Thursday, March 31, 2011

Favorite Things From Urban Outfitters


Urban Outfitters home section has a a lot of great pieces and now I see they've teamed up with Society6, selling prints in various sizes from artists from all over the world. Above are a few of my favorites...

Monday, March 28, 2011

Reader's Questions: Window Treatments



Katie asks: "My rental apt has pull-down shades. The problem is it's either privacy OR light, can't have both. I would love to install blinds but cannot afford to do whole new window treatments. Any suggestions?"

Katie, window film, aka privacy film, gives you privacy while still allowing light to come in. It's fairly easy to install and inexpensive. It comes in various sizes so measure your windows and get the size that will give you least amount of waste. It also comes in different styles though I prefer the 'frosted' kind, as pictured above, for it's simplicity.

It's also good for shower stalls with clear glass doors so two people can comfortably use the bathroom at the same time.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Favorite Shoe Storage






1. Upper kitchen cabinets come in varying widths and heights, and with adjustable inner shelves they're especially good for booties and platforms that don't fit in normal shoe shelves.

2. Bookshelves, like the one pictured are a great looking way to store shoes and bags.

3. Cubbies seem to be many people's favorite.

4. Shoe drawers keep shoes from getting dusty quickly, though still should be vacuumed out regularly.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Diary of a Move, 3 Weeks In...







The new entry dresser holds gloves, scarves, hats, umbrellas, keys, tissue packs, mints, etc... The new sofa and side chairs all convert to beds so her kids and grandkids can easily + comfortably spend the night.

The main things left to do: sell the small original sofa, order a headboard, rugs and coffee table and add decorative elements like pillows. The plan for this space is crisp white with bursts of intense colors, contrary to the subdued palette of her previous apartment.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Diary of a Move, Cable Management

(before)
(back of console pulled away from wall)
(hole after cutting out damaged area)
(small cable clips keeping cords up off floor)
(after, almost...)

Since this space is so much larger than her last apartment, there isn't such a desperate need for storage so we've sacrificed half of the lower shelf (on the right side) of the console for the modem, power strip, and all cords. The back panel was damaged during the move so we cut that part out to pass everything through.

The only plug on this length of wall is directly behind the left hamper, pushing the hamper away from the wall a few inches, so we're using the plug around the right corner located in the entry. The cord in the last pic to the right will be gone once I replace it with a white extension cord that I can tack along the baseboard to make it less noticeable.