As much as I LOVE fashion and beauty, interior design has my heart. There is just so much fun to be had when decorating your own space. And with many DIY projects on the rise for home interior, it takes the fun to a whole other level! The best part of interior design is by far enjoying, using and entertaining in the space you put so much hard work, time and your personal touch on. Today I am featuring 2 different spaces (with a sneak peak to a future blog on my outdoor space) in my small yet functional apartment. I hope this post gets your interior design juices flowing!
As much as I am SOO ready to buy my very own house, it’s not quite the time yet. But, that doesn’t mean that I can’t turn my apartment into a dream spot for me. No matter where you live, make it a home! A place where you feel safe, comfortable, relaxed and most importantly a place that reflects everything you love!
I’m starting off with my living room/dining area. This is the space that everybody sees the minute they walk into my house; so of course this spot has to be perfect. No matter what space is the first place people see in your home, make sure that room sets the tone for the rest of the house. Make a good impression right off the bat.
As I’m sure you can tell, I am in LOVE with all things natural, neutral and organic. I call my apartment the <<honeybee home>> being that it reminds me of a honeybee hive. I love a clean look with touches of wood, gold tones and real living greenery! Adding touches of flowers and plants will make any space have such a homey feeling (just make sure you are letting all your natural sunlight in so the plants can sunbath).
My glass kitchen table with acrylic chairs (which I picked them all up at Ikea for killer prices) have been by far one of my favorite purchases in this apartment! Taking bold chances with certain pieces of furniture is so much fun and works great as along as what it surrounds is more toned down.
Gold touches surrounding a very neutral space give a room glow and highlights in the most perfect way. Most everything you see in this space is from Target! From the modern lamp to the organic wood trays on my coffee table (also from Ikea). Which means that decorating does not have to be expensive! Matter of fact, just like my fashions, you can be <<budget chic>> and decorate an amazing space for minimal money. You just need to be willing to take the time and search for all your favorite things! Some of my very favorite places to shop for the apartment are Goodwill, antique shops, vintage stores and, of course, Target!
Two of my favorite things about this apartment are the electric fireplace (which you can kind of see on the far right in the picture above) and my walk out balcony! Fireplaces give a space romance, ambiance and that “I love coming home” feel when it gets a little chilly outside or when the sun goes down. If you have the chance to rent or buy a home with a fireplace, DO IT! My walk out balcony is amazing in the fact that it gives this whole living space so much natural light. Natural light provides a heavenly glow. Who wouldn’t want that in their house?!
The balcony also gives me the chance to have my very own garden space. In an upcoming blog I will talk about how to maintain and keep a garden alive, even if you do live in an apartment.
Something that I recently realized was that indoor greenery is a big game changer in interior design. Not only are these plants air purifiers, but they bring more life and character to any room! I highly recommend going to your local garden store or Home Depot or Lowes and picking up at least 2-3 indoor plants. Place them in a decorative basket or cute pot (since they do need to be watered) and make sure they have plenty of sunlight. Placing them by a window or on a window seal would be perfect. I water my plants by using plastic water bottles. I poke a small hole in the lid of the bottle and place it upside down in the dirt of the plant. The plant will water itself as it needs more water. I fill up the bottle twice a month and my plants are prospering wonderfully! (ps: the small wood bench my plant is sitting on was all wood when I bought it. I used white spray paint to give it some charm! #DIY)
Next space is my bedroom. Gosh I love this space! Again, this goes with the <<honeybee home>> theme. Lots of neutral and organic things in this space, but also little pops of color that all work very well together. My most recent addition to this space is my long farm bench! Picked it up at an antique store for $80! Haven’t decided if I am going to paint it or leave it the original green color, but nevertheless it’s great!
Little touches make all the difference when decorating! I picked up this yellow gem ($20) at the same antique store I bought the bench and knew right away I was going to place my large succulent in it and place it right by my bedroom window.
White linens on a bed is my absolute favorite look. Having white sheets along with a white quilted comforter make my bed a blank canvas. I can use any pop of color for my pillows and switch them out all year long based on the season. Being that it’s summertime, I had to throw some bright floral pillows (picked them up as a set at TJ MAXX for $24) on the bed!
<< ps: | the copper mirror in the background was a black mirror I picked up at Target for $12 and spray painted. #DIY | >>
I am not a fan of seeing too many pillows on a bed, but I LOVE sleeping with tons of pillows. Laying your sleeping pillows flat and stacking them on top of each other behind your sham and decorative pillows is a great way to hide them!
My glass dresser was a major investment! BUT it has worked in every bedroom I’ve put it in and goes with any color scheme. It’s timeless and classic and will stay with me forever! Those are the pieces that are worth putting money towards. When shopping for furniture, again, don’t always go just for cheap. Certain pieces of furniture are worth the investment especially if it is a piece you know you’ll always need and use.
How much fun are these baskets and yellow poufs!? Two of my favorite things to decorate a space with! They were all bought from Target’s Nate Berkus collection. He is a permanent designer for Target who also happens to be my favorite interior designer!
Again, keeping my windows open and letting all the natural light shine through just makes this space so cozy! Go though your whole house or apartment, open all the windows, and let the light shine! You’ll notice a huge difference right away of how it makes each room look and feel!
Thank you all for checking out a few spaces in my <<Honeybee Home>>! If you saw anything you loved in any of the pictures and would like to know where I purchased it, leave a comment below.
Happy Decorating!
xo,
Alisha
Picking my 5 sunflowers to take home with me!
Gold & Heart 