Just Starting Out

One of the most exciting times in anyone's life is the day when they move out of the family home into their first place. Finally, your own style can prevail! But sticker shock from a single trip to Crate & Barrel can bring dreams of a fabulous home to a screeching halt. Luckily with sites like Pinterest and plenty of information to be found on design blogs there is oodles of design inspiration for molding a first apartment into a place to be proud to call home-evidence below. 

Inexpensive folding chairs painted white are a budget-friendly option while you're saving your pennies.

Thrift store dresser + Paint = Chic for less

Twice Lovely

Clearance bin tablecloths today, curtain panels tomorrow

see story here

Tables don't have to be made of wood.

Via In the Country

Cupcakes and Cashmere

Real Simple

Real Simple

Affordable and good looking aren't mutually exclusive-You just need to know where to shop. Target baby ($199 for a 5 X 7!) 

 Target

HomeGoods is an amazing resource for high quality accessories to fill your first place.

Your own photos (and cast off cd cases) are better than mass produced art from a big box store.

 Craft Source

Put it in a frame and it becomes art.

Real Simple

If you're just starting out check out this post about all of the things I wish someone would have told me before I wasted a lot of money decorating my first place.

Tell me about your first decorating experience.

Berber Carpet, Yes or No?

 

After being diagnosed with diabetes in January, our sweet dog Murphy was having frequent accidents in the house prompting the need to replace our current floor covering. While I love the look of hard wood, for a number of reasons, cost at the top of the list, we've decided to go with carpet. Finding a carpet that we like hasn't been an easy task. However, I did find a berber that I could live with. Now we're not talking the speckled, big-loop berber circa 1990, the one I'm looking at has tiny loops and a subtle pattern similar to the image below. 

One concern with any carpet is the possibility of visible seams. Since the berber we like is quite flat this is a major concern. I was assured by the retailer that they would guarantee satisfaction in writing but I'm still skeptical. This carpet only comes in a 12 foot width which equals seams in all the rooms where it would be installed. 


So I ask you, what would you do, go for it or choose a safer option?

Murphy 

June 18, 2001-May 11, 2012  

Rest in peace sweet boy.