Designing a Trendy Apartment for 2014

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If you’ve just moved into our gorgeous Dogpatch apartments, Welcome!

Now that you’ve got your boxes unpacked and your basic furniture arranged, it’s time for the real fun to begin! Our favorite part of moving to a new place the opportunity to explore your options in decorating your new space - now is the perfect time to inject your personal style into your new home.

If you’re having trouble finding the inspiration you’re looking for, there are plenty of options available to you. Along with a fresh start at the new year, 2014 brought exciting decorating trends for your apartment as well! We love the ideas highlighted in this blog from apartmentguide.com! Keep reading and your apartment will be looking great in no time!

1. A Mature, Adult Atmosphere

It’s 2014, folks. Your apartment should no longer look like a neglected college dormitory. By now you should have comfortable furniture, a real bed (along with a complete bedroom set), matching dishes… you get the picture, right? No matter what, your space should clearly belong to an adult because that is what you are, after all.

2. A Conversation Piece

Whether it’s hanging over the living room sofa or your king size bed, every bare wall needs a visual punch. A cool framed piece of work is ideal. Some renters take things a step further by hanging family photo collages, a collection of plates, or even framed swatches of leftover fabric. On a budget? You can find something one-of-a-kind at an estate sale or thrift store that won’t set you back much at all.

3. A Touch of Antique

Not only do antiques add a touch of character to your apartment, but did you know that this decor choice is an easy way to go green? It doesn’t matter if your antique has been passed down from a family member or you randomly stumbled upon it at a garage sale. Most people like the old world style that antiques display. But if you prefer a fresher take, antiques can easily be re-purposed to look like new which is usually cheaper than spending money on the latest item. If you think that infusing antiques into your apartment will make it look like granny’s house, just remember not to overdo it. Just a touch is all you need!

4. Sleek and Shiny Stainless Steel

There are many words to describe stainless steel kitchen appliances: sleek, industrial, rich and sophisticated. No wonder these over-sized gadgets are the latest craze in apartment features! Renters love not only the look of stainless steel, but the fact that these appliances are extremely durable and super easy to clean.

5. Pile Up the Pillows

Don’t feel bad if you can’t paint your apartment walls or you’re afraid to hang pictures. An easy and cost-effective way to add color to your small space is with a bevy of pillows! Can’t decide on a color? How about Pantone’s Radiant Orchid? Even if your budget doesn’t allow for brand new accessories, check out your local craft store for discontinued and clearance fabric remnants to recover old pillows yourself!

6. Stackable Appliances

Looking for a way to save space? Stackable washer and dryer units could be your savior. If your apartment contains washer and dryer connections, find out if stackable appliances can be accommodated. These definitely come in handy for city renters that have limited square footage. And they look trendy, too!

7. Dignified Dining

Dining rooms can be an intimidating space. But don’t feel pressured to dress it up as you might for the holidays. In fact, you don’t even have to set the whole table. Even if you live alone, a minimum of two place settings will look better than a completely bare table. And you won’t have to scramble if a friend comes over to chow down!

8. A Blissful Bedroom

This is seriously one of our favorite trends: a luxurious, 5-star hotel-style master bedroom. Have you ever noticed that high-end hotels really know how to create an aura of opulence? Well, you can do the same for yourself at home. Simulate a suite at the Four Seasons with a down comforter, high thread count sheets, giant pillows, a neutral color scheme, a terrycloth bath robe and a soothing aroma like lavender. Simplicity is the key.

9. A Ravishing Rug

There are many ways to play around with area rugs within your apartment. You can layer them, place them at an angle, up against the wall or even side by side. But choosing one isn’t an easy feat. You’ll have to consider the size, shape, color, pattern, texture and cost. The most expensive rugs will last for decades. But if you just need something to get you through the next few years, a budget-friendly floor covering from your local chain store will do the job.

Which of these trends will you be adding to your apartment in 2014?

De-Clutter The Stress-Free Way

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We’ve all heard that you never really know how many unnecessary possessions you’ve been hoarding until you’re getting ready to move from one home to another. Though many of us pride ourselves on being able to ruthlessly cut down on the clutter that we all seem to accumulate after a while, we have to admit that there’s no better time to get rid of the stuff you don’t need than when you’re moving.

In order to determine what items you can really live without we propose a test - put the boxes down and only unpack items as you find them necessary. Now, hear us out - unpacking necessary items first will help you out by making you realize just how many items what items you use on a daily basis and which you don’t. Don’t believe us? You don’t have to take out our word for it. This article from renters.apartments.com highlights some of the finer points to this plan. Keep reading to learn more.

I think we can learn a lot from this. But what I’m choosing to learn here is that clearly, procrastination pays.

To road test my theory, I applied the procrastination approach to unpacking the boxes in my new apartment and you know what? It works.

By unpacking by priority, I’m uncovering three major truths: First, I have a lot more stuff than I need. Second, I moved a few boxes to this place that I never unpacked at the last place either. Third, I’m not nearly as awesome at ruthlessly downsizing my clutter as I thought.

Reaping the rewards of inaction pretty much stops here – after all, after a month of only unpacking by necessity, the place is still kind of a wreck and I should probably track down that cable bill I know I tossed in a box on moving day.

But the good news is, by knowing what I don’t need, I’m in a better position to ditch the clutter (*Bonus! Most of it’s still in ready-to-donate boxes!) and better organize my life. After all, that way-too-high shelf in the back of the closet? It isn't for just anything – it’s for air conditioner manuals and important documents I never seem to need but am required to keep.

Now, post-procrastination, I know where it actually makes sense to keep the cutting boards in my new kitchen and I've come to terms with the fact that I don’t need to keep giving valuable under-the-sink real estate to curling irons and straighteners my hair has been far too short for for roughly the last 3 years.

Personal growth through inaction, people; I recommend it.

Stuck On What To Do For Valentine's Day?

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The pressure is on! Valentine’s Day is tomorrow and if you haven’t made plans for a special night with your significant other yet, we bet you can feel the stress mounting. Don’t worry, at it’s very core, Valentine’s Day is just a time to show your sweetie how much you appreciate them, right? You don’t need to make reservations months in advance in order to show someone that you care - a well-planned night in can do that and more!

If you’ve decided to score some extra points by cooking for your date, there are a few things you need to remember before they arrive. This article from renters.apartments.com walks you through all the last minute prep items that you can’t forget to really ‘wow’ your date! Keep reading to make sure your Valentine’s Day dinner goes off without a hitch!

Step 1: Clean.

You need to clean beyond your usual standards. But it can be tough to ascertain how gross you really are on your own. Invite a stranger into the mix and everything that is awful and horrifying about your place will be instantly clear to you as you watch them react.

Helpful strangers include: the UPS guy, a pizza delivery person, or the woman from 3B who is too polite to say no to the coffee invitation you sprung on her as she came up the stairs after work.

Step 2: Cook.

Even if you’re not any good at it. Esquire offers a few recipe suggestions you might try here. Or you can hack into your significant other’s Pinterest account and there will be a minimum of 1, maximum of THERE IS NO MAXIMUM food boards. Scour them for ideas.

When it comes to the meal, there are only a few absolutes:

• Burritos are a bad idea (and Valentine’s Day is the only day that’s true).
• Champagne is a good idea (careful when you open it).
• Dessert is a must.

Step 3: Gussy.

Wherever you’re serving dinner, make it look like you a) thought about it and b) made an effort. It doesn’t even have to look good. When it looks planned, it implies that you thought about wanting to do something nice and when you look like you thought about wanting to do something nice, you have achieved the desired effect.

Suggestions: Flowers, candles and real dishes and glasses on the table are nice. A tablecloth is nicer. Cloth napkins are pro status.

One caveat: It doesn’t have to be fancy. If your roommate recently moved out and took all of his furniture with him, a picnic blanket in the middle of the floor with paper plates and plastic cups is adorable. Just set the mood with a few candles or twinkle lights and soft music.

Step 4: Dress.

Your apartment looks great, you should too. Keep it polished but casual—after all, you are at home.

Step 5: Check the oven.

Is it off? Good. Safety first.

What are your top tips for hosting a romantic night at home?

Apartment Pick-Me-Ups

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Wherever you live, little projects will crop up that are not big enough to call your landlord (or property manager) to handle. In these situations, there has to be some way to take care of the stain in your carpet or the nail holes that you can’t cover up.

Rather than simply learning to live with these non-emergency issues it could be worth your while to learn to trouble-shoot these problems on your own. This article from renters.apartments.com will equip you with some DIY solutions to some more common apartment problems. Keep reading to learn more:

Stained bathtub: Real Simple recommends a concoction of cream of tartar, baking soda and lemon juice to remove stains from porcelain. Better yet, this method is less toxic and less expensive than abrasive store-bought cleaning products.

Drafty windows: Cranking up the heat is not the best way to compensate for old windows. Buy weather stripping or plastic for your windows and plug up any holes that are letting cold air in. This will not only make your place warmer, but should also help decrease your energy bill.

Slow drain: If you don’t have a drain snake handy, BuzzFeed recommends pouring a cup of baking soda, followed by a cup of vinegar, down the drain. Then run the hot water to create a gunk-fighting foam.

Slamming door: Another Real Simple solution, use foam weather stripping or a rubber band to decrease the noise.

Ugly nail holes: If the former tenants didn’t do a good job of spackling where their pictures used to hang, buy some yourself, let it dry, then go over it with a damp sponge. This Old House says this method is damage and dust free.

Grimy showerhead: The website Household Hackers is full of quick fix ideas. For a showerhead, fill a plastic bag with vinegar and let it soak for 15 minutes.

Dull sink fixtures: Readers Digest offers up all sorts of uses for toothpaste, including shining up faucets, cleaning the bathroom sink, and removing crayon from walls.

Rusty cast iron pans: Cut a potato in half and cover the flat end in salt, then use it to scrub your pan. Get the full details at SheKnows.com.

Squeaky floor: HGTV says sprinkling baby powder or baking soda onto the squeaky joint will lubricate the wood and keep the floorboards from rubbing against each other, which is what causes the noise.

Switch Off During Your Next Vacation

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Now that the holiday rush is completely behind us, wouldn’t it be great to get away for awhile? Planning a trip with family, or even on your own, can be a great way to decompress before you settle into a long winter of work and social engagements. Though planning a trip can have it’s own set of frustrations and trials, you don’t need to succumb to stress while you’re trying to relax.

Relaxing on the beach (or wherever you see yourself escaping) should be your reward for the hard work you’ve put into entertaining, not another source of turmoil. These great tips from apartmenttherapy.com will help you to break away from the daily grind and slip into a restful state of mind. Keep reading to get the most out of your trip.

Limit Your Technology

This tip is perhaps the most important, the most obvious, and the most difficult to actually achieve. But seriously: tuning out distractions in the form of technology is a huge part of being able to relax while you're away from home.

Turn off data roaming and/or push notifications on your phone. Don't check your email (or, if that's as unreasonable for you as it is for me, check it once a day at a predetermined time only). Purposely stay somewhere without a TV or radio — seriously, if something big happens in the world, you'll find out sooner or later anyway.

(Maybe) Don't Bring A Camera

As someone who is known among friends for near-obnoxious levels of Instagramming when on vacation, I definitely understand the instinct to capture all the exciting sights around you for posterity. Sometimes, however, we get so focused on capturing what's happening around us that we forget to fully experienceit; hardly a recipe for relaxation. Photos get damaged, deleted or lost in the archives of Facebook, but memories last forever. Make sure yours are made with all your senses, not just your viewfinder.

Don't Over-Schedule Yourself

When I'm planning for a holiday, I want to do all of the research, see all of the sights, eat in all of the restaurants, have all of the fun… I think you can see where I'm going with this. Traveling as a Type A planner can get real old, real fast. You only have so much time in any given place, and by prioritizing what you want to see and do, you'll buy yourself more time to actually enjoy it.

In fact, scheduling time to relax might be just the ticket. I'm heading to Rome with a friend in a couple weeks' time, and I'm trying a new travel tactic. Since the city is going to be hot as Hades during the day, and since I'm not exactly a fan of soaring temperatures, we've only (loosely) planned our morning and evening activities, while the afternoons will be solely devoted to lounging poolside at our rental property (chosen specifically for this reason, naturally). If we don't get to see everything we'd like to? Well, I'm pretty sure Rome will still be there next time.

Choose Like-minded Travel Mates

Some people, no matter how much love lies between them, were just not made to travel together. Finding a travel partner who enjoys a similar pace as you, whether it's that of an Energizer Bunny or a turtle, is key to avoiding disagreements that can lead to stressful situations.

For a really relaxing holiday, consider ditching the companions altogether and going it alone. Last month, a bout of gastroenteritis turned my planned girlfriends-in-Paris weekend into a solo venture, and, aside from feeling a tad guilty about my sick friend, I had an terrific time. When you travel alone, you're free to do exactly as you like on your schedule, whether that's a full day of museum-hopping or sleeping in until noon, followed by a leisurely stroll along the Seine.

Consider a Staycation

Apparently studies have shown that we sleep fewer hours per night while traveling, whether due to jet lag, busy sightseeing schedules, or just being in an unfamiliar setting. Sleep deprivation is hardly relaxing, so taking the holiday to your own home (and bed) could be a way to beat this.

Keep in mind, however, that in order to be truly relaxing, a staycation should still be a vacation, of sorts. No making endless lists of home improvements or using this time to "catch up" on work or even social engagements. Sleep in. See a movie. Try that new restaurant...

Go Somewhere You Know Well

If you're not quite ready to holiday at home, consider traveling somewhere you've enjoyed before. Familiarity breeds tranquility, and when you know a place well, you're less likely to overextend yourself or become flustered by day-to-day travel problems. My most relaxing holiday destination? Perhaps ironically, it's New York City: after having visited my best friends there for nearly seven years, I no longer feel the need to sightsee compulsively, so it's all leisurely brunches, walks around town and picnics in Central Park.

Buffer Your Vacation

Let's be honest: flying home from paradise on a Sunday evening and showing up to work at 9am the next morning is pretty much the Worst. If you possibly can, try taking an extra day off before and/or after your holiday to be at home. This gives you time to do all those un-fun, post-holiday tasks like laundry, grocery shopping, and finishing the book you started on the return flight.

So, over to you: do you find it hard to really relax on holiday? What tips and tricks do you use to switch off?

A Cheerful Kitchen Is A Happy Kitchen

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After a long day at work it’s nice to come home and cook a nice, warm meal to make yourself feel better. The smell of your dinner cooking should be enough to lift your spirits, but if the inside of your kitchen is plain it can quickly put a damper on your spirits.

Thankfully, there are a few quick, easy changes you can make to the interior of your kitchen to put a little fun back into your food prep. This article from blog.blinds.com outlines easy mood-boosting updates your kitchen is craving. Keep reading for a few new ideas for your kitchen decor.

1. Paint Your Cabinets Sea Glass Green- Although Emerald is the darling of the design world right now, it’s softer cousin, Sea Glass, is sweeping the fashion community with it’s throwback feel. Where Emerald energizes, Sea Glass brings serenity. On cabinets, this jadeite hue will give your kitchen nostalgic charm, and will calm even the most hectic meals.

2. Create an Herb Garden With Old Tea Tins – Caring for plants has been proven to reduce stress. Seeing something green in your life, especially during a dreary winter, will give you a mood boosting connection to nature. Save money at the grocery store by starting an herb garden on your kitchen windowsill. Basil, parsley, rosemary and chives are easy for beginners to grow indoors. Use old tea tins for a charming mini container garden and a happier kitchen is on it’s way!

3. Bring In A Bright Fridge – Retro-style colorful fridges are coming back on the market via brands like the Italian appliance manufacturer Smeg. One of these babies nestled in between your cabinets will make even a tiny kitchen stand out from the pack.

4. Shake up Your Table with Bold Salt and Pepper – S + P are the spices you use the most, so why not find shakers that you’ll be glad to leave out on the table? Bright beauties like these can be found in antique stores, but many modern designers like Jonathan Adler are coming out with whimsical shapes that won’t fail to delight.

It’s Chilly- Let’s Watch A Movie!

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We’re in the dead of winter and conditions outside are just generally not as inviting as during the spring and summer months. If you’re like us, we know you’re not venturing outside nearly as often, so what to do until then?

A movie party is a great way to spend time with friends and wait for the spring thaw. This article from renters.apartments.com has a great list of movies for you to get lost in during your next movie night, so grab the popcorn, find the comfiest spot on the couch and get ready for some excellent films.

1. The Holiday: This movie never gets old to me, I love the dual story line of Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet as they swap houses and lives during — you guessed it, the holidays. What’s the best thing to do along with this movie? Aside from tea and crumpets, get inspired to surf for home rental inspiration for your next vacation, I found an amazing rental this way in Positano, Italy.

2. Sideways: This movie has it all, humor, drama, satire, and a heck of a lot of wine. Obviously the best accompanying activity is to have a wine tasting night along with it. Provide notepads for everyone to write down their thoughts on the wines so you’ll remember everyone’s favorites.

3. Under the Tuscan Sun: this is a pretty girly movie so bare with me if you’re not a girl. This movie however not only inspires one to eat her heart out but also to get busy with some DIY. And so the best activity for this one is to cook a meal worthy of a big Italian family and to read up on DIY tips — where else but here?

4. Along Came Polly: Really quite a ridiculous film from Alec Baldwin’s scene with Ben Stiller in the men’s bathroom to Philip Seymour Hoffman’s amazing performance and quotes—it never fails to make me laugh. Best activity for this one is to cook a spicy curry dinner. If you’re not sure why this makes sense then you need to watch the movie!

5. Shawshank Redemption: This is a classic that makes everyone feel good as they get behind the protagonist and cheer him on toward freedom. Play Monopoly with this one and hope for a Get Out of Jail Free card.

6. Rear Window: Only Hitchcock could pull off such mastery, suspense and drama with such a limited set. After watching this why don’t you spy on your own neighbors and come up with stories for them…

7. Amélie: Another feel-good movie this colorful French film with its beautiful soundtrack goes well with making a list of do-good activities you wish to accomplish just as did Amélie.