Choose the best lighting for your decor and taste. Let your style shine!
‘Throwing light on the subject’ does more than just reveal the truth of something.
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When it comes to your apartment, the right light can illuminate your good taste and create the mood of the space you want to live in.
Read on for ways to banish shadowy recesses and squinty spaces with the best lighting choices for your apartment home.
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But what happens if you combine the two? You have a mix of old and new, with sleek furniture and neutral colors representing modern decor, and rustic lights and wood pallet art representing vintage decor.
Click on the infographic above to learn how to pair items and create the perfect combination of modern and vintage in your apartment.
Don’t forget a sewing kit when you move into your first place.
Photo Credit: iStockphoto/Nadzeya_Kizilava
As you prepare to move out of the house or dorm and into your first real apartment, you will have a long list of items you need to buy, borrow or steal. For starters, there is the furniture: a bed frame and mattress, dressers or drawers, a couch and other seating and a table. Then you’ll need staples like dishes and cookware and cleaning supplies.
In the midst of all this shopping and packing, a few things are bound to slip your mind. So before you move, make sure you have these five essential items often left out of a first apartment.
Tool Box
While setting up decorations and picture frames, making small repairs or replacing batteries, you will need a tool kit. However, these handy tools are easily overlooked when moving, especially by girls. You don’t need to make a major investment in your tools (nice and detailed boxes can cost hundreds), but make sure you have the basics: hammer, pliers, screwdriver, wrench, nails and screws. This kit will make your life much easier when a picture falls in the middle of the night or your necklace breaks as you’re about to leave.
Storage Bins
At your childhood home, you are likely to have much more storage room than in your new apartment, so finding places to put all of your stuff in a tighter space may be a challenge. After ciphering through your things and throwing the junk out, buy a few cheap but durable, large plastic bins. Use them to store off-season clothes, school and home supplies, extra blankets, sheets and pillows or books and movies. Then, move the bins to the back of your closet or under your bed.
First Aid Kit
Accidents happen, and you should always be prepared for the medical variety with a first aid kit. Whether you buy it or build it, yours should include: tweezers, ibuprofen, adhesive bandages (several sizes), antibiotic ointment, hydrogen peroxide, medical tape, gauze, rubbing alcohol and gloves.
Lighting
Since most apartments come equipped with the big lighting fixtures, the smaller ones are often left off apartment checklists. You’ll need lamps for your bedside table and desk and perhaps for extra lighting in your living room. You’ll also need a flashlight and candles in case the power goes out. Therefore, make sure you also have appropriate battery sizes and matches on hand.
Sewing Kit
You may not be the next fashion designer or expert seamstress, but you should know how to (or at least have the supplies for) re-sewing a button or quickly stitching up a small hole. Sewing kits are cheap and contain a few needles and small spools of the most common colors.
Tomboy Tools, Inc., an Entrepreneur Magazine Top 100 Brilliant Company, and provider of hands-on education and high-quality tools for women, sponsored this post.
In the age of on-the-go meals, TV dinners and takeout, the dining room can be an under-appreciated space. Show a little love to this often underutilized room by making it pull double duty. By adding simple elements to glam up your space, you can easily transition this room from daily dining to sophisticated dinner party. Here are a few dining room decor ideas to get your space into tip-top shape in no time.
1. For lighting, dial up the drama by creating a grand cluster of humble lanterns. The key to transitioning from everyday to glam is making the most of your ambiance. Use existing lighting and add 10-12 Chinese paper lanterns to create a conversation piece that diffuses the light and makes a grand statement. The lanterns come in three sizes and are around $10, while you can find packs of 10 lanterns from retailers such as Oriental Trading. Hang each lantern from a brightly colored ribbon attached to your existing chandelier. Cluster the lanterns loosely – it doesn’t have to be perfect to make a bold statement of visual art and give an element of the unexpected. Have some fun with it, and play with color palettes to match your theme, like bright pinks if you’re planning for a spring fling party. Just be sure that the lanterns do not come into contact with a bare light bulb.
2. Turn wine bottles, cake stands and candles into stunning centerpieces. By using everyday items, you don’t have to break the bank to create a homemade candelabra with major visual impact. Oftentimes in decorating, the most humble of things can transcend the sum of its parts when you gather and cluster. If you’re anything like me, you might have a few empty bottles of wine lying around the house. So instead of tossing them out, soak 15-20 empty bottles of wine in soapy water so you can easily remove the labels. Keep the bottles all green hues or all white, or get creative and mix and match. Use tapered candles in each bottle and cluster the bottles together in the middle of the table. For an unexpected candelabra that tricks the eye, use one tall and two shorter cake stands, and cluster votive candles on top, playing with different heights and levels. You don’t have to do anything else to make an impact; it’s that simple.
3. Freshen things up with flower arrangements. Use greenery and other elements of nature to create something that is more special than the everyday. It’s important to be mindful of the freedom of conversation, so keep floral arrangements low so guests feel comfortable conversing with table mates. Carnations are often the redheaded stepchildren of the floral world, but they are an inexpensive, accessible option that can make a big impact when clustered tightly in teacups or low bowls – just make sure to show the fluffy heads of the flowers, no leaves. Use your own backyard for inspiration, picking up branches, fallen leaves and flowers to create the power of presentation.
This article was written by TV host and design expert Kim Myles, who partnered with Apartment Guide for the 2012 “Your Picks. Your Place.” sweepstakes. Kim Myles won the HGTV reality series “Design Star 2” and hosts HGTV’s “Myles of Style.”
One of the easiest ways to inject a little personality into your space is to mix up the styles. Modern meets organic when you combine an urban, silver arc lamp base with a funky, rustic DIY bird’s nest lampshade. Get started on this DIY decor project with these simple steps:
Supplies: (1) Drum-shaped lampshade, (1) roll of paper raffia, scissors, (1) lamp base or pendant light
Step 1: Use the point of your scissors to poke a small hole along the top seam of the lampshade. Cut a one-yard length of raffia. Thread one end of the raffia through the hole and tie a knot to keep the raffia in place.
Step 2: Begin wrapping the raffia around the lampshade. To achieve a bird’s nest look, it’s important to be random in your wrapping – overlapping, weaving over and under, and leaving slack to achieve a “messy” appearance. When you reach the end of your first piece of raffia, poke another small hole in the lampshade (preferably at the top or bottom seam), thread raffia through, and tie a knot to secure.
Step 3: Continue securing with small knots, then wrapping and weaving raffia until you achieve your desired look. Note: Avoid using glue, as it may show up as a dark spot when the lampshade is lit.
Step 4: Attach to the lamp base or pendant light as you would a typical lampshade.
This article was written by TV host and design expert Kim Myles, who partnered with Apartment Guide for the 2012 “Your Picks. Your Place.” sweepstakes. Kim Myles won the HGTV reality series “Design Star 2” and hosts HGTV’s “Myles of Style.”
Avoid flower shock by keeping in mind these tips and tricks for doing floral decor.
With temperatures rising all across the nation, it couldn’t be any clearer that spring is officially here. Warmer weather means longer days and the chance to get outside for the first time after a cold, lengthy winter. If you’re on top of your game, you’ve most likely done your spring cleaning already, which means that your home might be ready for a makeover. You might find yourself wanting to commemorate the coming of spring in your interior décor, too. Decorating with florals is a hot new trend, but it’s tricky to master the art of floral décor without overdoing it. Luckily, with a few tips and tricks and keeping in mind some things to avoid, you’ll be able to seamlessly integrate florals into your room’s existing décor.
No Limits—Just Keep It Balanced
It’s important to keep in mind that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to decorating with florals, other than to keep it balanced by not overdoing it. The key is to limit the amount of florals to a few key elements in the room. So if you have a floral chair in your living room, pair it with a couple of throw pillows that are more neutral to showcase the floral element without becoming too busy. Or spruce up a boxy, dark-colored couch with a simple flower patterned lampshade or square throw pillow. Choose a simple floral rug to tie the room together.
Mix and Match
When decorating with floral prints, it’s important to match existing common accent colors in the room when mixing in floral elements, or at least keep in mind complementary colors. For example, pink or red flowers might look good next to white, grey or pale yellow, but stay away from other bright colors like blues and purples. Offset a particularly flowery piece with something decidedly non-floral, like a blocky coffee table or a vintage lamp.
Go Modern
One way to avoid a tacky, cluttered look when decorating with florals is to avoid the “old granny” look of some floral designs by taking a more modern route. Choose decorative floral elements in bold, unexpected monochromatic colors like white or black to really make things pop, like these black and white floral vases or this black and tan upholstery fabric, that makes florals look stylish and sophisticated. You can also utilize larger, more graphic prints to give a more modern feel, like these botanical prints, which also look great framed and bring a nice modern element into your interior decor.
Traditional, Not Tacky
If you gravitate toward the more traditional floral designs, all is not lost. You can still incorporate more feminine, whimsical elements into your interior décor without overdoing it. Choose traditional floral wallpaper for a smaller room, like a study or bathroom, but only use wallpaper on a single wall and keep the rest of the décor minimal to avoid flower shock. Choose traditional prints in more muted, vintage-inspired colors rather than gaudy, bright colors to tame the floral feel.
Size Matters
Make sure to keep in mind size and scale when decorating with floral pieces, as well as what you’re going to use the decorative element for. If you’re thinking about upholstering a piece of furniture or decorating with floral wallpaper, a print that contains one large floral element repeated a few times might look better in your space than a print that contains small flowers repeated many times. But on a smaller scale, such as a lampshade, pillow or decorative napkin, tiny flowers stand out without feeling overwhelming.
Photo credit: iStockphoto/stocknroll
Brighten up your apartment in winter by opening windows and decorating with spring-inspired fabrics.
In the winter, things can just seem a little… dull. Freezing temperatures, shorter days and draining winter nights can bring even the most cheerful of people down into a winter-induced depression.
But the good news is that even though you can’t change the dreary weather outside, you can change your indoor environment into something warm, cozy and bright in a move that can directly affect your mood and happiness. By following a few simple tips, it will be springtime (at least in your apartment) before you know it.
Shine a Light
Like it or not, the freezing temperatures can make it difficult to get outside and get some sun. So when winter’s chill forces you inside for long periods of time, just make a few simple changes to let the light in. Keep shades up during the day to let in the maximum amount of light. Or, if you have heavy window treatments, swap them out for translucent curtains to maintain privacy while still letting in sunlight. If you can, try to spend a few minutes each day sitting next to the window, as sunlight provides us with Vitamin D, which can improve mood. Consider changing your regular light bulbs into full-spectrum light bulbs during the winter months. Even though they’re a bit more expensive, these bulbs actually mimic natural sunlight, giving you a boost of spring in the dead of winter.
Smells Like Spring
Our sense of smell is one of the most powerful senses we have, so much so that, with the right fragrance in your home, you will be seeing wildflowers, fresh linens drying in the breeze and expansive fields instead of snow and sleet. In addition to the warm, comforting glow that burning candles give off, the right scented candle can remind you of spring. Choose fragrances like lavender, rose, verbena, fresh linen and jasmine to get your mind thinking spring.
Grow Some Cheer
What better way to cheer up your apartment than by bringing in fresh flowers and plants that constantly remind you of the coming of spring? Head to your favorite neighborhood florist and choose a long-lasting bouquet of flowers in the brightest spring colors. Pick out a few green plants that can help improve the air quality in your home, such as a peace lily, a Boston fern or a marginata. Or, if you’re up for the challenge, buy an inexpensive glass bulb vase and a few bulbs such as narcissus, hyacinth or daffodil and watch spring unfold before your eyes.
Make Room for Décor
A few strategically-placed décor elements can help transform a dark, chilly living room into something warm and cozy. Get your favorite oversized chair reupholstered with a fabric that’s splashed with bright, floral prints. For something easier to maintain, pick up a few throw pillows in lively, spring colors to transform your space from drab to fab. Décor accessories such as vases, candy dishes and other glassware can add a fun, funky element to an otherwise dingy-looking room in winter.
Photo Credit: iStockphoto/jossdim
A modern feng shui interior includes plants, lots of light and natural elements.
Maybe you’re familiar with feng shui, or maybe you’ve just heard the term and are wondering what it means. An ancient Chinese practice involving the aesthetics, shape and symmetry of objects, rooms and buildings, feng shui is used to promote harmony and balance in everyday life. No matter how small your apartment in, you can make just a few small, inexpensive changes to improve the feng shui in your apartment without spending a lot of time. Read on to find out more.
De-Clutter
Perhaps the most important step in introducing feng shui but often the most overlooked, clearing out clutter in your home is an exhaustive yet cleansing process necessary to promote a harmonious home. Rid your space of anything that does not serve a purpose.
Let There Be Light
Proper lighting is essential to improving apartment feng shui. In fact, it is one of the elements necessary to producing good feng shui energy, called “Chi.” Choose sources of light that are soft, comforting and relaxing, instead of harsh, fluorescent lighting. Color is also considered a source of light, so keep that in mind when choosing paint colors and accompanying accent pieces. Fill your space with vibrant art pieces or nostalgic photographs to increase good energy. Open windows to let natural light in as often as possible.
Water, Water, Everywhere
According to ancient feng shui tradition, water is believed to be an auspicious element, bringing wealth and prosperity. If your apartment is located near a lake, ocean or other natural body of water, consider yourself extremely fortunate. Pools, ponds or fountains are also considered bodies of water that bring good luck. Consider bringing in a fish tank or aquarium to bring an element of water into your home and promote greater fortune.
Plant Power
Part of feng shui involves bringing elements of the outside into your inside space to promote balance and harmony of the elements. Choose low-maintenance plants that also provide an element of air purification, such as the Bamboo Palm or Rubber Plant.
The Trinity
Overall, be mindful of how the feel of your home contributes to your health and well-being. Do you feel comfortable and relaxed? Is there just a bit too much clutter? Do I feel a positive or negative energy? Focus on the three elements of the feng shui trinity when asking yourself these questions—the bedroom, the bathroom and the kitchen. Your bed should always be placed with a solid wall at the head. A solid wall provides an element of strength and security, which leads to deeper sleep and more restfulness. Place a big mirror in the bathroom to increase energy and give the illusion of a bigger space. The kitchen should always be filled with plants or flowers to create an uplifting energy. Paint or decorate the kitchen with accent pieces of yellow, as this color promotes digestion.
Add a touch of romantic decor to your bedroom with certain colors and textures.
If your four bedroom walls are white and you’re feeling the room is a little stale, breathe new life into it by making it over with romance in mind. In honor of August being Romance Awareness Month, turn your bedroom into a soft, inviting place to be by following the eight tips below.
Turn off the TV – or remove it from the room altogether. On that note, remove cell phones and computers from your bedroom so the room becomes a place just for sleep and intimacy.
Go minimalist. Now that you’ve gotten rid of the technological distractions in the bedroom, lose the visual distractions, too. You don’t have to take all of the art off the walls or the pictures off the dresser, but see if you can pair down the décor some to avoid distractions.
Add candles in a romance-inducing scent. Essential oils containing the sensual, earthy fragrances of jasmine, Neroli, rose, Ylang-ylang, sandalwood, cedarwood, clary sage, clove, patchouli, pine and Vetiver are thought to be aphrodisiacs. Try to find reed diffusers or candles containing these scents.
Change your bedding. Purchase luxury silk or sateen (typically cotton) sheets in at least 400-thread count that invite you to go to bed early, and top them with a quilt, which makes you want to curl up and get cozy. Quilts also evenly distribute heat, which may make you and your partner want to snuggle under the covers. Don’t forget a throw in cashmere or soft Supima cotton.
Think sheer. Make your bed a canopy bed by attaching sheer fabric over your bed to a hook on the wall above your headboard. Hang sheer curtains in gauzy fabrics such as linen or silk over the windows, which will give your bedroom the feeling of an Arabian palace.
Put a little color in your life. Restaurants have long figured out certain colors of the walls invokes the appetites of their patrons. The same is true for stoking a fire in the bedroom – only don’t use the same colors as fast-food restaurants. Instead, paint your walls lavender, sage green or light to cornflower blue to invoke feelings of relaxation and balance in your bedroom.
Reconsider the lighting. Light your room with lamps that have two to three options for brightness, or install a dimmer switch on your overhead light. Or, replace your bright white lamp shades with patterned ones or some with warmer neutral colors, such as beige, tan or off-white. You want the room to feel soft and comfortable, not harsh and bright.
Photo Credit: iStockphoto/edoneil
