So. You've been out of college for a few years now but your apartment still looks more 'dorm room chic' then 'Restoration Hardware catalog'. It's ok. Making your apartment look like an adult lives there is sometimes harder than it seems, and usually, a hell of a lot more expensive. BUT it doesn't have to be! After years of trial and error, I'm here to help you up your apartment game with some quick and easy hacks.
1. You know all the mismatched furniture currently inhabiting your place? A collection of craigslist finds and family hand me downs? Well, it’s time to upgrade. If you’re short on funds, paint your pieces to employ some sort of order in your life. This paint works wonders and doesn't require priming or sanding. (Now thats a DIY project I can get behind)
2. Get some green. Nothing says “I’m a responsible adult” like being able to care for a living thing. For those of us who can barely take care of ourselves, I recommend a cactus.
3. Invest in some wall art. There is no easier way to class up your pad then with some fancy looking art pieces. Minted has a HUGE selection of affordable styles, and if you suck at design (cough… me) they even have stylists on hand that can help you choose the right piece. Look at how much this artwork classed up my falling apart brick wall….
4. Those year long Christmas lights and/or that empty wine bottle collection you call “decoration”? Yea. You already know it’s time to let go. (Real talk, I just took down my empty wine bottle display a few weeks ago and it seriously made me question how much wine I consume)
5. Get your shit out of the way. Nothing kills your Feng Shui like having your junk strewn all over the place. This can be difficult in a city like NYC where the space is limited so I recommend investing in storage containers that can easily hide under beds and in closets. Since they are hidden from view, don't splurge. Target/ Amazon can get you what you need. Still no room? Try out a storage option like Makespace
6. Splurge on the items that matter most. For me, it's my bed (there are few things I like more than sleeping) so spending the extra $$$ on quality linens and a mattress makes all the difference. If you skimp on the important things at first, you’ll only spend more money replacing it later on.
7. Its time to get rid of your sorority memorabilia. It’s tacky and I hate you. Jk, but there was a time and place for that big/little collage (the one with the rhinestone frame) and that time has expired. Leave it at your parent's house for them to deal with.
*Fun fact, when I first moved to the city, I actually brought my Sorority Paddle as decoration. I thought it was so cool at the time. It currently resides in my closet taking up valuable shoe space.*
8. Finally, paint an accent wall. A coat of paint will cost you about $50-$80 (paint + supplies) and has the ability to seriously spruce up your space! To test a color before you commit, download a Visualizer app like Prestige Colorpic or Color Visualizer by Sherwin Williams. I love this because you can upload an actual photo of your space to get a better sense of what the finished product will look like.
Happy sprucing!
SM