Bedroom

Moving into this new apartment was the first time in which I actually had access to the apartment before the day I was scheduled to move in. This meant I could paint without having to maneuver around furniture! I decided to take advantage of this opportunity and paint my bedroom. Just as a reminder, here is what my bedroom looked like when I took possession of the apartment:

After being inspired by posts I had recently seen on other blogs, I had my color! The post that really sealed the deal was from Courtney on Courtney Out Loud. Courtney painted a wall in his living room seal grey, by Glidden. He then stenciled the wall, which looks AMAZING. However, I'm not sure I have the patience nor the skill to pull that off! So for now I have just gone with the seal grey. I got it at Home Depot (That's who carries Glidden, at least in this area.)

Above: Franklin enjoys the new color on the walls

I am really happy with the color itself and the way it looks in the room- I just need to do a little touch up/detail work at this point. As you can see, Franklin is enjoying it.
The light is kind of funky in these pictures, obviously I took them a little later than I should have. They'll have to work for now but perhaps I'll take some better ones soon.

Another thing I did, that you can see in the pictures, is put up some white curtains over the sliding glass door. I think they really add to the luxurious feel of the room.
The pictures point out to me a few things that are needed: A HEADBOARD!!, a chair for the desk, some other stuff for the walls. I'm sure an idea for the walls will come to me eventually. I'm enjoying taking my time arranging and decorating. As you can see, for now I've just been leaning things against the wall where I think they might eventually go.
Also, any suggestions about what I should do with that mirrored bookcase? Paint it white? stain it? Leave it as is?

Balcony Progress

I've lived in my new apartment for just over a week now. I have spent a significant amount of time setting things up (I'm all unpacked, just not all decorated) or thinking about how I would set things up, and also have done some shopping to get new stuff I needed!

I spent much of last weekend looking for a set of chairs and a table for the balcony. And I looked EVERYWHERE. Target, Walmart, Home Depots, Kmart, Ikea, another Target, Lowes, another Walmart, Big Lots...another Home Depot...we looked everywhere.

We ended up finding the perfect set at the second Home Depot! It's a black metal, cafe size and has two chairs. It was on sale, and I was able to use a coupon I had for 10% off from my "welcome to the neighborhood" package (because I changed my address with the post office.)

I finished off the table with some flowers, in a pot from Ikea, and two pillows I previously made and had on my couch.  I am very happy with the end result here, and have already spent some time with my computer sitting at the table. Once the humidity drops a little I am sure I will be spending lots of time out there reading, with my computer...eating...drinking coffee. Ahhh.

There are lights out on the balcony, but I would love to add a cool fixture of my own. I am still looking for a good outdoor light- perhaps a nice string of patio lights or even just some white "christmas" lights?

Just for completeness, I have some other pictures of the other side of the balcony to show you. Along with those mums for the table I got some bigger ones for each corner, and put them in similar white pots. I have also put the small little bench thing that I previously had in my living room outside, with a side table. The kitties really love sleeping on/under this bench, and it's another nice option for hanging out on the balcony.

And so you can see it all together- here is the best picture I could take of the whole balcony (ignore the cat brush in the middle there!).

I tried to get a picture of Franklin and Eleanor hanging out on the balcony, but of course, as soon as I appeared downstairs they were very excited.

So does the balcony look exactly as my mood board from a couple weeks ago? Not really. At least not yet. It's definitely a work in progress, and now that I have a really awesome table and chairs I can focus on the other seating (or wait until next year since its going to quickly get colder). I have at least created a very usable space by spending very little, and leaving lots of opportunity for more projects in the future!

New Apartment Tour

Well, I have officially moved. Moving was awwwweeessommme. Actually, I still have a few things at the other apartment--like a fan (don't need that anymore--new place has central air), an ironing board (ha!) and some other random stuff. Also I need to do a final cleaning and then I can turn in my keys and I'm officially moved!

I spent Saturday painting my bedroom and moving boxes myself with my car, and Sunday I had movers to move the big stuff and anything else that was ready to go. My couch is a little bit bigger than others, and it would NOT fit in the door way, no matter how the movers tried to angle it. In the end, we tied straps to the couch and hoisted it up over the balcony railing on the second floor. I only wish I had enough time to snap a picture of my 8 foot long 3 feet wide purple couch suspended up one story.

Anyway, I thought I would share photos of the rest of my new pad. You've already seen the balcony, but here is the front door. I think this area might need some work- at least some sweeping, a rug and maybe a plant. 

Immediately inside the door is a set of stairs. Its a narrow space, so it was hard to take a good picture of, but this is the best I could do.

Right at the top of the stairs and to the left is the main living area, with a HUGE closet on the right.

Seriously, that closet could fit a twin sized bed. If I organize it well, it can be my guest room! The living space is all open, which I love. And, it poses new decorating challenges. I have never decorated an open space like this. You can tell that they intend for the smaller area on the left side of the picture to be the dinning area (see the light fixture on the ceiling? How cute would a chandelier look there??). On one hand, that seems like it would be cute, but on the other, maybe its too easy? Maybe there is a better spot for the table?

Above is another shot of the living space. The hallway leads to the bathroom, bedroom and LAUNDRY ROOM!

First my bedroom- there is a sliding glass door that leads out to the balcony here. There is another in the living room, but I don't seem to have a picture of it. The bedroom is reasonable large, and has an excellent closet with lots of potential.

The bathroom and laundry room really aren't that pretty to look at (yet), but here they are:

And now back to the kitchen-- the kitchen has a lot more of several key things than my past apartments- DRAWERS, CABINETS, and COUNTER SPACE. It also features a dish washer and a garbage disposal! 

I have already painted my bedroom and am doing my best to get all the boxes emptied out. I will post about my bedroom in the coming days, by the end of the week at least. This has been a very tiring project so far, I've been far too tired to blog!

Big News!

While the apartment I currently live in serves me well, my lease is up mid-august and I AM MOVING!!

This is awesome news for my blog, as decorating a new apartment will surely generate lots of material about which to write.

My current apartment has 2 bedrooms and is about 670 square feet. It also has wood floors in the bedrooms. It doesn't have any outdoor space or a dishwasher, and I have to pay to use the washer and dryer which are in the basement.

My new apartment is 1 bedroom, but 970 square feet, and has a balcony, dishwasher and washer/dryer IN UNIT! Both the living room and the bedroom have sliding doors that go out to the balcony. The kitchen/dinning/living room is one big open space. 

I'm super excited to work on decorating an outdoor space. Since I decided I would be moving, I've been paying super close attention to other bloggers posts about outdoor spaces. If I could choose anyone to come furnish my balcony for me, it would probably be Nicole from Making it Lovely- Infact, my inspiration for the bench/loveseat that I'm after is straight from her blog.

Nicole posted this picture just days after I had seen the same bench in Target, but we have had similar luck in tracking one down.

I found another contender, this time at JCPenney, but had similar issues- on backorder online, and not available in the store. Also this bench was quite a bit more pricey than the Target version and the Ikea option.

She then decided to go with two benches from Ikea, and I can't lie, I think thats a pretty solid option. The benches look very fetch on her front porch:

Could my balcony look like that?

I also wonder, could I use more than 2 of those benches as a sectional? I've always wanted a balcony that is like one featured on Style Channels show "Dress my Nest" with Thom Felicia. This outdoor space was designed for Audrina Patridge, of MTV's show "The Hills." Both her  space and her budget are bigger than what I have to work with, but it serves as excellent inspiration.

I think the important things to remember are: streamlined upholstered furniture, bold throw pillows, and accessories. I'm seriously excited to start working on this space!
I was able to get into my unit today to take a look (previously I had only seen units like it), and I took some pictures. I'm not going to share them all at once, but since we're talking about the balcony I figured I could share those.

I will be on the second floor. You can see the balcony is rather larger- according to the website it is 18'6 long and 5'4 wide. I probably would have guessed it is wider. As you can see, there are TWO sliding doors-- one in the living room and one in the bedroom. My cats are going to love running laps, I'm sure.

Below: Potential Balcony set up:

Balcony by aburlock on Polyvore.com

AMMERÖ, $69
NANDOR, $70
AMMERÖ, $129
MOLGER, $40
CHRYSALIDOCARPUS LUTESCENS, $15
ASPLENIUM, $7.99
PACHIRA AQUATICA, $25
Patio Pillows - Solid Blue Outdoor Pillow Set of 2 : Target, $30
IKEA | Outdoor furniture | Tables, chairs & storage | BLANKÖ | Table, $40
Outdoor Patio Decorative Pillow Set - Blue Pattern Set of 2 : Target, $30
Recycled-Glass Lantern | west elm, $9
Wood Trays | west elm, $22

Welcome to My Home, Volume 2: Recent Thrifting Finds

I wanted to share some of my recent thrifting finds. I like to browse the Salvation Army, looking for treasures, which I sometimes find. This week I was particularly successful. After seeing it in several kitchens in blog land, I decided I needed to start my very own collection of colorful Pyrex dishes. Boy, was I in luck!! I found a Spring Blossom Green mixing bowl. Apparently collecting vintage pyrex is kind of a cult thing, there are several websites devoted to it- the one I used to identify the bowl I got is www.pyrexlove.com. In case anyone is looking to buy me a book to guide my collection, there is "PYREX: The Unauthorized Collector's Guide (Schiffer Book for Collectors)" available for sale.

This picture makes the bowl look particularly scratched- I think its just how the light is coming through. Regardless, Its a good start to my collection and will look nice in my cabinets or on my counter. Not bad for $2.99.

The second thing I found doesn't have a name...at least not that I know of. It's metal- perhaps bronze, it has a lid like a jar, but is also has cut outs. It is very pretty. I imagine using it on my dresser or in the bathroom, to store cotton balls, q-tips or even make up brushes. I really dig the cut out pattern--it reminds me of the lamp in the living room. This little gem cleaned up very nicely, and maybe, just maybe, will look even better after some spray paint. Kelly green, anyone? This baby was a little more expensive at $4.99, but I had to have it.

The last thing I bought is a pair of wooden candle sticks. Sure, they look silly now. But after a cleaning, a light sanding and some spray paint, they will look completely different. The hardest part here is deciding what color! I could go wimpy- white or black,or something more dramatic? Can't beat the price here at $1.99 for the pair.

Trying my Hand with Jewelry

I love tortoise shell. I have long been in love with a certain tortoise shell watch by Michael Kors, although I have been unable to find it in person. I'm not entirely in need of a watch, although I wouldn't turn in down. Below is the original watch. 

In attempt to find a similar but not exact watch, I came across lots of (spendier) alternatives:

(how cool is that wrap one??)

I also looked for tortoise shell jewelry. This was a bit harder. I found two really good candidates, at Lands Ends:

In the end, the Lands End pieces were a little more pricey than I wanted (although much better than the MK watches). The bracelet was originally $49.50, although is now on sale for $26.99 (hmm, maybe I SHOULD buy it), and the necklace was $89.50, now $48.99. 

One day, I did find a decent candidate at Target for $7.49, and although its both a watch and tortoise shell, it quickly proved that its not what I want. It doesn't lay flat, a near deal breaker for a detail oriented person like myself.

So in the end, what did I do? Attempt to make one myself, of course. I found some beads at Michaels that are very close to what I wanted (although not a chain) and decided to DIY (or, DIM- do it myself). It really wasn't so hard, given the right tools. In addition to the wire, clasp and beads, I purchased a book with some instructions, a crimper (like pliers, specifically for beading), and crimp beads.

 In all, I spent about $50 but I have enough beads left over to make another piece, in addition to two clasps, lots of wire and of course the crimper and book. I am very happy with this investment, and of course happy that I am able to tell people that I made it. I've had comments about how it looks like its from Ann Taylor, etc, which of course pleases me. :) It was quite a quick project, I made it in one evening while watching tv (and even had to restring twice) and wore it out to dinner with friends the next night! 

Truth be told, I don't love the clasp, and I think its probably made for a necklace, so if I ever come across a better clasp I will restring once again.

Bench Redo

A couple weeks ago I found this bench at the Salvation Army. That particular day they were having a sale- if you bought a piece of furniture and took it that day, you got 30% off. This baby was marked $7.99, and lucky for me, they considered it furniture. I got to take it home for just about $5. 

 

I purchased 2 yards of brown zebra print fabric (WAY too much) from Joann's, a button covering kit, 10 yards of nail head trim (didn't need that much, but that's how it came), and an upholstery needle. I spent approximately $40 on these supplies, but I have many things left over for other projects.

It look me a couple hours to remove the original fabric-- tons of nails, thumb tacks and staples holding that stuff on. 

Once I got that off, I was lucky to discover a rather clean and intact seat. The structure of the seat itself seems to be pretty solid, I was expecting it to be questionable. 

 

It only took about two hours to recover, make the buttons and put them on, and add the nail head trim. These steps were all very easy! I was surprised. Putting the buttons on was probably the most time consuming step. I tried to tuft it a little- it was hard to achieve the level of tufting that I wanted. I think its something I can rework in the future, perhaps with some stronger thread.

The last step was to paint the legs of the bench. I cleaned them first (gross!) and then sanded, and used a dark brown paint with a shiny finish. I am honestly considering painting the legs black now because I don't think the brown is dark enough. The zebra print is brown, and the lighter brown paint makes it look more black.

The last part of the project (save potentially repainting the legs) is to figure out where this beauty is going to go. Franklin and Eleanor are enjoying using it in the living room as an elevated bed, so it may stay there for now. There is also the option if it becoming a foot rest/table in my office (with the chair that I bought with the intention of recovering). Now that I have tried my hand at recovering something, maybe I will attempt the chair!