Design Tweaks

Hi y'all.  Only  17 days until I get to move into my apartment.  It seems like it can't get here soon enough. So what have I been doing with all of my free time?  This week, I did actually have some fun.  The ladies whose boyfriends live out of town invited me to a girls only dinner on Valentines at a great restaurant.  Bistro 7 was delicious.  I a beet salad and a roasted chicken dish.  Then on Thursday, a huge group of us from work went out for happy hour.  Since my work hours here are 9-6, it is nice that there are happy hours that last until 8 pm.  Then, just a few short blocks away, there is a place that serves awesome hand made tacos for $1 each after 8 pm.  It was so much fun.

In the rest of my free time, I have watched all 5 seasons of Friday Night Lights.  Such a great show!  I highly recommend it.  I have also watched two seasons worth of Downton Abbey.  Yes, that is a PBS Masterpiece Classic series, and it is wonderful.  I have also watched a few movies:  Mansfield Park, Children of A Lesser God, Ballerina (a documentary about the Kirov), and No Strings Attached (surprisingly good). Now taking suggestions to fill the next 17 days.  Feel free to pass them my way.

The other thing I have been doing is tweaking my choices and designs for my apartment.  I thought I would share the updates.

The bedroom has changed the most.  I have found some great, fairly inexpensive side tables that add a lot of storage, and look so cool!  I absolutely love them.  They are going to be a great accent of red.  I also changed out the desk.  I liked the one from Crate and Barrel on my last design board, but I never could really get over the price tag.  I am not a fan of a desk in a bedroom, so it was important to me that all of that stuff (computer, printer, files, papers, shredder) could be put out of site.  The new side tables I have ordered actually have a file drawer in the bottom, so I can put files in there.  The bottom shelves in the Ikea secretary desk will hold the printer and the shredder.  I am so glad that it can all be put away.

Sources:  Headboard: Pottery Barn, Night Stands:  HomeDecorators.com, Lamp: Pier 1, 

Curtains and Red Bedding: West Elm, Dresser and Desk: Ikea, 

Paint Color:  Benjamin Moore:  Sandy Hood Gray HC-108.

I think that all of the furniture in the apartment is going to have to work pretty hard.  Most is going to have to have to solve more than one challenge for me to purchase it.

So the bones of my bedroom are coming together nicely.  Next up will be injecting some personality into the room.  Speaking of personality, I had a super fantastic idea for adding a bit of personality to my living room.

Before I share that detail though, A little more information about my apartment.  My living room will have cream carpet.  I have ordered two large pieces of cream furniture.  All but one of the walls will be painted builders white.  So there is a whole lotta white going on in that room.  Going with a green accent wall, not only brings in my favorite color, but a lot of energy too.  But I still felt like there would be a ton of white.

Also, although it is pretty, it still felt sort of generic to me, like a model home.  Somewhere I got the idea to do a rug and the first kind of rug I thought of was a cowhide.  When I looked up prices for cowhides, I was astonished at how affordable they are.  When I read the customer reviews, I was delighted about what I read regarding cleaning, care, and wear and tear.  Mostly though, it is a little (or sort of big) nod to my Texas roots, and a big hunk of personality added into the room.

Sources:  sofa (I ordered the Crosby sofa in cream) - Raymour & Flanigan; accent table, square chair, stools - World Market; 

shelves, painting - Dania; ottoman - One Kings Lane; club chair - Overstock; pillows and lamps - various;

 cowhide - Google Images (haven't ordered one yet); paint color:  Benjamin Moore Georgian Green HC-115

I still have only bought critical pieces of furniture.  The rest I will fill in once the boxes are put away, or if I find them on huge sale.  So, what do you think? Love it?  Hate it?  Love to hear your thoughts!

Hope everyone reading this is enjoying their long weekend.  Best to you all!