By popular demand, my apartment tour is here! I’m just kidding, nobody asked for it, but alas I deliver!
Back in August I moved into a new apartment after moving back to Des Moines, IA from Nashville. The building I got into is a renovated factory especially for artists. It is very industrial with cement floors and white brick walls and they kept a lot of the original factory elements because it’s a historical building. Inside the apartments they also kept things very simple and clean looking which I absolutely love. One thing I’ve always hated about my previous apartments is the awful tan color that they would paint the walls. Luckily they haven’t done that here!
I have a nice little entryway that’s quite roomy. I picked up the adorable vintage bench off of Facebook marketplace for a whopping $35. I actually got it before I even knew if I had gotten the apartment, but it ended up fitting perfectly in the entry way! The rug I’ve had for a couple years. I had three of them, but I sold two before leaving Nashville. Now I use the remaining one to put shoes on. I picked it up at Homegoods. I realized I have an addiction to black shoes when I went to take the middle picture. And the sad thing is that I actually put a couple more black pairs of shoes in the closet before I took this! lol Lastly, I picked up this hot air balloon picture for free at a garage sale here in Des Moines years ago and it has followed me everywhere I’ve moved.
I have to say, it is so nice to have an open kitchen. My last two places had galley kitchens that were so dark and claustrophobic. It really made cooking kind of depressing. Having a window and less walls makes all the difference! As someone who loves to cook and bake, this was something high on my apartment checklist. I’m so ready to do some Thanksgiving and Christmas baking in the coming months!
I got this cookbook from my brother last Christmas and have yet to try any of the recipes. Whoops! I didn’t take it back with me to Nashville after Christmas and I just found it in my moms cupboard so I sort of have an excuse! Has anyone tried this cookbook?
My lovely parents gifted me their old leather couches so that saved me a good chunk of money. My favorite yellow velvet chair I got for $10 on Facebook Marketplace a few years ago. To date, one of my favorite purchases ever! haha Some think it’s ugly, I think it’s pretty great! I picked up the mid century modern side table and the bakers rack on Facebook, both were under $40. And I got the paper lamp on sale at Target for $10. Always check the end caps! You can find some real gems.
One thing I did invest in though was my rugs. I looked and looked for used rugs online, but was unable to find one that I really loved for a decent price. So I decided to get new rugs! With that said, I definitely didn’t pay full price for any of them though. I got my bedroom and office rugs when Target was having a 40% off sale and I got a very good deal on my large living room rug at Homemakers. To find really great deals you definitely have to be patient and really do some searching. It can be a bit time consuming and there can be some frustrating moments for sure. But I would personally rather wait and find a piece that I really love, and didn’t drain my bank account for, than getting something I just kind of like.
The chandelier and hanging ivy are two of my favorite pieces in my living room. I love little details! They can make all the difference in a space. I snagged this chandelier, which was originally $125 for $20 at a little boutique, and the ivy was given to me by my mom to keep inside for the winter. We got it down in Nashville this summer and it has been so pretty but also kind of a pain. I didn’t think to debug it before bringing it inside so I unknowingly brought in stink bugs, gnats, and as of yesterday morning a frog!
That was definitely a surprise. The little bugger was in there for months and didn’t make a peep. I was just sitting on my couch watching The Great British Baking Show, like one does in the morning, and he plopped onto the floor. Scared me half to death!
And candles! I absolutely love candles and I constantly burn them. I get the majority of my candles from TJ Maxx and Homegoods because they always have a really good selection and they’re half the price. I got this skull candle, which smells heavenly, at TJ Maxx for halloween.
On to the bedroom! Another thing I did purchase new and right away was a bed. I got one of those beds in a box, which just blows my mind. It’s such a tiny box! To save some money I ordered the slat frame off of Amazon for half the price they wanted in the store.
I got this very simple white bedspread from the Opalhouse collection at Target when they were having their back to school sale. The mirror was an antique mirror that my grandma found for me. To spruce it up a bit I decided to paint it an emerald green. Since the rest of my bedroom is black and white I thought it would be nice to add a little pop of color.
If you ever want to splurge on some fancy perfume, Chanel is the way to go! Classic and memorable!
Another thing that was really high on my apartment checklist was a washer and dryer because I’m #adulting hardcore now. My apartment came with a 2 in 1 washer dryer, which I had never seen before, but actually works pretty well! I added the curtain to cover it up when I’m not using it.
I just got my office set up nicely in the past week or two. I still need to get a desk chair though, this stool is definitely not working! One of my favorite Facebook finds is this gorgeous French provincial desk I snagged for $35. You really can’t find this high quality of desk with out paying a fortune these days. The rug is one of the Target rugs I found and the pictures are actually ones that I took in New Orleans this past spring. Sidenote: you’ll be able to purchase these prints online very soon!
And lastly, the bathroom! I didn’t show the whole thing because honestly it’s kind of messy, but these two give you the gist of what it looks like! I ended up replacing my old Urban Outfitters shower curtain with this Opalhouse curtain from Target and got the matching emerald green rugs and towels.
After getting a new tv stand, I moved my old one into the bathroom for more storage and set my vintage mirrored tray on top to hold some jewelry that I wear frequently.
Alright, so let’s sum up some of the money saving strategies I have used.
1. New is not always better
If you didn’t notice, I’m kind of a thrifty person! Facebook marketplace has saved me a lot of money. I got multiple high quality pieces of furniture that will probably last a lot longer than the cheaply made new stuff. Also check out antique shops and thrift stores. You never know what you’ll find!
2. Always search for sales
I’ve found so many cute things in clearance sections of store like Target, so always check those end caps. And lord knows I have been to TJ Maxx and Homegoods an unhealthy amount of times! There’s just so many goodies there that you didn’t know you needed. And come on, discounted prices! More bang for your buck!
3. Look at all of your options
Make sure you check multiple buying options. Often times you can find the same exact things available at drastically different prices depending on the store. Like I did with my bed frame, I saved about $75 by ordering the same thing from Amazon.
4. be patient
You don’t have to buy everything at once! Creating a cozy home is an ongoing process. Take your time finding decor that you really love instead of feeling like you need to have a complete home the first week you move in. I’m definitely still working on my place, but I’m not in a rush.
Well, there you have it folks! Let me know if you put any of these tips into practice with your own decorating or if you have some other tips I haven’t mentioned here.
Happy decorating!
Jacey
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