One of my biggest missions for 2012 is to give my apartment a full makeover. We moved from our townhouse into a flat (one level) in November, and there is nothing like a fresh start to give you motivation & inspiration. Unfortunately, those things can start to die off once you’re properly settled in. Although it’s likely we will stay in this space until we buy our first house, the longer we are in one place the more temporary it begins to feel. Living in a space that you don’t own can make decorating feel overly complicated and even pointless. A good remedy is to design your apartment around items that can move with you.
One chic & easy way to give your space personality is with light fixtures that can be uninstalled and packed up fairly easily. Desk and table lamps allow you to set the mood with varying amounts of light, using just one or several at a time. If you are like me and have a baby or toddler who is fixated with switches, wall lighting or wall sconces might be a better option as they can be installed safely out of reach. Having lighting sources at different points in your home – up high, on tabletops, maybe even track lighting – gives you full control over the feel of your space. Decorative lampshades, chandeliers, and other unique lighting pieces will give your home even more personality. We strung a rope light above our living room windows as part of our holiday decor and liked it so much that we never bothered to take it down.
As you play around with lighting fixtures, be sure to switch your bulbs over as well. Low-energy fixtures will save you money in the long run as they use less power and need to replaced less often. We were in our last apartment for just under two years and I don’t believe we ever had to switch out our low-energy light bulbs!
Swap your mismatched glasses for mason jars. Surely I am not the only adult who could never keep a set of matching glassware. We started using only mason jars (before Pinterest BTW!) and I love that certain something that they add to our cupboards. We also use mason jars to store things like straws and colored pencils. Our collection is made up of jars in different sizes and designs. They are fun for entertaining too – Tie or hot glue a ribbon or other decoration to mason jars for parties and holidays.
Keep shiny objects polished and it will create the illusion that your entire home is cleaner.
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