shop smart

after decorating my old apartment a couple years ago, a neighbor friend stopped by and was amazed at how it looked. her walls were blank, her furniture was outdated, and she told me that she didn't even think about decorating the place and the difference in atmosphere it would make. i told her some of the places i shopped and where to get a good start and a few weeks later, her apartment was looking fabulous. sometimes it seems so hard to reinvent your place because of the high costs of furniture, etc, but if you shop smart using these tips and a little creativity, you can style your space in no time!

1) find an inspiration piece.

these adorable pink notepads, $3, available at big foot press's etsy.

2) if you can, splurge a little on one piece of furniture you can't resist.

mixing and matching basic design with something a little wild and out there will give your place just the spark you need for an eye-catching, yet not too over-the-top appeal. get this yummy piece of midcentury mouth-wateringness, $250, spearmint apostrophe chair at urban.

3) use the furniture you've already got.


in my old apartment, i had these horrible grandma pukey flower couches that a friend almost threw out. i needed some kind of couches because all i had before was an inflatable couch (hey, i'm in college alright?) so, i took them in and bought some slip covers. the first one i tried didn't work, it was too deep red for the look i was going for, so i took them back for some light beige suede-ish covers and it worked perfectly! many times it's hard to find the right size, but if you love the covers and they simply don't fit, stretch the covers over each piece and staple underneath (reupholstering techniques will be covered in more detail in the future). you can also use mattress covers to reupholster your couch. eddie ross has a handy guide on his blog.

4) shop ikea! (in small doses)

for only $60, get this basic and cute coffee table. a definite upgrade from ikea's previous and too basic four-leg-and-square table.

5) go thrifting, but remember to color coordinate.

thrift stores are filled with so many goodies, but sometimes it may be hard to find something that matches your style. with my last apartment, i oftentimes bought too many great things that i found at thrift stores, which ended up not matching leaving my apartment to look like a rainbow threw up on it. this coming year, i'm making sure i have specific colors in mind. if you find a piece that you just have to have, remember that you can always paint it!

this lamp looks like it might have been painted, which gets me all giddy inside because i found a lamp exactly like this but x10 at a thrift store a month or so ago, and i can't wait to find a perfect place for it in my apartment. i found these adorable photos and so much more thanks to whorange's recommendation of the interior styling pool on flikr.

6) find useful items packed with style.


headphones, sewing machine, owl bank, and bottle opener skeleton key all available at urban.