Apartment Blog

Some years you have everything planned out well in advance. Some years, you don’t. This may be one of those Halloweens where you can’t think of the right costume, you forget, or you are invited to a costume party at the last minute! No worries, here are  3 last minute “Costumes” you can throw together to still show up to the party in style:

• 1. BodyGuard (Men) - all you need is a shirt that is three times too small for you and you might be able to look somewhat buff. Combine that with a pair of “Men in Black” sunglasses and blue jeans and you can arrive to the party in style. You might be able to partner up with someone at the party who dressed up as a movie or sports star and make it seem like you came together.
• 2. Librarian (Woman)- Everyone loves a librarian. Get some dark rimmed glasses (I hear the dollar store has a good selection), your most boring outfit, and some books and head out of the door to the party. You may look like a geek but you will fit in with all of the other costumes at the party.
• 3. Ghost (Generic)- All you need to become a Ghost is a blanket and an imagination. People may suspect that you forgot to get costume, but at least you will get a few laughs out of it. You can also have fun all night creeping up on people and scaring them, while wrapped up in a blanket.

Mind you, these are last minute costumes.   They are cost effective and a life saver.  Don’t laugh, they could come in handy this year!!!

It’s time to get creative! If you’re decorating style is stuck in a rut but you have little to no money to do anything about it, check out these great ideas. Most don’t require you to purchase anything, just using things you already have in your house. But boy will these ideas do the trick!

• Turn a quilt into a headboard. Drape it over your existing headboard or nail it on the wall to frame your bed.
• Prop up art to conceal cords. No one likes to see them all the time, use random frames to conceal them.
• Repurpose bracelets as napkin rings. This serves as a trendy and funky way to decorate your table.
• Dress up a dresser with ribbons, different colored ribbons would make a big impact.
• Paint legs of old chairs, or paint a different color on all the chairs at your dinning room table. This can be a great conversation piece.
• Wrap boxes with wrapping paper for a decorative & functional piece. Can be used all over the apartment.
• Unused wine glasses as candle holders. Simple and classy.
• Use clips from the office to hold photos or post cards around the house.
• Upgrade a lamp shade w/ribbon or paint it a color you’d never find in a store.
• Use a planter as a side table for the bedroom or the living room. All you need to do is add a glass top. This is very cheap compared to purchasing a new table all together.
• Rearrange furniture-like on an angle. It’ll make the room feel refreshed!
• Find any magazines or books that have photos in them that you like. Cut out the photos and frame them around the house.
• If you have a full bookcase, remove one shelf of books and treat it like a shadow box.
• Gather all your accessories that are the same color from every room in your house. Don’t worry how they relate or what you bought to go with what. Now…group all of them together on a tabletop.
• Remove all the pictures scattered around one room and rehang them on one wall, together - “salon style.”
• Instead of centering one big piece of art over your bed, hang one really small piece of art. It will have even more of an impact.

Check out your apartment and see how you can incorporate our suggestions. Or if you have any ideas that you have used before, please share! These tips were collected from Real Simple Magazine and House Beautiful.

Feeling inspired to decorate this year? As you may have read, decorating your apartment was number four on our ‘10 New Years Resolutions for Renters’ blog.  So we’re here to provide you with the styles in home décor in 2009, getting inspiration in pattern, environment and texture. See for yourself…

1. The Devil Wears Prada: Being a fashionista is hard work! So why not incorporate the style of your clothes into your home décor? Embellish your outfit with some gems; then incorporate those gems into the style of your apartment! One way to do that would be with decorative pillows. Pillows are said to be dressed in high fashion this year, so you better hit the stores for the ones that express your true style.

2. Van Gough: Who doesn’t love a beautiful art piece? I know I am also captivated by art in my, and other’s, homes. In 2009, art is a big ‘YES’ for interior decorating. Show your appreciation for local or nationally recognized artists by having a beautiful painting sit center stage in your apartment. A more creative way, if you’re talented, would be to make your own masterpiece! Now talk about a one of a kind piece.

3. Pattern & Textures: Who doesn’t love a nice paisley? Or a striking animal print? Or luxurious silk sheets? This year, home décor will incorporate all your favorite patterns and textures. Stripes and geometric patterns will appear in decorative accessories and furnishings all over the stores. Be sure to incorporate one that fits your style best!

4. One decorating trend you’ll see this year is the sanctuary feel. Create a safe haven for yourself in your home. This environment will be something that comforts and offers you refuge from the outside world. For this type of décor, simple, serene colors will work best. The cool color palette (blues and purples) exemplified this idea. And I would suggest something that reminds you of a peaceful place so you can escape.

5. Another decorating style you’ll find is MODERN. Modern can be defined as a contemporary style that would include classic pieces with a new twist; re-interpreting the definition of classic. A sophisticated modern style would have the edginess of new shapes and designs while also including timeless elegant pieces.

For pictures of these ideas and more, visit DecoratingDiva.com.

Every year people make resolutions for the New Year. Most resolutions circle around weight loss goals, money or time with family and friends. This year, we want to provide New Years resolutions specifically for renters!

Take a look below:

1. Start 2009 fresh….if you’re tired of the apartment community you live in now? Visit ForRent.com to find a new apartment in your area!

2. Follow the trend of 2008 into 2009, utilize tips for ‘going green’!

3. Feeling overwhelmed from 2008? Get organized in 2009!

4. Have you been saying you’re ready for a new look? Then spice up your decorating style in 2009 with a few decorating tips!

5. Wanna get fit this year? Why not utilize your apartment communities’ amenities?! Go to the Fitness Center to work out!

6. Is your goal to spend more time with family and friends this year? Become a terrific cook with these recipes and you’re bound to have more gatherings at your apartment!

7. Need to save money in 2009?? Consider getting a roommate, browse these roommate tips.

8. And if 2009 is another year that reminds you you’re alone, considering getting a pet! Weigh your options by reading pet-friendly apartment tips.

9. If you’re thinking of relocating to a different area, be prepared! Research as much information about that city/state as you can; one place to do so would be at our City Guide.

10. Another great resolution is to get to know your neighbors!

ForRent.com hopes you have a happy and safe New Year! See you in 2009!!

Thinking about throwing a holiday get-together? ‘Tis the season for elusive, ugly and tacky Christmas sweater parties!  Tacky sweater parties are a perfect theme for a fun yet festive party. Follow these tips to throw a successful tacky Christmas sweater party this holiday that is cost effective.

1. Send Invitations: Send out an evite to all of your guests and have the image be a picture of you or your grandparents in their favorite holiday sweater. Be sure to provide all of the details (especially the fun ones like the games and prizes included).

2. Find the Best Tacky Christmas Sweater: The best part of the party is OBVIOUSLY the sweater. Here are some ideas on places to find these fabulous outdated fashion statements: Garage Sales, Family Members (aka. Grandma and Grandpa) and Thrift Stores.

3. Don’t Forget Accessories: Accessories can often times make the tacky sweater that much tackier! Go to your local drug store and look for lighted pins, reindeer antlers, Santa hats, tinsel and more!

4. Make a Centerpiece: Creating a neat centerpiece that can actually be devoured is ideal. Make a ginger bread house with candy and icing to use as a centerpiece for the food table. Something tells me that this will be eaten after tip #9.

5. Provide an Award: Have a trophy personalized that says “Tackiest Sweater Award 2008″. After all of the guests have arrived, simply have them write on a piece of paper who they think should win and then count up the votes.

6. Food: Select a potluck style that will work best for you and your guests. For example: (1) appetizers only, (2) bring your favorite dish, (3) assign each guest to bring an appetizer, main dish, or dessert, or (4) as the host, you will provide the main dish (a turkey, ham, etc.) Try and coordinate this in advance so you don’t have duplicate dishes.

7. Beverages: There are a variety of factors to consider when selecting your beverages for your party. It’s important to have something available for everyone’s likes and dislikes. Be sure to have a variety of mixers on hand as well as non-alcoholic drinks. Having a pre-made themed beverage also saves time and money while still being festive.

8. Keep the Bathroom Line Entertained: All those beverages can certainly call for a long line at the restroom. Decorate your bathroom door with wrapping paper, ribbon and a bow and have people sign the door and write a message on the wrapping paper. The messages are bound to be great conversation starters and ice breakers.

9. Play Games: Set up a scavenger hunt with two teams. Create a checklist of all the items to provide to each team. Each team is then responsible for taking a picture of each checklist item as proof. Here are some checklist ideas: Find a street name that has a Christmas theme, take a picture with your team in your sweaters in a 7-11, sing a Christmas carol to a stranger as team, Find a Santa and sit on his lap, kiss someone under a mistletoe, find something showing one of the 12 days of Christmas etc…) This is absolutely hilarious.

10. Give Prizes: The winning team of the scavenger hunt or games that you play can receive prizes. Some good prize ideas are DVD’s, gift cards, candles, books etc… Wrap them up and put them under your tree. You could always go the gag gift route as well.

Best of luck with planning your next Tacky Christmas Sweater Party. Do you own a festive sweater that makes your friends laugh/cringe? Send it my way, and it may appear on our blog. (Please include your name, city and a brief description of the photo.)  

By Simon Phillips 

If you live in a furnished apartment, a great way to add your personal touch to the décor is to use furniture slipcovers on the couch and chairs.  Not only can slipcovers hide unattractive or unfashionable upholstery, they have the added bonus of protecting your landlord’s furniture from wear and tear.  If you accidentally drop a slice of pizza on the sofa or your friend’s kid leaves mucky fingerprints on the arms, it’s much easier to wash a slipcover in the machine than to scrub the stains out of the upholstery by hand.

Slipcovers also come in handy if you’re furnishing your apartment yourself, especially if you’re trying to decorate on a tight budget.  It’s easy to find cheap or even free secondhand furniture from yard sales or family.  However, the disadvantage of secondhand furniture is that it’s not necessarily going to be to your taste.  Used sofas tend to look their age, with outdated, dirty or worn upholstery.  Also, it’s common for thrifty renters to acquire separate items - an armchair here, a loveseat there - rather than be lucky enough to find a matching 3-piece suite.  The beauty of slipcovers is they can solve all these problems, by making random seats match and giving old furniture a more modern style.

It’s relatively inexpensive to buy ready made slipcovers, especially if you shop around to find the best offers and clearance sales.  A 2-seat loveseat cover typically costs around $40 to $50.  A bonus of buying one-size-fits-all, mass-produced covers is they are designed to fit pretty much any furniture.  So, you can re-use them if you move to another apartment or if you buy your own furniture in the future.  The fabrics are usually hardwearing cotton or polyester, or a blend of both, and can stand up to lots of use and regular washing.  Stretchy fabrics that contain Spandex are also available, and are good for getting a really tight fit.

Of course, couches and chairs come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, so sometimes a ready made slipcover might not fit properly.  Custom slipcovers are more expensive and really only worth it if you’ve got a good quality seat you’re going to use for a long time.  But for renters on a budget, there are a few tricks you can use to help get a slipcover to fit.

For instance, if a slipcover is slightly too big and there’s a lot of loose fabric, tuck it all tightly behind and to the sides of the seat cushions.  Poking it in with a wooden spoon helps.  To secure it and prevent it becoming untucked when you sit on it, either buy some purpose-made plastic grippers or make your own from rolled up magazines and rubber bands.  You can push these into the gaps around the seat to stop the excess fabric untucking.  Another trick worth knowing is to use an old blanket or towel to add padding to narrow or wooden arms. 

So, if you’re looking for a way to put your own stamp on your apartment’s décor and get a coordinated look without spending much money, why not invest in some slipcovers?

Simon Phillips is a professional writer, interior design enthusiast and co-founder of www.GetSlipcovers.com.  He particularly enjoys finding ways of furnishing and decorating his home for less.