My Personal Apartment Therapy

I have recently started a new project: Apartment Redesign! My boyfriend (and roommate) recently suggested a website to me: www.apartmenttherapy.com and after looking at it here and there, I really got the urge to spruce up our over-cluttered, under-decorated apartment. Sadly the funds to support this project are very limited, due to the recent loss of my job. Sooo...everything we are doing must be done on a budget. I have decided I want a sofa slip cover, a new bed/mattress/comforter and nightstands, and a total makeover of our "dining room". We have 740 square feet although lately it feels so damn cramped that I can hardly stand it. Although we also have some stuff we'd like to get rid of. Examples: the white Ikea desk I purchased that doesn't go with anything we have, the 3 shelves desk that we purchased at Big Lots to replace the white desk, and a bedroom TV and TV stand that we never use!! So I'd like everyone (if anyone) to stay tuned as our improvements slowly - but surely - start coming along.













Our first big splurge (mostly if not all on Bobby's part) has been our entertainment area. Bobby has really put it all together so nicely, starting with the baddest of bad Sony 56" TV. After bringing home the TV (and our Sony Playstation 3/BluRay player) we realized that our stand was too tiny and chincy to put something so nice on it. Next he brought home a very nice Walmart stand. Now when I say nice I do not mean expensive (obviously from Walmart) or fancy, but it has the coolest, most-convenient shelves and compartments that totally suit our needs. After all of that we got more BluRay movies/games...then Bobby hooked up the computer he built to it, and got us a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. The latest addition has been our RCA soundsystem, which gives us a surround sound feel without moving speakers all around! It is totally B-A. Anyway...I attached the pictures of the final product, and I personally think it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. :-P



Our next project to improve things were these wall decorations that I saw the idea for online, but I can't remember where (which is kind of lame, because whoever came up with it totally deserves credit). First we bought a yard of upholstery fabric that we got at Hancock Fabrics, on SALE. It was a challenge picking the print because according to the instructions, we had to use large prints since we were making big designs. It was really difficult also for us to agree on which fabrics to get, but since we have similar visions for the living room, we agreed finally on two really classic, yet modernized prints. Next, we went to Michael's and got canvas stretcher frames that come in all different lengths, which just snap together to make whichever custom size frame you choose! We made 26''X30''. Our original plan was to get a 14"x26" as well to go in the middle and put a really bold print on it, but we changed our minds after finishing the first two. Anyway, we just sized the material over and around the frame and used a staple gun to secure it tightly and thus our beautiful wall decor was born!




And please pardon the HIDEOUS couch color...I plan to cover it with a "slate" (dark grey) or even black slip cover! Woohoo!




Check out the pictures... Bobby is home from work, I have a dog to walk and mail to check!