(image courtesy of http://www.shelterrific.com)For the record, no, this is not my apartment.
Those who know me personally know that I just completed a cross-city move. In Boston, this isn't very far, only a 15 minute drive from point A to B. Regardless of distance, a move is a move and nothing kills inspiration like packing boxes, labelling items, wrapping breakables in newspaper, hauling bags of clothing in and out of U-Hauls, unpacking and reorganizing. That being said, I've been a delinquent blogger. Apologies.
However, inspiration hit mid-move when the decorating process started. I moved in with K, a close friend from prep school, and our friend R, a graduate student. We're all twenty-something girls in a fairly spacious apartment on Commonwealth Avenue. One graduate student, one law school student and a full-time young professional means we're all on the dreaded B-word. Budget. Hopefully one day (sooner rather than later), budgets are a word banished from our minds, bank accounts and worries. Until then, we're decorating on minuscule funds. Something tells me we're not the only ones. Over the past week, I've compiled some observations to remember for my next move on how to design on the cheap and make an apartment feel like home without needing to eat Ramen noodles for the rest of the year.
A creative, cute and personality reflecting shower curtain is absolutely necessary for a bathroom. Don't just settle for a plain beige vinyl one. We opted for a fabric outer shower curtain with brown, pink and white vertical stripes. For funky prints and shower curtains with plenty of life to them, Urban Outfitters answers all needs. I have my eye on the Paris Collage shower curtain.
Art, art, art. It doesn't have to be expensive. It doesn't have to be tacky. I purchased A Year In Fashion with fashion-based Getty images. With some help of poster putty, I collaged a wall of favorite images that display my own personal style. With three leftover images, K and I are off to find inexpensive frames (think basic, no border needed) and hang them above our cabinet by our front door. Stylish and inexpensive. Try it with magazine advertisements, favorite Vogue covers or old issues of The Look from Neiman Marcus.
Storage doesn't have to be an eyesore. On a rent budget, enough closet space is difficult to come by. Grab furniture that Mom and Dad no longer want (thanks parents!). Find old antique trunks to store out-of-season clothing and jackets. Repaint bureaus and shelving units. Make a skinny bookcase into a jean wall. Storage doesn't have to equal plastic drawers and shoeboxes.
Movers and soon-to-be movers, good luck. I'll see you all browsing the apartment furnishing department at every Boston area store. Just don't try to nab the last cute curtain out of my hands. I don't like to share.
-M
