Help! My apartment looks like a prison cell!

In My Humble Opinion
1

I recently moved into a new apartment and I have finally finished unpacking my things.

However, this is my first apartment and I have absolutely nothing going in the way of decor. The walls are bare, the windows lack curtains and my furniture is mismatched donations from friends.

I am not asking to have my new pad to look like it has come out of the pages of the Pattery Barn catalog or anything, but I was hoping I could get some nice, CHEAP, decorating tips from anyone with any experiance with the clean slate, cell block apartment.

Any advice would be wonderfully appriciated.

2

I assume the issue is “cheap”?

For curtains – get some pretty sheets, twin size. You may be able to open the top hem and use that for the curtain rod – otherwise you can fold over the top and seal it with iron-on tape, if you don’t have a sewing machine.

While you’re in the linens section, get a couple of pillows and a throw for the sofa. It’s often the little details like that that make a room seem cozier and more inviting.

3

My daughter has decorated her new place with those large batik print cloths that you can get at Pier One and other places, plus some posters she got at JoAnn Fabrics & Crafts…art stuff, not rock stars.

4

GO HERE
Elegence, in a variety of prices & styles.
Add an inexpensive frame, and there you go! :cool: :cool:

5

You say that as if it were an undesirable arrangement. :wink: I suppose the thread about a hermit’s life would not attract a visit from you either. As the saying goes, different strokes for different folks.

6

I’d recommend watching some of the HGTV decorating & design shows. There are several that are geared toward decorating on a budget - Decorating Cents and Design on a Dime are quite good. Also Sensible Chic. Divine Design is, well, divine, but it’s definitely not decorating on a budget. (But you can get good ideas from them anyway.)

Don’t bother with Designers’ Challenge or Designing for the Sexes. They don’t show enough of how they implement the decorating - they focus on the choosing and the end result.

If you’re allowed to paint, I would. The landlord might not even make you repaint when you move if you pick a warm yet neutral color and get it approved by him beforehand. If you can’t or don’t want to paint, definitely add color in a temporary fashion. You can make nice wallhangings with a couple of dowels and a large piece of fabric - you don’t even have to sew; use Stich Witchery to hem the ends, slip in the dowels, and hang. You can also get artists’ canvas cheap, already stretched and primed, at any art supply store and paint it in bright colors and then hang it. Several in a row in different colors look really nice.

7

Get yerself some plants. That will perk the place up in a hurry, and plants are cheap - you may even be able to get clippings from friends or family members. Buy some $1 pots at HomeDepot and your good to go. :slight_smile:

8

I used to aspire to be a professional decorator, so I’ve done quite a lot on the ‘side’ for family and friends. And since we’re all perpetually broke, money is (or the lack there of) the highest priority when it comes to choosing what we want.

My number one recommendation though, is to pick up as much as you can at thrift stores. You’d be shocked at the quality of what many of them sell (hell, the only ‘designer’ clothes I own, came from the Salvation Army), especially in more elite sections of town. So, once you go there, here’s a couple more suggestions…

[ul]
[li]Window coverings: That’s a great idea that I’ve used before with sheets. Similarly, $1 a yard fabric (which doesn’t require more than Stitch Witch to make your hems) also does the trick. But, I’d prefer in an apartment something that offers spaciousness and ease, like mini-blinds. You can often find them REALLY cheap, in colors even, at salvage places or shops like a Dollar General type place.[/li]
[li]For pictures, use your imagination. Frames can be found for nothing at the same mentioned places, garage sales, inexpensive antique stores. Then, use an old calendar picture, a unique greeting card, a larger fabric swatch, old record album. The combinations, resources and inspirations can be endless. Even a collage looks good and can make a nice ‘memorial’ to all sorts of times in your life or loved ones. Can you tell I’ve done several? :)[/li]
[li]Use your imagination. Lots! I’ve gotten old suitcases and stacked them one on top of the other to make a nightstand. Lots of outdoor items (like run-down wicker chairs) are wonderful inside dressed up with a throw pillow or interesting blanket. Same goes for other ornamentation… wind chimes, retro architectural elements (I have a wrought iron gate that I hang on one wall) and the like (on another, I have a Chinese door screen). Don’t be afraid to mix and match styles. Think Monica’s place on “Friends.” If your plates, dining room chairs, colors of your furniture don’t match, mores the better.[/li]
[li]Decide on a theme and run with it. If you like French Country, apply a coat of paint with crackle over the top that peals and voila!, you have the look. Southwest? Plenty of old blankets dyed in muted tones (mauve, dusky green and blue) and pottery, broken or otherwise, give it that feel. You can pick what you want from almost any source. I’ve known folks who gone off solely one photo or their favorite bedspread. It doesn’t matter as long as you have fun and like it.[/li]
[li]Go BIG!! The biggest mistake I’ve seen in small places like apartments it trying to ‘scale’ to fit. Unfortunately, this gives it more an air of being a dollhouse than a home. An oversized couch, bigger pieces in general (like a hutch instead of just a TV stand) and monster :wink: art, all provide a feel of roominess. And, those items can be find for next to nothing, if you’re willing to perk them up a bit. My own sofa has gone through a growing puppy and has now become adorned (as previously stated) with a slip cover. It’s more awesome now than before.[/li]
[li]Lastly, don’t pay original retail if you can help it. Even if I’m forced to go to some place like Wal*Mart (but Target is infinitely more preferable, not just for class and quality, but once on sale, they’re not even as high!), I shop the clearance isles. Without fail though, if you need them, one of THE most costly things are bed ruffles. All the ones I recently bought ranged anywhere between $2.50 and 5.00 because I found a bunch at Goodwill.[/li][/ul]

I think that might help to get you started. If you need a particular something (like a washing machine, for example), I urge you to peruse the classifieds, both in print or online. You get some really great deals that way. Oh, and don’t be afraid to venture into other parts of town besides the affluent. Where I used to live wasn’t that great socio-economically speaking, but you couldn’t throw a rock without hitting at least a dozen resale stores. It. Was. Great. :smiley:

As you can probably imagine, I have tons more ideas. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask here on the boards or via email (it’s in my profile). I always relish the chance to help -and- play amateur at the same time. And thankfully, it’s usually with someone in the same boat having mutual constraints. I never could’ve done this for the rich. :stuck_out_tongue:

Good luck! (Gee, I use way too many smilies. Sorry.)

9

Someone else already posted about the Stitch Witch/fabric idea. Forgive me for not previewing enough. However, it can also be used with just a plan old curtain panel as a focal point if it has openings on both ends and is a cool design.

The idea for the blank canvas is great! Too, you can stretch fabric over them and then put place something in the middle and it comes across as border.

Plants are excellent! Can’t believe I didn’t think of that. Of course, in my world, I kill them all, so I have always needed plastic, but still… they add much ambiance and can be fairly inexpensive if you no where to look.

Two more (I know, I know!):

[ul]
[li]Don’t always go for symmetrical. Hang things off a bit. Use a bunch of empty candle holders, but in different sizes as a collection. Books about helps to make things look rich. Groupings, plates from those Only $1 Dollar Store, make an exciting wall display. Anything goes, as long as it suits your tastes and needs.[/li]
[li]A small fish aquarium brings any space to life!! I can murder plants with abandon, but I’m pretty decent with my fishes. They really made it more homey and for a tiny tank, it was only $10 and the inhabitants weren’t anymore than that. Plus, you don’t have to buy exclusively stuff to go in the water… my adornments are trinkets picked up for mere change.[/li][/ul]

God, this is always such fun!! -----> (requisite smiley) :smiley:

10

You can temporarily wallpaper your walls with fabric - depending on what your walls are made of - it doesn’t stick as well to some types, but if you’ve got fairly new construction you should be fine.

Measure the height and width of your walls so you know how you need the fabric cut. Go to the fabric store and pick out something that you like. A solid color is easier to line up than something with a pattern, but you could do a panel in a pattern and the rest in a solid or whatever.

Buy some starch - the old pourable kind, that’s wicked thick, NOT the spary kind. You can use a paint brush and paint the starch on the wall, then stick the fabric to it, or soak the fabric in the starch and hang it that way, depending on what you find easier (I used the soak method).

It will come off, but if you’re worried, take a small piece of fabric, stick it to the wall, let it dry for a day or two and remove it before doing a big section. To remove the fabric, soak it in water (I used a spray bottle), let it sit for a minute, then pull it off slowly. If you’re careful, there should be no damage to the wall. You can wash the wall afterward to get the starch residue off.

If you think you’ll want to re-use the fabric in another apartment, wash it before you hang it. Otherwise, you can bring it home and put it up.
I’m in the same boat at the moment - working on decorating a new apartment, and desperately wishing for color. I may go with the fabric wallpaper trick again, just because it makes a big difference (to me) when you walk in the door to see a nice color instead of apartment bland.

11

Decorate the walls with postcards. Do patterns with it, or arrange them according to a theme or colors…

:slight_smile: That’s what I did with my new place… A cross shape made up of postcards with religious motifs, pyramids of different themes like cities, animals, paints. Beige, brown, and other earthy colors for the brown and light cane bathroom.

12

I used the cheapest way known to man to decorate my walls.

How does FREE sound?

Find someone with a AAA (Auto Club) card and get some FREE maps. Buy some clear pushpins at the store for maybe $1.20.

Decorative and useful information at your fingertips.

Maps are best to coordinate with blue. All the water…

I second the plant suggestion.

13

A few more ideas:

Have some sort of a plan for a look you want. It doesn’t even have to be specific, just take some time and think about styles and looks you like. If you keep that in mind, it will be easier to pick things up when you see them, whether it’s in thrift stores or department stores.

Sometimes nothing is, in fact, better then something. If you have a sense of what you like, and what you hope your apartment will look like eventually, try to gently decline things that really don’t fit in. For example, when Great Aunt Martha offers you curtains that are not a good match for you and your taste, I would politely decline rather than take them. It’s tempting to think “oh, I’ll use them until I get something better,” but this often leads down the path of having them forever. You don’t want to have stuff that you don’t even like.

If you can paint, paint. Painting one wall is a heck of a lot easier than painting a whole room, if for no other reason than that you can shove all your stuff up against the opposite wall while you are painting. You can also think about a bolder, more dramatic color on just one wall, if you’re worried about the color overpowering the room.

I think the days of having one or two colors for the entire room are behind us, but it’s still a good idea to pick one basic color to use as your foundation. You will always be able to find things of other colors that will complement your main color. Working backwards, if you already have a couch, its color might be your room’s color by default. It’s also easy to remember one color, so when you go out to purchase things like coasters, or napkins, or whatever, it will be obvious what color you’re looking for.

If you hate your couch, slipcovers are good, but in my experience, it’s not that easy to make a slipcover if you are not particularly crafty to begin with and not have it look like … well, like a homemade slipcover. You might be better off hiding the bulk of the couch with a comfy throw that you do like. Solid, if your couch has a print. You don’t want them to battle to the death or anything.

There are all sorts of things you can hang on your walls that are not art, or at least, not art in the traditional sense. I am not a huge fan of the framed museum poster because it seems sad to me to have something that thousands of other people also have on their walls. However, I do think framed posters work if you can get some sort of theme going on – maybe if the subjects have some special significance to you, or to the area where you live. Other things you can hang on your walls are empty frames, mirrors, windows (the old kind, in wooden sashes), and stuff of any sort, as long as it is mostly flat. If the stuff in question is heavy, it’s worth it to talk to someone who knows how to attach it to the wall properly, you don’t want to damage anything.

I like big things on the walls, but several smaller frames in a group can also be neat, especially if you play around with the way you arrange them. You can frame snapshots of friends, and rotate them every once in a while so you don’t get bored. You can matte them yourself, and use a color other than white to spice up the room.

Oh, rotating stuff is one of my favorite things. If you collect something, rather than display your entire collection, display just a few things at any given time, and change them frequently. It’s easier to keep clean, for starters. Plus, you look less like a crazy person. :wink: (I say that as a person whose collections tend to run away with her.)

Another thing I like is a nice vase. If you are on top of things, you can put actual flowers in it, which is traditional and always nice. However, I am not that on top of things, so I’ve found some interesting things to put in vases over the years. Currently, I have a bunch of old art paintbrushes in a vase, they look well used and interesting, in that you don’t see them in vases very often. I also had a vase filled with old arrows from my archery days (pointy end down, we don’t want anyone to lose an eye) – so any hobbies or interests you have could also double as decor.

14

Another “art for the walls” suggestion:

Put a roll of black and white film in your camera ( or purchase a disposable one ), keep it with you and get some shots that appeal to you… a single tree, a neat achitectural element, or as a friend of mine did pick one item and get lots of that…he photographed doors of all sorts. Have them enlarged and go to the craft store for some inexpensive frames. You might even get creative with displaying them, such as: nail a thin board the length of one wall about chin level and attach your frames there (about midway of the frame ). A neat, eclectic look but cheap.

I agree wholeheartedly with faithfool about the scale issue. Don’t think little in a little apartment…think expansive.

Find a good Salvation Army or Goodwill Store and go every Saturday morning. Just a quick check. You will be surprised what you can find there. Little tables to paint, mirrorrs, bookcases. Likewise, keep a watch for what people set out on the street. Because it is cheap (or even free ) you won’t hesitate to have fun with it…painting it, putting a little tile top on it, whatever.

Plants are always great. Your books add a lot of warmth and color so don’t store any of them away.

At least one black item in a room grounds it…don’t ask me why…but it works. Also if you are working with something with a lot of punch like a patterned fabric or an intense color, sometimes more of it actually calms it down…less contrast.

Have fun! If you like it…do it!

15

Plants such as Pothos and Dracaena are surefire ways of livening up your house. A small tank with a Betta (they live in puddles in the wild and therefore don’t require much space in captivity) might brighten up a dull corner. Be sure to read up on the care of bettas before you buy one, though.

Enlarging cool looking photos is one good means of decorating, but if you really want to play “artiste” get a scanner and a printer and then pick up some trash off the street. Cigarette cartons, flattened beer cans, old lottery tickets, flower petals, dead butterflies–whatever will fit on the scanner. Arrange it in a nice colorful pattern, scan, and print. Give it a cool pretentious sounding name. Frame and hang on wall.

Congratulations, you are now the greatest “artiste” since Picasso! Show off your new art gallery and impress your friends! (Hey, I did it.)

16

Thank you guys for all the wonderful ideas. I am getting really excited about decorating now. I am thinkin gof hitting the thrift shops and fabric store this weeked.

i really wish I didn’t kill plants the instant I look at them because, looking at my apartment, I think they would really liven the place up, especially the patio.

Most of all I really wish I could paint. Unfortunately that is a no go. Although, I may give the fabric on the walls thing some thought.

Oh, and biqu You link, sadly, is very very similar to how my bedroom looks right about now, it’s almost creepy… :eek:

17

Wow, am I embarassed by all the typos in that post. It’s just that the submit button is just so darn close to the preview button… :smack:

18

Maps.

I work with maps, & in fact I help make maps.

If you write your State Legislator or US Congressman, & ask for a map, you can often get a very good one, free of charge.

Attach it to the wall like wallpaper.

Most State Governments maintain an Aerial Photographic Laboratory.

Typically, this can make huge enlargements (like 4 feet by 4 feet) of existing images, take from several thousand feet. Not too pricy.
You Legislator will be happy to help you get one (in an election year).

Choose a photo that shows a local landmark, from above. Or your neighborhood, from about 800 feet up. Get a 6X6 foot print for this. Black & white looks cool, & is cheaper.

A 6X6 of a local landmark or your neighborhood, plus a colorful (non-pastel) wall paint job will make any room bold & exciting.

19

Here’s how Martha Stewart did it. :wink:

20

Even cheaper than using sheets for curtains, my sister ripped open the side and top seams of burlap feed sacks, hand washed the sacks and hung them from the curtain rods. Surprisingly (to me), it looked classy, in a rural, post-industrial kind of way.

And my vote is that you avoid Pottery Barn. Speaking for myself, I don’t have the money and they don’t have the imagination.