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. 

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!