Sunday, February 27, 2011

Small Items that make a HUGE Statement

1. Lamps: Call them multifunctional for adding light and also being a piece of decor; but lamps are something every small apartment should have. Overhead light can be too harsh but lamps can light the hard-to-get places. For me, two or three white lamps will really bring out the fact I'm going with a chocolate and white theme. Plus, I really like white lamps. 
2. Shower curtains and matching hand towels: Coordinating these two small items in your bathroom means you need to do little else do dress up your bathroom. Using matching colours like tan, red or forest green keeps everything looking very neat. A matching rug would also be optimal as well. 
3. Flowers/Plants: A simple few pots of live plants makes a very large impact, even in a small house. You don't need to have a bamboo tree for your place to look great. A vase of fresh roses or dahlias, or an aloe plant by the window looks refreshing and also freshens up the air. People worry sometimes about too much state-of-the-art technology but going back to the roots makes for a cozy home. 
4. Clocks - Clocks come in all different shapes and colours, from round and white to square and wooden. Not only do clocks tell the time, but having one in a room just seems to always feel right. Everybody will occasionally glance at the clock to see what time they may need to leave, or what time their show comes in. Soon, you'd wonder what you did without one. Picking one with your kind of taste--whether oversized or small and chic, is the fun of it. 








Friday, February 25, 2011

IKEA Solutions for Home Office for Apartments

LAIVA DESK $24.99

SPACE-SAVING DESK

SMILLE GUEST CHAIR $29.99

Home Office for Small Apartments

Whether you are a student or a full-time worker, everybody needs an office for their printer, fax machine, computer, etc and to organize their paperwork and files. That way, when it is time for tax returns or to pay bills, you have all of your paperwork in one, neat area. Unfortunately, it would be impossible to construct a Trump-tastic desk in a teeny apartment but that does not mean with a little innovation you cannot create an impromptu desk!





Using hinge tables, a small corner or crevice or against a small wall--there is possibilities for a small home office. Perhaps a wall mounted desk and a simple chair will suffice along with some under table file cabinets. I want to add a small home office where I can use the computer and keep everything organized, and since space is at a minimum, a wall-mounted table would be the most likeliest. But these things can be very attractive. Adding a colorful vase on the desk or some paintings above the desk can help the area flow in with the rest of the house--as well as using a table that is the same colour as the walls.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

How To Spice Up a White Bathroom


The bathroom decor should always be chic and calming. You go to the bathroom to de-stress and to rejuvenate yourself. You want everything to be clean, bright and light. I have a white bathroom and I haven't gotten around to decorating it yet other than hanging up a canvas painting I created a year ago because I've focused primarily on the living room decor. I'm not going to paint the bathroom--I think the white really works in the space and I have wanted to accent the white with some trendy red decor like shower curtains, vase, soap dish, etc. Keeping it bright and cheery is a nice way to enjoy a bathroom. Red and white striped hand towels would put the icing on the cake!

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Putting It All Together

ONE OF THE MANY PAINTINGS GOING ON THE WALL

A BEGINNING OF AN ACCENT WALL

SOME BAR CHAIRS

DRESSING UP THE BOOKCASE
My manta is: You can never have too much art in your house. Anything can be made into art: wine bottles, old wood, anything. You don't always need to go to fancy art galleries to have a huge impact in your space. You can find art in the most creative places: empty glass jars with unique shapes, flower beds, old stones--even painting something that is plain and mundane just to add that extra spark. I am always rethinking ways to make our space homey, cozy and artsy...Think outside the box and go crazy. Even if you think it's a ridiculous idea--it's still your idea and that makes it unique and original.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Have Home, Will Decorate

SOME DECOR I PUT TOGETHER (AND THE TABLE TO BE PAINTED)--SIMPLISTIC.
GAUCHO PAINT LIVENS UP THE KITCHEN/LIVING-ROOM AND KEEPS IT MODERN SO I THOUGHT USING IT WITH WHITE ACCENTS WOULD WORK.
Thanks to Home Hardware, IKEA and our own homes, our home is semi-decorated. The paintings/wall shelves have not gone up because we were painting the walls gaucho brown. I think it is a lovely brown colour--not too light and not too dark. I was hoping for a chocolate colour but everybody feared it would be too dark for our small space. Since we are having our first guests over on Saturday, we have 2 more days to put some more touches on the place but for three days in, we haven't done pretty bad.

I have to say--painting without painter's tape is...difficult, at best. But we were determined and even though there is paint smeared on the ceiling, we are too tired to care. Tomorrow I am painting the black IKEA table white with some extra paint to keep the apartment fresh and bright, and add a white lamp and some white sconces to brighten the walls and add a sheen to the walls. Our bookshelf is empty but it will be filled with books and decor soon. Keeping the decor white makes the darker walls seem very modern. 


THE BEFORE PICTURE--PLAIN AND BORING
Whatever you put your mind up to, you can do it. It's all about getting out of your comfort level and being adventurous. Your condo/apartment does not need to look like everybody's else. It can have it's own appeal and speak of your own personality. I can't wait to see our place look fabulous and my own inspiration is originality from other people's own homes.



Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Working with Small Spaces








People often see a closet and use it as a closet, but sometimes that space would be better utilized as a small office or a bookshelf. I see a lot of little spaces in the apartment I want to use to its best ability like little ledges and window spaces. You can do a lot with a bit of space! All you have to do is think about functionality and be creative. How will it benefit you? Will yo get use out of it? Is it something you need? Some people cannot do with a dining table but if their apartment is too small, a dropleaf table can be a dining table and also a desk when not in use for eating. Areas that are used for multi-tasking are best in small spaces, it isn't like there is room for a sitting room, a parlour room, the den, etc to all be separate. Though we wish!

In Love With My Place

So now I'm moved in and some things have been unpacked I'm ready to do the funnest thing--PAINT! Yesterday I headed over to Home Hardware to pick up paint for the living room/kitchen--the first rooms we are going to paint today. The color we chose is called "Gaucho Brown". It was a close call between that and a lovely light gray but we just felt we had a lot of brown/white to work with in the house so it would be natural to go with it. Chocolate and white is such a lovely pair--the white pops against the chocolate colour and adds a homey, cozy feel. Luckily, our couch is brown as well so with a few bright white accent pillows and a white rug...well you can imagine how lovely it will all go. I'm excited/nervous to paint because I've never done it before! Hopefully I don't screw up!

I wanted to work with the walkway\hallway and a door-less closet near the front door. Right now we are storing the mop/brown etc in it but I am going to paint, add a mirror and a chest of drawers and some sconces. We will use it to put our mail, car and house keys, dog leash/collar, poop bags and miscellaneous items you have when you're walking in the door like a place to put a box of delivery pizza while you pay the delivery guy. I forgot we had a walk-in closet and plan to add lower drawers from IKEA for shoes and add some mirrors/art and a rug to lighten it up. It's a fantastic closet and I think if we unclutter ourselves, it will work for us. The bathroom just needs a new shower curtain, window curtains, some art, some nice soap holders, etc, candles and it's ready to rock. The kitchen is perfect we are just going to get a wine rack. I'm going to hang up some paintings today after the paint dries so it's coming along great. Can't wait to show the before/after!

Friday, February 11, 2011

Living Room Decoration - Designs and Ideas

Some of the living rooms in this video are simply stunning! No wonder they're more than words can explain =)

Tania's Apt (VIDEO)

Great digs! Worth a peek!

Bathroom Decorating

People don't usually think about the bathroom as a room that can make a lot of impact but decorating it can make a huge difference! A bathroom can be funky and eclectic or calming and relaxing depending on how you design it. If you want to use contrasting materials or contrasting colours, paint the walls or add art, using decor like fresh flowers or candles--the sky is your limit!

Fool Proof Wall Arrangements

How to Mount a Flat-Screen TV to the Wall For Dummies

To save floorspace (and the cost of a TV Table) putting your TV on the wall is a modern way to keep things simple, chic and functional. Flat screen televisions on the wall look contemporary and make it easy for you to utilize the open space for a walkway or other furniture. Similarly, there is products you can buy to complement a mounted TV such as a wall-mounted shelf for your DVD Player, XBOX/Playstation/Wii and products to hide unattractive cords dangling for a seamless, state-of-the-art entertainment area. The items to wall mounts are sold separately from your TV but you should make sure you know what kind of walls you have since not all mounts are the same! Now sit back and enjoy!

HOW TO : IKEA LACK SHELF INSTALL - HD

Wall shelves are trendy and functional, and to be even more artsy--you can paint them in a solid color or stripes or with motifs! But installing them yourself is not always easy. Thankfully I found instructions on YouTube to make the job slightly easier. Now it'll be easier to put your books, decor or files--or whatever that you want--up on display!

And Puppy Makes 3

Like most people, I love dogs. I couldn't imagine living without one and the very first thing I did (even before we moved out) was to find a dog. I would've gladly adopted a dog but the "right" dog who came our way ended up being a mutt puppy--a mix of red and blue heeler and Border Collie with unique coloring. It is a medium sized dog and if you know what a medium sized dog looks like in a small apartment--like a horse. 

I know I'll have to be strategic in planning how to properly contain the newest member of our family and still have a chic and clean flat, but I'm willing to work on it. His name is Benji Trouble and he's already won his way into my heart. I know he's going to be a great companion and the better I train him, the easier it will be to keep the flat attractive. I know Febreeze and static-remover brushes will be useful items in the house! Nobody wants a house smelling like dog. 

From prior dog-owning experience these are things you need to keep your house intact:

- a dog crate. This isn't to keep your dog locked up for long periods. Ideally, you shouldn't keep your dog in there longer than his age. Puppies under 6 months old shouldn't stay in a crate for longer than 3-4 hours at a time, and it should be comfortable and cozy for them. Think: cozy blanket, chew toys, bowl of water. The crate should be big enough for him to move around and turn in. 

-flea\tick leash and spray. Keeping bugs outside is important since you don't want an infested house. Brushing your dog regularly and a flea leash and formula is a good bet to keeping them at bay. 


-A cozy bed. If your dog isn't allowed on the bed or couch, invest in a dog bed for him to enjoy sleeping in. 


-Stain remover spray (Accidents happen)


-Dog shampoo (a clean dog means a clean house)


-Lint roller (to get fur off clothes, furniture, etc). 



   With a lot of exercise, dogs can definitely enjoy apartment living. Giving your dog something to do like agility classes keeps his mind busy and sharp. It is great to get him outdoors as much as possible--and there is a hidden benefit: exercise for yourself. I'm excited to see how incorporating a larger dog into our lives (and home) turns out. We've always had toy dogs so this is a new experience! Welcome home Benji!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Last Minute Inspiration

"To select well among old things, is almost equal to inventing new ones."
This is very true. That is why there is dozens of interior decorating websites and magazines--to give YOU the inspiration to invent a cool new house/room and also so you'll buy their brandname stuff. 
I LOVE HOW SIMPLISTIC YET HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT THIS COZY APARTMENT HAS.

PUTTING PHOTOGRAPHS ABOVE A BED AND PAINTING THE WALL ADDS LIFE AND PERSONALITY!


IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF BIG WINDOWS, USE A LARGE MIRROR IN IT'S PLACE FOR THE SAME EFFECT

MATCHING THEMES (BLACK & WHITE) AND MONOCHROMATIC COLOURS KEEPS THIS PLACE COOL. NOT TO MENTION THE SMALL DETAILS LIKE A VASE OF FLOWERS AND THE SIDE TABLE!

THE RED CARPET ADDS A PUNCH TO AN OTHERWISE DULL SET UP!


THE WOODEN TREND HERE IS APPEALING AND A SIDE TABLE WITH DECOR OR A COLLECTION OF SOMETHING, PLUS A LAMP IS A NICE WAY TO RAMP UP A BORING ROOM.

EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS SET UP SCREAMS COZY, SERENE AND PEACEFUL. THE USAGE OF POWDER BLUES AND ABSTRACT VIBRANT RENT PAINT WITH STRIPES KEEPS THIS COTTAGE-FRESH LOOK VERY MODERN.

THE USE OF CREAMY LIGHT COLOURS KEEPS A ROOM LIGHT AND BRIGHT AND CHEERY! ADD SOME COMFY PILLOWS AND YOU'RE GOOD TO GO!

UTILIZING SPACE AND KEEPING IT LOOKING NICE IS IMPORTANT. HERE, A DESK BEHIND THE SOFA LOOKS VERY NATURAL WITH THE LEATHER EMBOSSED WHITE CHAIR AND MATCHING WHITE DESK. EVERYTHING FLOWS SEAMLESSLY.

A POP OF ACCENT COLOURS IN DECOR CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE ON A CREME AND WHITE PALETTE.
   I like to just have beautiful rooms on display so I can peruse through them and perk up on anything I see that I'd like for my own space.  There are some creative-minded people out there with fabulously decorated and innovative homes! 

How to Paint a Living Room : Rolling the Ceiling to Paint a Living Room

Hmmmm, to paint or not to paint the ceiling?

Painting - Rolling Walls the proper way

Interior Painting Tips - Using a Roller

How to Paint Walls : Common Mistakes When Painting With Roller

I am pretty sure I would've made ALL the mistakes in the video!