by worak

Bamboo Baskets In Japanese Decorating

My daughter’s first apartment was a real adventure. She and her dormitory roommate from college decided to move in together, even though neither of them had a lot of money. They had started in nice careers, but putting a deposit down on an apartment, buying basic furniture and paying off student loans used up a lot of their money. Using the decorating style known as “late basement/early attic”, they begged borrowed and stole some pieces but needed some unique decorating touches to make the apartment truly their own.

Their plan was to decorate the place and then invite all of the parents for a nice dinner and to view the results.

Well, their decorating efforts took about six weeks, but the day finally arrived and we were invited to dinner. I wanted to bring a nice house gift, and, knowing my daughter’s fondness for bamboo baskets, I filled one with soap, hand cream and small hand towels for her new bathroom. As soon as my daughter saw the basket in my hands, she started laughing. It was not until I stepped into her apartment that I realized what was so funny. There were bamboo baskets everywhere, since this is how they decided to have a unique and inexpensive decorating scheme. Bamboo baskets were placed around the room for various uses, there were bamboo place mats and the theme was carried to the flooring with grass mats.

The bedroom had an oriental theme, and large bamboo baskets formed the bases for her bedside tables. They were very sturdy and shaped like vases, and with a round glass on top, there were perfect to place a lamp, a clock and some books. Her closet organizing system was a series of bamboo baskets and a bamboo hamper.

I was very glad I brought a bamboo basket for the bathroom. Bamboo is a neutral color that goes in any room. My daughter said I gave her the idea to put some large baskets (to match the small one) on the floor of the bathroom to hold towels, since they had no linen closet to store towels.

I was very proud of how my daughter decorated her small apartment with a lot of taste and very little money. As she saves money to decorate, she can add on to these items and make it look even better. I’m happy she is having such a good time decorating her first real apartment and she is so proud to be doing it herself with money from her first big job.

From www.ThePanamaTeam.com, a Video Showing the Model Apartment, 2D, of Gorgona OceanFront Condominium, a HAUS PANAMA project, on May 27th 2008. Gorgona OceanFront Condominium is located in Gorgona Beach ( Nueva Gorgona, Panama, in the district of Chame ) just 80 km, (1 hour drive) from Panama City and 1 hour and 15 minutes from Tocumen International Airport. Units still available for sale from 6000, fully furnished and decorated the same as the Model unit. 30 minutes from Playa Blanca and Decameron Resorts and just 10 minutes to Shops, Restaurants and Shops in Coronado and San Carlos. 5 minutes to La Runina restaurant and bar, Gorgona. Brought to you by The Panama Team SA 1-800-717-7523 www.ThePanamaTeam.com Exclusive condominium of 8 floors and contemporary architecture. 6 apartments per floor Ocean views from all apartments. 2 or 3 balconies per apartment. Swimming Pool. A professional interior designer is decorating and furnishing these units, including window dressings, wall decorations, sheets and pillows, ac and kitchen appliances. Brought to you by The Panama Team 1-800-717-7523 www.ThePanamaTeam.com

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Are you looking to add a little personality to your apartment, but you aren’t allowed to paint the walls? Here are some helpful tips on how to add a little color without using paint.
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by Island Spice

Interior Decorating Secrets for Apartments

So you have a small apartment. You are possibly wondering, how do I make my small space look comfortable and inviting with out looking cluttered? I have your answer. Actually several answers.

First of all start with looking around, notice the placement of windows and which way the light reflects in the rooms during different times of day. You do not want to blind someone, who could possibly be visiting, by that stunning sunset. Also look at your current furniture and the colors that it is or is not. Some colors can make a room look small, clinical and cold.

Good warm toned colors also make it more comfortable for you to live there. Browns, Reds, Yellows, and Oranges are great colors to open up space and make the room warm and inviting. Use accent rugs to help with the addition of colors as some Landlords do not allow you to paint. Sofa Covers are a great way to add color and save from wear and tear on your furniture.

When choosing a color scheme please note that you should choose something that is easy to clean i.e., browns and grays. White is not a good choice, unless you plan on never really living in your place.

Try to look at the big picture, small living rooms mean that you shouldn’t get a sectional sofa. Instead try a small love seat or futon couch. Not only does the futon couch help with space but it can be converted to a bed for those single room apartments.

If you are on a budget and don’t want to get rid of your current bed and you are in a studio apartment try a bed that looks like a bunk bed with out the lower bunk. That way you can store your dress and other articles under the bunk and enclose it with a curtain and no one can see your unmade bed up top. This is very useful for bachelors.

Try creating rooms with the use of decorative screens. It can make a single room look like two or more rooms are there. Also remember your curtains, they should be allowing the light in, the more light you allow in the bigger the space looks.

Use a small bistro table as a dining table. It is intimate and makes for a great coffee talk spot. If you are lucky enough to have some one in your apartment remember to always hide your laundry. Laundry laying around makes the apartment appear cluttered and small.

Plants are a great way to make your room appear bigger. Try hanging them from the ceiling or by using hooks on the wall. Don’t forget the importance of mirrors. The use of mirrors can make your small apartment look large. Use a focal point and angle your mirror towards it, it gives the illusion of depth.

Most importantly make sure you always have a clean space, it is always bigger when it is clean.

Ok so now you have gone and cleaned, you are noticing that the apartment still looks small. Question your storage. You need some ideas for storage you say? Well I am full of them.

Look around and if you notice you have lots of magazines lying around get yourself a magazine holder. It is a handy little box that is decorative to your specific likes and it cleans up your tables of clutter.

Get your self a footrest that has storage inside of it. It is nice for when the surprise guest comes over and you need to store something quickly. A coffee table with storage underneath it is also a wise choice. The more storage you have that isn’t added clutter makes your life easier.

Wall shelves help to eliminate tabletop mess. Put your collectible gnomes on a small wall shelf and look at all the free space you have just created for yourself.

All of the suggestions presented here to you are easy do it yourself projects. You can get most of these easy to use items at your local all purpose store and hardware store.

by SPeND

Alternatives to Candles in your Apartment

In most (if not all) apartment communities, burning candles is actually against the rules. Naturally so, because if you are burning candles, you may be putting an entire building and not to mention several people’s lives at stake. Sound severe? It’s not. Fires caused by candles happen more often then you’d think.

All it takes is a small gust of wind, a cat, or your uncoordinated-clumsy boyfriend to knock over that pretty smelling yankee candle and make the whole building go up in flames. That reminds me….did you sign up for renters insurance yet?

If candles aren’t an option you are definitely still in luck. There are several great alternatives to having yourself a little burning wick with melting wax. Check it out:

If it’s a fine scent that you’re after, try Glade® PlugIns®. They come in a ton of different smells that keep your place smelling way better than a measly apple cinnamon candle. Lamp oils or incense are also great options for spreading a little scented love around your apartment. The best part of all of these: none of them use an open flame!

I truly hope that you aren’t trying to go George Washington on me and read by candlelight, but if you are indeed needing the candles for light…please work your way into the present century with an invention called the “light bulb” You could go with electric candles, lamps, or a night light if you are needing to get around in the middle of the night. Needing it for mood lighting? Try opening the blinds a little and letting the moonlight spill in or use the calming iridescent glow coming from your computer monitor. Okay, I’m kidding about the monitor, but you may even want to try using small track lighting with dimmers. They can set the mood really well too.

And if you are using candles for heat…please…PLEASE…use something that can actually provide you with real warmth like your central heating unit.

When you actually think about it…candles really aren’t that practical…so I figure…who needs ‘em? Those archaic-old lighting utensils belong in a wax museum.

For more info on apartment living, check out: ApartmentHomeLiving.com

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by Orignaux Moose

Ten Tips For Decorating a Small Studio Apartment

Studio apartments can be difficult to decorate because everything is basically all in one big (or not so big) room. Sometimes this small space has to accommodate several different activities: sleeping, entertaining, cooking and an office area.

Here are ten tips for decorating a small studio apartment:

1. Provide enough storage. Try to find furnishings for your apartment that will do “double duty.” You can even find chairs and ottomans that have storage areas inside of them. Just lift up the top and there you will find space for blankets, pillows or other items.

2. Use containers to hide clutter. Buy wicker baskets or old steamer trunks to store out-of-season clothing, linens and towels. They will look great and contain all of those small items that make a room look cluttered.

3. Use mirrors to reflect the light. A large mirror or several small mirrors placed strategically can make a small space feel lighter and larger. If you like a more modern style of decorating, furniture and tables with metal or glass can visually expand the space.

4. Don’t block the light. Covering every window with blinds and draperies can make a small room feel dark and crowded. Leave windows bare or only cover with sheer draperies to let the light shine through. Light always makes a space seem larger.

5. Place furniture in “rooms.” Try to create specific areas for specific activities. Put a bed and dresser in one area for the bedroom and a sofa and coffee table in another area. Having your apartment furnishings put any-old-way can make it cluttered and uninviting. You might have to leave out the bed and use a sleeper sofa if your apartment is super-small.

6. Create a focus. If you are lucky enough to have a fireplace, accentuate it. Even if you don’t have a natural focal point, create one. Painting just one wall a different color will draw the attention into the room an make it seem bigger. Put a large credenza or entertainment center on that wall and decorate it with beautiful accessories.

7. Use dividers for larger apartments. You can find beautiful dividers in both thrift shops and high end furniture stores. Use them to enclose various areas of your space. I saw an episode on HGTV where they used four beautiful wooden dividers to make a separate bedroom. It not only provided a private sleeping area, but also created another “wall” on which to place furniture.

8. Keep clutter at bay. When you have a small area, clutter is not an option. Too many knick-knacks and too much furniture crowds everything together too much. Keep your necessary items, such as extra bed linens put away in a dresser or wicker baskets. Kitchen counters should be kept clean with everything in the cupboards…if possible.

9. Another trick for a small space is to buy furniture with legs and that are higher off of the floor. Your eye will look “under” these pieces of furniture and add visual space. Furniture that is blocky and low to the ground makes a room appear more crowded.

10. Paint with lighter colors. You don’t have to use white, but using paint colors that are lighter in color expands a space more than dark colors.

Decorating a studio apartment can be a challenging task, but using the above tips can help you get started in the right direction.

by sassyradish

How to Make Your Apartment Bathroom Look and Feel Larger

Unless you live in a custom-built home, you probably wish that your bathroom were a little bit larger. While it’s not a problem for homeowners to completely remodel and redecorate, apartment renters are rather limited in their bathroom decorating decisions.

There’s still a lot you can do to upgrade your apartment bathroom without replacing tiles, removing fixtures or knocking down walls. These simple apartment decorating tips can make your bathroom look and feel larger quickly, easily, and best of all, cheaply.

Choose the Right Colour Combination

You might not be able to tear down the wall – but if your landlord gives you approval, you might be able to paint over it. Choose pale, soft colour schemes for your bathroom, as they tend to give the illusion of more space. Bright, strong and exciting colours (such as red) should be saved for accessories and towels that will make the white, pastel or neutral background “pop”.

Just like the walls, the floor will appear to open up if it’s done with a light or neutral colour. If you’re renting an apartment, you won’t be able to replace the flooring – but you can put down a large, light-coloured rug if your bathroom has dark or unflattering tiles.

Mirror, Mirror …

Mirrors provide the illusion of expanding a small space without adding a single square foot. You might want to consider a couple of smaller mirrors arranged artistically throughout the bathroom to really open up the space.

Cut Out the Clutter

A clean, neat bathroom will always look bigger than a cluttered bathroom. Yes, this means you’ll have to spend some serious time organizing your stuff, and as most apartment bathrooms are already short on space, you’ll have to get creative with your storage in order to make the most of what you have.

First, cut down on the number of towels, rugs, pieces of art and decorative accessories. Then, store everything you don’t need out of sight. Consider keeping any supplies that aren’t frequently used in closets and drawers – tall and thin cabinets always come in handy when space is at a premium.

This doesn’t mean you have to hide everything out of sight, though. There are plenty of attractive smaller storage options that allow you to put your items in place and on display at the same time, including over-the-door racks and suction-cup-mounted trays.

Keep the Visual Pathway Open

Finally, here’s a simple way to increase the amount of space in your bathroom with a single swoop of the arm – push back the shower curtain to one side when it’s not in use. If you can see all the way to the back wall (instead of just to the curtain), your eye will think the room is larger.

Work With What You’ve Got

Remember, if you’re living in an apartment rental, decorating the bathroom can be a challenge because you ultimately have to work with what you’re provided, not against it. You can’t tear everything down and start completely fresh – but with a little bit of planning, some creative organizational skills and clever use of colour, you can easily make your apartment bathroom seem more spacious than it really is.

by alphabetjenn

Home Decorating Ideas

Apartment Decorating

In today’s economy everybody is spending less, but wanting more.  So how can you get your apartment to have that “Designer look” for less?

First, DIY or Do it yourself.  You can save tons of money with your home decorating projects if you can do it yourself.  Visit your local book stores or library and you’ll see hundreds of books on home decorating ideas and do-it-yourself projects.

Start collecting design magazines and clip out the pictures of rooms you like.  Study your pictures, observe the different architectural features like windows, fireplaces, recessed ceilings and decorative crown mouldings in the space.

Also note the different furniture styles used within the space, window treatments, upholstery fabrics and floor selections.  Study the lighting that was selected, rugs and home décor accessories.  Ask yourself, what did you like most or least about these? 

Keep a decorating file on hand to inspire and delight your creative senses.  Take the pictures with you when you go shopping to keep you on track with the style you are searching for.

Take a trip to your local Lowe’s and Home Depot stores to see all the DIY books and magazines they carry to help you get started. They also have special classes to teach you how.  DIY doesn’t sound so scary now, right?

Second, start with one room and third, stick to your budget.  Sounds easy?  Well, in fact it’s easier than you think.  I think what really hangs people up is that they are overwhelmed by the magnitude of the project.  That’s why I say start with one room.  It’ll be much easier on the budget. 

Did I say “budget”.  Don’t fret.  It’s not such a dirty word.  And in this tough economy, even the rich have a budget.  You can decorate these days on a very tight budget.  It’s just learning how to be smart and creative.

(I would like to inject at this point that if you are considering on hiring the help of an expert instead of doing it yourself, make sure to ask the expert for referrals of customers they have helped in the past.  Hire only reliable, reputable contractors and ones that guarantee their work.  Get a contract in writing.  I am not responsible for who you hire.  Do your homework!)

However, if you are going to do this yourself, and YES YOU CAN, you will need to evaluate your budget, which will be determined by if you are doing the whole apartment, or room by room.

Other factors to consider to stay within your budget are the size of the room, the design theme or style you want to achieve, what needs to be replaced or repaired, and furniture, fixtures or accessories you will need to purchase.

Apartment decorating is fun and exciting.  You can make any home spectacular, inviting and comfortable, no matter what the size.  So let’s get started.  First, analyze the room you will decorate and determine what it is that you like and don’t like about the space.

Now think about your personal style you would like to achieve in the space.  If you’re not sure what your personal decorating style is, shop a few furniture stores and designer showcases in your area.  You will get lots of home decorating ideas this way.

They group comfortable settings together called “vignettes”, pronounced “vin-yets” in different styles.  This will help you determine the styles you like and don’t like.  You’ll begin to affirm what strongly appeals to you and what doesn’t.  And what you would like to incorporate into your own space. 

Now, ask yourself these questions:

What do I feel most comfortable in?  Do I like formal or informal?  Casual or elegance?  Traditional or contemporary?  Your personal style is an expression of who you are, what you like, your tastes, your moods, your life experiences, travel, education and so forth.  It shows YOU, by way of color, texture and style, just by what we display in our spaces.

Color is another factor to consider in your design theme.  You’ll want to pay close attention to what colors excite you and make you comfortable, happy, or even sad.  Are you drawn toward warm colors like reds and yellows?  Or cool colors, like blues and greens? 

Besides the furniture stores, you can also get great home decorating ideas by surfing the Internet.  With just a simple click of your mouse the world of decorating is opened up to you.  You can get decorating ideas, hire experts, get DIY project ideas and purchase the products you want, all through the amazing world of online technology.

You’ll be simply amazed at the many online stores that cater to your budget.  From flooring, walls and windows, to window treatments, furniture and accessories, you’ll get tons of great ideas, as well as great prices you can afford, to start your journey on your apartment decorating.

Cost Cutting Ideas

To get the best deals and stay within your budget, shop these places:

Craig’s List, Ebay, Amazon, Overstock, Second-hand stores, consignment shops, garage sales, flea markets, auctions, friends that throw stuff out, garbage bins (yes, it’s amazing the “new” stuff that is thrown out every day!)

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by telepathicgeorge

Apartment Hunting Tips – Rental House Decorations

Those considering renting houses instead of renting an apartment can still be subjected to some restrictions when it comes to decorating the living place. Restrictions could be extremely strict or more lenient, depending on the leasing agent. Therefore, the renter needs to know exactly the conditions under which he or she might operate some modifications in the house and then apply them. Homeowners might not be happy to see that you want to modify their places, therefore some conflicts and frustration might arise.

Knowing When To and When not To

Knowing when it is the right moment to stop decorating or not can vary from case to case; if you live in an apartment, then you might not be able to do many decorations. The case might be more flexible when renting a house, but be sure to know exactly when to stop. Renters might look for leasing agents who allow more liberty in decorating the living space and thus, some decisions might be based by judging this aspect as well.

Homeowners might be willing to allow renters to modify a little the environment around, for instance by painting the walls in a different colors, by hanging up some pictures and make some decorative shelvings. Also, the extensive decorative items, including knocking down walls and flooring might be prohibited because they fall into the category of major modifications. Therefore, renters need to know exactly what is allowed and what is not, therefore, make the specific arrangements. While professional modifications might be allowed to be made, you need to consult exactly your leasing agent or the homeowner and then make the modification you want.

Checking with the Homeowners

First of all, before doing any kind of modification, it is important that you consult things with the homeowners before anything else. Review the contracting documents and see whether anything specific related to decorations was stipulated in there. It is important to review the contract before certain things regarding modification might have been written in there. If you cannot find any kind of stipulation in there, nonetheless, you need to consult your homeowner. Do not rely on the fact that if the contract didn’t stipulate anything, you can do whatever you want in the rented apartment or house. Therefore, it is important that you discuss things over with the homeowner so that you can know what you are allowed and what you are not allowed. The homeowner must anyway approve the work you plan to do there, therefore you would need a written piece of paper in which the homeowner gives his consent.

Consulting things with the homeowners brings an important difference when wanting to do things around the hose. Therefore, you need to be aware of the extreme importance of not letting things to be done by themselves.

If you have any doubts about performing some decoration around the house or not, it is important to then ask the homeowner if you could or not. If the homeowner is not available, then it is advisable that you don’t take the decision for yourself and make the specific changes. Save yourself some trouble and money and don’t do anything until you consult the homeowner. If incensed by your rash decisions, homeowners have the possibility to break the contract and kick you out of the apartment or home, therefore it is advisable that you consult matter first. Changes in the living location might be prohibited and you might end up paying a large sum of money ,because of your rash decision.

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