusing on the home front, why not consider an update to your home decor? According to MSN Shopping there are 5 trends that are really stylish for this spring.

Black & White

The pairing of these two serve as a perfect backdrop to a full spectrum of hues & shades of color. A current popular combination with black and white is accenting them with aqua and coral. Using them can add a cool, elegant and cosmopolitan appeal to your home. But if you’re looking for a classic look, explore variations of white such as warm ivories and icy arctic white. Using different textures (rugs, wall paper, furniture, etc.) around your space will complement each other nicely. I have loved the black and white combination since college and in my apartment I have this trend in my kitchen with the ever popular color aqua as an accent color on place mats and dishes.

Primary Colors

When you think of spring the typical color palette that comes to mind is pastels. However, this year that isn’t the case. Look for more tropical punch color combinations with vivid shades of cobalt blue, ruby red, deep forest green and splashes of juicy citrus colors. You could use this décor element for accent pieces such as pillows, vases and artwork.

Nature Inspired

The use of natural colors, textures and materials is gradually becoming a more popular trend in home décor. Peaceful colors like pale blues and minty greens work especially well in bedrooms and bathrooms. And I’ve seen numerous color schemes mimicking the ‘change of color’ season with burgundies, oranges and olive greens. Along with color, incorporating materials of nature such as bamboo and sticks work well in your design. A relatively inexpensive way to add interest and color to your room would be to frame botanical/forest prints.

Country Get-A-Way

A recent post of our ‘Romantic Get-A-Way on a Budget’ was about creating a one time get-a-way vacation for your loved one. Why not incorporate that into the design of your home instead of just for a holiday? If you particularly enjoy the simple life of country living, then have a room in your home focused around that. Use weathered, whitewashed wall treatments and handcrafted furniture. For inspiring ideas think of a faraway place and let your imagination run wild!

Beach House

Do you know a better way to have an airy, relaxed and comfortable feel to your home than by decorating it like a beach house? A casual and simple look would be a perfect retreat. Patterns in pastels and stripes work best and your color scheme should be limited to soft, natural shades like sky blue, aqua and peach. I personally have my bedroom and bathroom decorated in what I like to call ‘beach chic’. I have pale blue, cream, khaki and brown incorporated with bold stripes and touches of the ocean everywhere. To accomplish this look make sure you pay attention to detail by using seashells, driftwood or nautical instruments.

For the first time, it appears that I may be up with the trends. My apartment seems to be in good shape for decorating in 2008. What about yours?

Source: MSN Shopping; www.msn.com

The change in weather brings chilly temperatures; why not bring new warmth to your apartment! One way to do this is by decorating your home with autumn colors. Rich shades of reds, yellows, oranges, browns and greens will add a cheery and cozy atmosphere to your space.

Below are additional ways to welcome your guests in style this season:

I don’t know about you, but I am horrible with plants! I always see them in stores and think ‘Oh, that one is so pretty’, so I buy it and bring it home. The first couple of days I’ll water and nurture that plant but within two weeks I will have managed to kill yet another one. There has to be plants that are low maintenance enough for people like me!

Well, I’m in luck because there are several plants that will survive with me and my apartment conditions. So I thought I’d share a few of them with you!

These low maintenance or ‘hard to kill’ plants don’t require a lot of care such as specific sunlight for x amount of time or be watered two-three times daily. These plants are perfect for an on the go apartment dweller, like me!

	Ivy Ivy is super easy to take care of, just be sure you don’t over water it and leave it in your low light apartment & it’ll thrive! There are also a plethora of varieties of Ivy, such as: Glacier and Irish Lace, English Ivy and Persian Ivy.
	Spider Plants They usually do well as hanging plants and with a littler water now and then, they’ll stay healthy.
	Snake Plants This plant is extremely common in apartments and is notoriously known as ‘hard to kill.’ The snake plants don’t require much sun at all and only need a modest supply of water in the summer months (none in the winter).
	Bamboo This may be the ultimate ‘hard to kill’ houseplant. All you need to do is occasionally refresh the water in it’s water bowl and pull off the leaves that have died & the bamboo will do well. Simple!

I can tell you after learning this information; I went out and got a Bamboo plant. With very little maintenance, I have kept that plant alive for over a year now!

What about you? Do you have any other plants that might survive well in an apartment environment? Do you have any stories about plants? Let us know!

When trying to create a look for your new apartment, I’m sure many colors pop into your mind. Either you want your favorite color or perhaps a color scheme you had in your old place. Regardless, before you start decorating; check out some helpful tips for color combinations that work well together.

You could use a monochromatic color scheme, which is a color scheme that uses variations of lightness and saturation of a color. Using a monochromatic color scheme will help you accomplish a clean and elegant look as well as create a soothing effect. A good suggestion, should you want to use this color scheme, is to use greens and blues since their shades complement each other. As an accent color to the monochromatic color you’ve chosen, stick with neutrals such as black, white and gray.

Or for a richer look to the monochromatic color scheme, chose an analogous color scheme. This is where the colors used lie next to each other on the color wheel. One color is used as the main color while the other is used to enhance the scheme. An example would be yellow and yellow-orange.

Another idea would be complementary colors. I’m sure you all can recite a color and its complementary color (the color on the opposite end of the color wheel), but did you ever think about decorating your home in such a scheme? This scheme is extremely high contrasting and draws maximum attention to your room in your apartment.

Other color schemes that you could use include: Tertiary colors, which is any three colors that form an isosceles triangle on the color wheel, or using Primaries which would be using a primary color (red, yellow or blue). Warm colors are reds, oranges and yellows or cool colors such as greens, blues and violets.

While ideally these suggestions would be used for painting, if you live in an apartment community that does not allow you to paint, think of other methods! Use fabrics in the color scheme you choose or creative décor pieces, such as paintings and trinkets. Regardless of what color scheme you do choose, make sure you decorate your new apartment with colors that reflect your personal style-after all, you are the one who has to live there!

If you’re planning on decorating your apartment using color, check out the descriptions below as to what each color means!?

RED

Red is associated with energy, danger, power, determination, passion and love. It has very high visibility which is why stop signs, stoplights and fire equipment are usually red. Using a little bit of red goes a long way, so use small doses of red and it will be just as a larger surface.

ORANGE
Orange is a combination of red and yellow so it combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with sunshine, the tropics and fall. It represents enthusiasm and creativity. It is highly accepted among young people and is a great attention grabber. You can highlight the most important elements of your design by using orange.

YELLOW

Yellow is the color of sunshine. It produces a warming effect and is linked with happiness, joy and energy. Bright, pure yellow is a great attention getter but is used best as a companion color instead of a stand alone color.

GREEN

Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony and freshness. For an outdoorsy, sporty feel, use combinations with green and yellow with black or white.

BLUE

Blue is the color the sky and water. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, confidence, truth and heaven. It is considered to be beneficial to the mind and body and has a calming effect when used for decorating. When used with warm colors, like yellow or red, blue will create visually stimulating vibrant designs. When mixed with green, it’ll make for a natural palette.

PURPLE

Purple is associated with royalty. It signifies power, nobility and ambition. It is coupled with independence, creativity and magic. A purple room can boost a child’s imagination or an artists creativity. A light purple is a good choice for a feminine design.

WHITE

White is associated with goodness, purity and innocence. It is considered to be the color of perfection. Like the color Black, white compliments all other colors.

BLACK

Associated with power, formality, death and mystery, black usually had a negative connotation. Although it is considered to be a formal, elegant and prestigious color, it is also the symbol of grief. It does, however contrast well with bright colors.

So you’ve found you’re new apartment. Exciting!! You are unloading the rental truck with all your things and you start to notice all the boxes pile up. After you’re all done, you realize that you have more stuff than you have room to put it in!

When things seem to look cramped in your new place, you need to start thinking creatively. Here are some tips to help you maximize your small space.

Build up. Living in a 900 square foot apartment that feels 600 square feet? Look for unique ways to store your items. At many local retailers, such as Target or Walmart, you can purchase artistic and eye catching storage units. This will help you eliminate the clutter of the everyday items you use while also saving some square footage. Another method for building up would be to loft your bed or add bed risers. You’ll create space under your bed for additional storage while disguising it from your guests.

And don’t forget to use the wall space! The four walls you have in your room can serve as decorative elements. By utilizing the space on your walls, you are avoiding the clutter on your furniture (i.e. desks, bookshelves, etc.), hence giving the appearance of more room. So purchase a few inexpensive wall shelves to put your little knick-knacks on and purchase photo frames that hang up.

Also, try to find multifunctional pieces. A perfect example would be a futon. They serve two purposes, as a couch and a bed. In a studio apartment this would double as your bed and entertaining area. Or in a one bedroom apartment, you’d be making space for overnight guests. Another multipurpose piece is storage trucks or ottomans. While providing storage inside, it will still serve as additional seating in your home.

Another neat trick to invent more space in your small apartment is to fool your guests’ eyes. Mirrors is a perfect example of how to do this. Place one or several mirrors on the wall to make the room appear larger. Another tool that creates this illusion is a false window.

I know for my home I’ve used some of these tips, how about you? Have you put bed risers in your bedroom to use the space underneath? What about decorating on the walls to save space on your furniture? Do you have any more ideas that I have listed? I’d love to hear how you maximized your small space!