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Organizing ~ Decorating/Set Up (Now w/Updated Photos!) - Page 2

post #21 of 36
4/7/07 at 5:28pm
FYI: DON'T got to craigslist.COM... it's .ORG! Not a fun mistake to make, I assure you!
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post #22 of 36
4/7/07 at 5:43pm
Garage sales, yard sales, antique stores, freecycle, dollar stores, and thrift stores may help stretch the buck alittle bit. I think your apartment is very typical (in the sense of white walls, etc.) I think your place has alot of potential and many people gave you some good and useful advice.

Some things that I think make a home "homey" are personal details and items, pictures, artwork, curtains, lamps, flowers, vases, placemats, tablecloths, plants, etc. larger artwork might help!!! These items might help add some color to your apartment too! I think color will help add some character and spice to your apartment.

Decluttering and organizing might help too.

I don't know if you have kids but kids artwork when framed can look really cool.
post #23 of 36
4/7/07 at 7:38pm
I didn't read through all the responses so you maybe already have gotten the same advice, but if you can't paint fabric blocks can do the same thing.
What I noticed was it just lacked color. I think it's a cute place though.
post #24 of 36
4/7/07 at 7:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CityChic View Post
Landlord said if we wanted to paint we would have to sign a 5 yr lease (ha!) and then the building would come do it and that it would be the same awful white color it is now. However, DH and I should talk about painting anyway...I just really like our landlord and she hasn't raised our rent in 3 years!
: Wait, if *you* want to paint, the building will paint? And they'll paint the walls the same color?

I think your living room is just fine. Is there anything in particular about your friends homes that you especially like?
post #25 of 36
4/8/07 at 5:54am
Your house does have some great bones, lovely floors, and nice architectural details, but I see what you mean that it has that college feel. I'm totally taking liberties and having fun decorating your room.

I'm "giving" you less than $600 budget to decorate the room, but you could completely change the look and feel of the room for less with a bit more resourcefulness (hello garage sales!), and you certainly wouldn't need to do it all at once.

The following items are from Craigslist. You can often negotiate a lower price, but I'll plan on these amounts to fit into the above budget. I don't know where you are exactly, and am not familiar with Chicago, so some of this may not be convenient to you, but it gives you an idea of what you can do with a small budget.

I used a color scheme of tan and red, since the sofas are tan and the rug (which I think is SO pretty!) is tan and red. A larger rug will anchor the room nicely. Of course, you could pick a different color scheme and make it work just as well. The warmer colors will make it cozier.

$200 - Sofa, chair and ottoman on Craigslist
$40 - Tan and red rug on Craigslist
$50 - TV armoire.
$50 - Desk with hutch to replace the printer table
$35 - End table (paint red to match the rug, instead of green)

$75 - Keep looking for it on Craigslist for a bigger book case. This one from IKEA matches the TV armoire, but is $150. Try to get it used for $75.

If you sew, you could make coordinating curtains, pillows, and a table cloth for very little. If not, you could buy them relatively cheap as well.

Add curtains with texture (four panels, about $60), a cozy blanket ($10). Hang a warm, framed art piece or tapestry over the sofa and over the TV (art is so subjective, but look on Craigslist, overstock.com, etsy.com, make something larger yourself, frame a poster, etc.) Throw a table cloth on the table with a vase of fresh flowers (and move the lamp and computers off the table!) A large mirror would be nice next to the door rather than the bookshelf and small pictures, since it will reflect back the light from the windows. Try stores like Big Lots!, Marshalls, Ross, or Tuesday Morning for this kind of thing.

As for layout:
Swap the sofa to the opposite wall, where the TV is, and put the TV where the sofa is with the chair at an angle next to it. Use the ottoman as a coffee table or additional seating as needed. (We have this set up and it's very convenient.) Otherwise, if you're keeping the futon and not adding a chair, put a tall houseplant next to the TV. Put the TV in an armoire so it isn't the focal point of the room and the electronics are contained. A

Hang a larger piece of art or a tapestry over the sofa. Add an end table with a lamp and a few framed photos next to the sofa, then the bookshelf and narrow, tall desk to contain the clutter.
post #26 of 36
4/8/07 at 12:49pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by momaste View Post
Your house does have some great bones, lovely floors, and nice architectural details, but I see what you mean that it has that college feel. I'm totally taking liberties and having fun decorating your room.

I'm "giving" you less than $600 budget to decorate the room, but you could completely change the look and feel of the room for less with a bit more resourcefulness (hello garage sales!), and you certainly wouldn't need to do it all at once.
This is too much fun! You ladies have wonderful ideas! So far I have gotten rid of the printer table and clutter. We moved the printer on top of the file cabinet in the baby room (which baby probably won't see much of since we plan on co-sleeping...).

We cleaned out the corner by the TV and got rid of all the baskets and bags, we listed stuff on freecycle and tossed everything else.

We moved the table where the white bookshelf was and put that bookshelf against the window. We also got rid of those old candles on the bookshelf and put the little table lamp on it.

We also tossed a huge stack of magazines. Its looking a lot less cluttered and we haven't even purchased anything yet!!

I'll try to get more pics up soon!
post #27 of 36
4/9/07 at 11:53am
Looking forward to photos.
post #28 of 36
4/9/07 at 1:23pm
What a lovely apartment! I am looking forward to more pictures.

I think some color on the walls (fabric, prints, or even photos in frames painted a color and grouped) would help you out a lot. Also a larger brighter rug.
post #29 of 36
4/9/07 at 3:14pm
This would be a lot easier if I lived there and could just come over and look! I'm good with that sort of thing!!

One thing I have to say, is that just rearranging things can do a lot without spending a cent! Also, changing the lighting can really change things. We recently put our house on the market, so we moved some things around and added two new lamps, removed one hanging light, and moved another lamp to another section of the room and moved a coffee table and moved our futon over a foot or two, and it really changed the whole feel of the room!

I know you've already gotten some of this advice but I won't bother to sort through the whole thread, I'll just tell you my first impressions.

1) Definitely a unit for the TV, books, decorative items would probably solve about half of your problem and give a much more polished and sophisticated look. At the very least, change the location/direction of your TV--maybe put it on a diagonal in a corner somewhere so it's not such a focal point/right smack in the center of the room. And a large, tall bookshelf instead of several shorter, more "college-y" ones.

2) I would make that bay window where you currently have the dining table a seating area--move whatever couch/chair you have there and make it a living room/conversation area. That is a great window, and would be nice to sit by it and chat and have a cup of coffee or something. The table doesn't do it justice.

3) I would get a nice bright tablecloth for that table.

That's my thought so far.
post #30 of 36
4/10/07 at 2:10pm
Instead of standard blinds, I love to hang fabric roman shades. Ikea sells them CHEAP.
http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/store...umber=60093968
post #31 of 36
4/11/07 at 1:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by EricaLeigh View Post
Instead of standard blinds, I love to hang fabric roman shades. Ikea sells them CHEAP.
http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/store...umber=60093968

Wow... what a great idea. I'm going to have to keep this link in mind if we move.
post #32 of 36
4/11/07 at 8:39pm
Thread Starter 
UPDATED PHOTOS: We Decluttered, Freecycled and Rearranged. We haven't purchased anything yet but I think this is definitely an improvement!


http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...5/DSCN1080.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...5/DSCN1081.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...5/DSCN1082.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...5/DSCN1083.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...5/DSCN1084.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...5/DSCN1085.jpg
post #33 of 36
4/19/07 at 10:08am
Looks great CityChic!!!
post #34 of 36
4/19/07 at 1:02pm
Wow you have gotten rid of a ton of stuff. Congrats to you!!!!!!
post #35 of 36
4/19/07 at 11:51pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks ladies...still working on it but my 41+ preggo body is slowing me down...go figure
post #36 of 36
4/20/07 at 9:30am
Looking at the picture, that table is very small for the space and off to the side. If you could find one that has a little more substance and made it the focal point of the bay window area, with a nice oval rug underneath (I am partial to vintage braided rugs ) Hang the plant overhead and Boom! A great place to sit and eat!

Your new pics look great BTW!! You have made a huge difference already!
Mothering › Mothering Discussion Forums › Natural Family Living › The Mindful Home › Decluttering, Organizing, & Simplifying › Organizing ~ Decorating/Set Up (Now w/Updated Photos!)