Over the past four months, I have gone from an air mattress to a bed, and even added a futon to the mix. I guess you could say I’ve been moving up in the world - sort of. But something was still missing…
That missing piece kept eluding me until my friend, Paul, came to see my apartment and made a comment that opened my eyes. I believe, he said something like, “Wow, I love what you’ve done with the place. The plain, white walls are awesome.”
Okay, so those may not have been his exact words, but he was exactly right! My walls were as bare as the day I moved in. So, I set out to find some things to make my apartment a little more interesting.
It didn’t take long, though, for me to realize that my budget couldn’t handle these decorating costs. It was going to be over $100 to frame a small 8 X 10 painting I had been storing. Shopping for prints at places like Cost Plus World Market and Bed Bath Store was at least $20 per tiny print. And, blowing up any pictures was going to cost me a small fortune.
I’m a renter on a budget here, and this decorating thing was not working. But, giving up on my stark white rental walls was not an option. So, I looked online for a few decorating tips from sites like ApartmentTherapy.com and About.com: Interior Decorating.
One great recommendation was to find things in your apartment that normally wouldn’t be decorations. Maybe there is hope after all.
While rummaging, I found a bunch of old postcards sitting in a storage bin and waiting for spring-cleaning. They have now received a new life in the form of a framed collage along with a few old pictures from my trips.
Next came some old posters I had saved from college. They were a little worn and didn’t look good hanging college-style anymore, but in a few $5 frames, they were restored and ready to rock my walls again.
Lastly, I decided to dig out a few useless things I’d collected over the years, like a rock from the Alps and an old dried Edelweiss flower. I plan to put them into a shadow box creating something beautiful and sentimental.
These pieces will definitely mean more to me than any old $20 print that is probably hanging in thirty other apartments. And each has a story of me wrapped inside making my place my own - finally. How did you decorate your apartment?
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Awesome Linds! Can't wait to see it (soon, I hope). Yes, using things that are sentimental to you is way better than buying overpriced and mass-produced "decorations." You could always try painting one wall. Using cheap 4×6 frames for pictures you already have works - then arrange them eclectically in one area. Be on the lookout for cool artisan pieces this summer at all the awesome fests!
Great post – I’ve been struggling with this for some time and it’s great to see this information.
These are really creative ideas! Check out this site that I have gotten a lot of decorating ideas from! It's really connvenient and has great suggestions! http://www.squidoo.com/apartmentdecorations