Easy Eclectic CHEAP apartment decorating?

Question

Hi! I'm moving into my first apartment. It's actually going to be the first time that I'm going to be living on my own. It's a small apartment (not like box or coffin apartment small) and I'm looking for some tips or ideas on design. Some of my likes / dislikes are:

Likes
----------
1. I like the color black, but not as in "goth" or batcave.
2. I like classical music.
3. I also like history. I'm very font of italian stuff and the renaissance.
4. I love paintings.
5. I'm generally a very eclectic person.

Dislikes
-----------
1. Any feminine colors or pastels. I'm a guy.
2. Many people like pop music. I dont.
3. I dont like brown. I think that bright yellow should be reserved for "Big Bird".

Please, any help that you can give would be obliged. How would I describe my taste and my views? I believe strongly that I was born into the wrong century.

Thank you very much for any help!

Something else, I'm a sucker for anything elegant.

Answer 1

Scan magazines and decorating books at your bookstore to see if you can find inspiration there. By scanning through them you'll see what wall colors and furniture you like. You can bring a magazine page with the color you like, bring it to Home Depot and they'll be able to reproduce the exact color for you. The furniture you see will in the magazines will probably be high end, but you can get the style you want, and go to furniture stores to find less expensive ones with the same look.

Based on your tastes (Italian Traditional?), I think you may like furniture and items from:
- Bombay Company store (they have sale going on!)
Some examples:
- http://www.bombaycompany.com/gp/product/B000CSRYKE/sr=1-8/qid=1158963427/ref=sr_1_8/104-6537866-5767921?ie=UTF8&bmBrand=core&m=A2Z4DUPX2Z8M59
- http://www.bombaycompany.com/gp/product/B000EB9D30/sr=1-14/qid=1158963558/ref=sr_1_14/104-6537866-5767921?ie=UTF8&bmBrand=core&m=A2Z4DUPX2Z8M59

- Ballard Design (you can order a free catalog online) -- A bit pricey, but you might want to look at the accessories and wall decor:
Some examples:
- http://www.ballarddesigns.com/jump.jsp?itemID=1776&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C5%2C38%2C191&iProductID=1776
- http://www.ballarddesigns.com/jump.jsp?itemID=2503&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C21%2C84%2C371&iProductID=2503
- Crate and Barrel store (Might be pricey. But watch out for sales.)
- Cost Plus (No, it's not very european.. But they have inexpensive furniture that can be used for any style)
Example: http://www.worldmarket.com/furniture/living-furniture/upholstery-sofa/Taylor-Leather-Bench/lev/4/productId/693/Ne/1100001/Ns/NEW_ARRIVAL_FLAG%7c1%7c%7cCATEGORY_SEQ_2889%7c0/N/1100039/Nty/1/view/10000/index.pro

For sofas and other furniture, check out the selection at COSTCO.COM. You have to be a member, or ask a member to buy it for you. They have traditional styles, and the price can't be beat.

Decorating suggestions:
- Put a big (the biggest one you can afford!) mirror on one wall. It will greatly enhance the sense of space. Or buy those mirror panels at Ikea and put them together to make one big mirror.
- Use "leggy" furniture. When you see the space underneath, again it increases the sense of space.
- For every room, select a focal point, and place your furniture in such a way that your eye goes to the focal point. For bedrooms, the bed is the focal point.
- Make black an *accent* color. Try not to buy a black leather couch. Looks nice, but none of us girls will like it! :-) Anyway, that is too much black. Buy sofa with a neutral color, and put black accent pillows.
- Personalize with the paintings or prints that you love. Your art and history books will also look nice on display.
- Don't settle for something you don't really like just because it is cheap. Wait for it to come on sale, or look for it on ebay/craigslist. Take your time furnishing and decorating your apartment. If you get something just because it's cheap, you'll never grow to like it . Eventually you'll decide to get rid of it and buy something else.

Answer 2

Until you can afford some fine art, check out the cheater paintings ( Prints on canvas made to look like real paintings ) I saw some at Hobby Lobby that were simple,almost surrealistic landscapes that looked like the Italian countryside. They were on canvas and unframed....something like this would look great unframed with just the edges of the canvas painted black and hug in a row of three ( always group things in threes for more visual interest ) Paint the walls an antique cream and if you dare,do some faux painting up in the corners near the ceiling to make the room look more like an old Italian villa,by adding "dirt" and "water stains". If there is no carpeting,lucky you! Add an area rug with either an old world look or a starkly modern look. Cream color round arm and loose pillow sofas and chairs. Metal lamps in wrought iron and bronze. Keep it all simple so that when you can afford the art,you can make it a focal point. If you have a string instrument such as a cello or violin,be sure to display it in an off hand manner as if you had been playing and just set it in a corner for a moment. Don't forget some lush,leafy plants in colorful,hand painted,Italian looking pots.

Answer 3

If you have hired in the past landscape gardeners for projects that ended up costing you tens of thousands of dollars then that other option is to make it simply from right here https://tr.im/Pj7Ch Your way due to the fact , in the end and without this information , tasks constantly price much more and took longer than anticipated.
Ideas4Landscaping is a extensive multimedia resource database of more than 7000 high-resolution images and 300 systematic guides , themes and video tutorials for men and women hunting for landscape suggestions and inspiration all around their very own home.
If you are a landscape gardening enthusiast of any sort , you must by Ideas4Landscaping , a package with a lot of wonderful materials to stimulate task suggestions.

Answer 4

Go to goodwill, buy one of the bride dresses with long poofy veils, use the veil as curtains or wall hangings ect., mangle the rest of the dress into some kind of social statement or art masterpiece. At least that's what I would do.

Answer 5

Check out Pier One imports. They have unusual pieces.Then decide what color you would like your walls to be. Just keep in mind that dark colors make areas seem smaller.

Answer 6

Check out this website, on tips for inexpensive items and very creative ideas, I'm sure you've seen them, it will help you find many of the sources you nhttp://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/tradingspaces/tradingspaces.htmleed.

Answer 7

Large prints are cheap.
Check out some antique malls.
Bookcases with books and knick-knacks. Also great storage.

Answer 8

Check out your local Women's Exchange, Deacon's Store or other local thrift stores- they have tons of cool vintage stuff at pretty good prices.

Answer 9

Check out www.ikea.com or www.target.com. They always have a great selection of styles!

Answer 10

Shop @ IKEA