Spring Flowers

Despite it being a cold, rainy day in Des Moines, I have spring on my mind. And what's more more spring-esque than some lovely flowers, eh? Not the nasty obviously-cheap silk ones or, worse yet, the abhorred plastic varieties. Nope, I'm going for flowers done classy - whether they're real or fake. Check out my tips below to incorporate some beautiful blossoms into your apartment this April!

Flowering plants

Might as well start with the real deal. Most flowering plants need to grow outdoors, but a few can thrive within closed walls, including African violets, begonias, kalanchoe, and orchids. Flowers will add life to your apartment and a dash of color too.

Dried flowers

Dried flowers can be a beautiful - and sentimental - way to add some floral touches to your apartment. They set a mood to the room that's old-school romantic, thoughtful, and warm. Below is the rose my boyfriend gave me last year for Valentine's Day in a green, hand-blown glass vase from the historic Jamestown glass making site. The key to getting great color is to hang the flower upside down to dry when you see the first signs of wilting appear and the base of the flower is "squishy." Hanging it up even earlier doesn't hurt. Tip: if you're in need of flowers to dry, stop by your local florist shop; they'll often give you flowers that are close to wilting for free.

Wall decals

Wall decals have gone from kiddie to classy. Decals with artistic designs, like the one below, add character and interest to walls. A little personal touch, if you will. They come in a variety of designs, sizes, and colors. The calla lily decal below is from an Etsy site and is available in several shades. Hint: try out this neat decorating idea - after you've stuck the decal on the wall, position a table with a vase on it directly in front of the decal so the sticker appears to be a flower inside the vase.

Photo credits: www.etsy.com, Laura Johnson, http://www.argusorchids.net

Trendy Slipcovers

Like I mentioned in one of my previous posts, some of my furniture pieces are coming from my parents' house, including a chair, bed, and couch. In other words, my mom found an excuse to go furniture shopping. It's really a win-win situation, though. She wants new stuff, and I need furniture. Knowing that my couch didn't belong to some sloppy guy who dropped Cheeto crumbs between the cushions on a regular basis is also a plus.

But, well, the couch isn't exactly my style. It's navy blue leather and is what I like to call "cold leather." As in, you sit down and instead of having a warm leather seat or room temperature cloth cushion, your hindquarters are welcomed by an ice-cold, heat-sucking spot. O.k., that's an exaggeration. But really. It's a little brisk on the derrière.

My most likely solution this buns-chilling problem: a slipcover. But, problem: every slipcover I've ever seen is ugly or just boring. Here are some hip slipcovers and ideas:

Thomas Paul pillow/Sure Fit slipcover

I'll get to a couple of funky slipcovers, but first I'll address how to dress up a boring cover. After all, they're the most prevalent on the market and the cheapest. And, unless you plan on whipping out your sewing machine and crafting your own slipcover (which would be totally awesome!), you may have to settle with a solid-colored one. But that doesn't mean your couch has to be boring. Go throw-pillow shopping to add extra color. Best part? You can change up your couch's look more easily (and more cheaply) by just switching out the pillows.

Pier 1

While this slipcover isn't for a couch, it's a pretty funky print for a chair. Perfect for livening up a boring kitchen table and chairs. And it's a great price - only $49.95!

Bemz

The slipcovers by Bemz are definitely my favorite. They have over 150 chic colors and prints to choose from. The prices range from $169 for solid colors up to $455 for some prints. Downside is that they seem to only work for Ikea furniture. You select the slipcover "size" by choosing the Ikea model of couch or chair you're wanting to cover.

Photos courtesy of http://www.bemz.com, http://www.pier1.com, http://www.surefit.net, http://www.etsy.com

7 tips for decorating walls without paint

While spicing up apartment walls with paint is a great way to add color, many young apartment residents are renting - myself included - and aren't allowed to apply Dutch Boy to the walls. Don't fear! There are other ways of snazzing up otherwise drab surfaces. Here's my top 7:

1. Try sticking up a couple of interesting mirrors on the wall. They add visual interest as well as reflect the interior of the room, making the space appear larger.

2. Create a photo wall. Print out some of your favorite photos and place them in different sized (yet complementary) frames. Then attach the frames to the wall, varying spacing and orientation. Instead of photos, you could also frame dried flowers, posters, or patterned paper or fabric.

3. Attach a piece of fabric or a curtain to the wall. This option allows you to add fun patterns to your apartment and can be easily switched out with other pieces of fabric or curtains.

4. Get natural. Adding varying heights and colors of plants and flowers to your apartment will give it a more nature-like feel and add instant color. Also, play up your windows. Arrange your furniture so your natural light source is the focal point. With plenty of sunlight and foliage, you'll hardly notice a couple of bare walls.

5. Put up stick-on wall art. You can find various shapes and patterns of stick-ons that let you personalize a wall while you're living there - and let you remove it hassle-free when you move.

6. Buy a screen. Screens come in a variety of colors and patterns and can add interest to any room. They're functional too. If you live in a studio apartment, they can be used section off a private area for your bed.

7. Add some interesting shelves. No one ever said you can't hammer some nails into the wall. Pick up funky shelving that will add appeal to your walls and will allow you to store items too.

Photo credits: http://blog.styleestate.com, http://www.furniturehomedesign.com, http://www.ahwatukeecarpets.com, http://kidswallstickers.net/, http://www.apartmenttherapy.com, http://thegoodsdesign.blogspot.com,

Let me introduce myself . . .

My name is Laura, and you could say I'm in an awkward interior design stage. A stage called college. I went from my bright and sunny, green-accent-walled bedroom at home to a dark, bunker-like dorm room that had a view of - wait for it - a cement wall. An egress window with a grate over it, folks. Lovely.

Now in my junior year, I'm out of the dorms (thank God) and into an apartment - ish. It's fully furnished, and while it's nice, it also has a cold, industrial feel: hotel meets apartment. Next year, I've committed myself to having a real apartment. My own furniture, my own style.

Now while I plan on still having a poster or two (I love my black-and-white European photo posters), gone will be all the command strip hooks that hold up nearly everything on my walls. Because I'll finally be in a place that actually allows an old fashioned hammer and nail. A big step forward I know. Another line of growth on the door jam.

I'm a 21-year-old with specific vision interior design vision in mind but on a college student's budget. I'd like to say that my apartment design will be, in fashion terms, that area between business formal and graphic tees and sneakers combo: i.e. hip, yet sophisticated. I believe I can create a chic and fabulous apartment no matter my lack of funds. I'm ready for this journey. It won't begin for a few months yet. But I'm looking forward to planning out my apartment ahead of time. I hope you'll join me. Get ready for fun DIY projects, awesome decor accents, and some occasionally witty lines by yours truly.

-Laura