Apartment decor : 101 ... moving on up!

 Before:  With many hands...move in day became light work.  We decided to "ground" the living area with a larger area rug.  This makes it pull together visually.  WE found the rug below at Ikea, but it seemed a bit too small once we had gathered all of the basic components.  The Couch and Pink chair were from Treasure house, a lovely resale shop in Glen Ellyn, Il benefitting Metropolitan Family Services of DuPage County, and the mirrored tables were from Jubilee Furniture in Carol Stream, IL.  

 The Bedroom:  We hung lightweight curtains over the blinds, using rods purchased at Ikea.  We used command strips on either side of the window and extended them actually from the ceiling to give the look of taller ceilings,  Bedspread, duvet cover was from Bed Bath and Beyond.  Side table was from At Home in Schaumburg, IL.  

hint: note the side table...Finding items with open bases, make a space seem a little lighter and not as heavy.

 Below: You can see we found a rug we loved with a bold design.  Hint: When desiging for a small space, don't be afraid to go for bold patterns, it can actually make a space seem larger.  Pairing a few black, cream and gold pillows on the chairs... pulls the look together.  WE were still working on the wall behind the sofa, but this was already a great start.

 Below:  A closer look at the gold tones, silver tones, creams, blacks  and baby pinks that we chose for this "Hollywood Regency" style look.  

 Below: We found a great mid century dresser piece that had a beat up top on it.  WE decided to paint it with a glossy white and left the legs wood to mimic the current West Elm Style we see everywhere.  WE found a 12x12 bookcase at Ikea, that filled the space to the left perfectly.  The little glass and brass table lamp came from the Treasure House.  

Again, a treasure house find.  The Black Lacquer bowed glass breakfront was perfect to store her pink rimmed restaurant ware that we found at the goodwill.  The Mushroom shaped Ikea Table was a bargain at 32.00 in the clearance isle... a little white caulk in the little holes on the bottom pedestal where they had bolted it to a display.. and it saved us almost 150.00.  The Acrylic chairs are perfection! ... they disappear and make a small space look large! love the touches of chrome.  Adding the black and white rug we had previously had in the living room completed the look!

 Above: the mirror in the small entry, brings in light to that space and gives you a peek at what you will see when you arrive in the living space.  Under the mirror is a thin mirrored table, perfect to place your keys when you return home after a busy day.  

 The pink ice bucket above was the perfect find at a vintage sale, it sets off the mood with the inclusion of the print we happened to find at Discoveries resale shop when we were pulling together the look.  The Swanky gal in the sleek black dress on a pedistal table with a martini in gold and pink and black... Perfect! ( you cant see the  martini glasses but they are in the black cabinet.. rimmed in gold) 

 Above: the entry greets you and provides a place to drop your keys and take off you shoes.

 A view of our small space.  The entire Apartment was 750 square feet.  There is a nice tucked in kitchen you can see below, and a bathroom, large walk in closet and bedroom as well.

 In all, we feel we created a bright and cheerful spot on a very limited budget!  It all came together with items from inexpensive shops and thrift stores.  Shop around! You will be glad you did!