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

Multipurpose Furniture

I stumbled across this apartment on Home-Designing's site today. Check out the photos below.

Talk about efficiency. It's basically efficiency defined. Bonus: an added touch of oo-la-la sleekness. Everything's built-in and every square inch is maximized. The stairs have drawers that double as drawers. The workstation functions as a desk and shelf area without looking like a, well, desk. Basically the whole apartment has functional surfaces that allow its occupant to go basically furniture-free besides adding a bed, desk chair, and couch to the living space.

Is your small apartment designed like this one? Probably not. But you can get some of its efficiency by incorporating the following into your apartment:

Futons

Yes, futons. Not the nasty college dorm one that your sloppy friend spilled Easy Mac on. A chic one. Futons have a nice, geometric symmetry about them that lets them be sleek and stylish yet take up minimal room. Bonus usage: a bed. A futon-turned-bed can be used either as your main sleep spot or a crash option for your friend.

Coffee tables

And by coffee tables, I mean big coffee tables. My boyfriend uses his for anything and everything. Storage, a desk, kitchen table, and, like the piece's namesake, a good cup of Java. Stick one of these items in your living room, and you'll find an array of purposes for it. Guaranteed.

Ottoman cubes

These guys are cheap and cute and double up as storage boxes! My best friends in college used their ottoman cubes in their dorm room to hide items they didn't want male friends who stopped by to see: mainly, ahem, feminine products. Hopefully, your apartment has a bathroom for those necessities (please tell me you opted for a place with a toilet), but you can still stash some items in these cubes. Think books, magazines, or your favorite chocolate!

Photo credits: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com, http://craftydots.blogspot.com, http://woodframefuton.com, http://www.home-designing.com

Top 3 Kitchen Storage Ideas

My kitchen next year is tiny. As in minuscule. It's about 7 feet long and about 3 feet wide. Not a lot of wiggle room to move around in there. Add in some pots, pans, and food - much less my physical body - things are going to get interesting. The kitchen includes a fridge, small stove, and a couple of cupboards above the stove. I was panicking a bit, wondering where I'd put all my stuff so I researched a few creative ways to get the most out of your cooking and eating space. Here are my top 3:

1. Magnetic strips

Magnetic strips can boost the storage power of your wall. Just slap up a strip and start magnetizing stuff. This is a great option for knife storage as well as most anything else metal and fairly lightweight. Personally, I'm a big fan of storing spices via magnets. Transfer your spices into individual mini metal canisters with clear lids and you'll be able to easily see which spices are which the next time you're cooking up something fancy. (See the picture below for an example of a spice magnet strip.

2. Fruit Shelves

I came across this neat fruit shelf on Ikea Hackers (click the link to see the plans for this storage set-up). The main materials for the shelf appear to be wood and clear baking or serving dishes. This is a great way to display your fruit without having apples roll all over (and off) your counter. Win!

3. Pot Hanger

The ceiling is one of the top most wasted spaces in a kitchen in my opinion. It's a tricky location to utilize though. A ceiling's openness makes your apartment feel larger - something important in a small living space. A pot hanger, with its open design, does not have as much flow interruption in a space as you might think. Hangers come in a variety of shapes and sizes so you can pick the best one for your needs. Wall pot hangers are also great options.

Photo credits: www.andrewsoper.com; www.ikeahackers.net; http://www.gayagriya.com

Paint: Finding the perfect color for your small space

When you have a small space, paint color choice is key. Pick 1 or 2 colors to play around with: any more and your studio apartment will be overwhelmed. Additional colors can come through via fabulous accent pieces instead, such as pillows and artwork.

If you want the space to feel larger, opt for lighter paint shades; the hues will reflect natural light, making your apartment appear bright and airy. Darker colors enhance the feeling of coziness, but if they are if overused, they will also make the room seem much smaller than it actually is.

My room growing up had a light, kelly green accent wall behind my bed. It was attention-catching and played up the black and white photos I had on it. I loved that wall. Accent walls are great for defining a focal point in the room. Use either one of your main colors or a different shade of one of them to paint that special wall. Having an accent wall in a dark color, with the other walls a lighter color, can help you get that perfect spacious yet cozy feel.

Don't forget about your ceilings. If you have lofted ceilings like mine will have, your apartment will automatically have a more open feel. But don’t bum out if you have low ceilings. A light shade of paint with a hint of metallic will help heighten the apartment whereas a darker ceiling shade will compact the space.

Before you start dolloping paint on the wall, visit a paint store and ask for color chips. Take them back to your apartment and make sure to evaluate the color during the daytime and evening. If it looks great during both times of day, paint away!

For inspiration, take a look at HGTV’s studio apartment slideshow!

Image courtesy of HGTV

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