getting crafty: apt decorating on a dime

Lately, I have been spending much free time pouring over images on various home decorating blogs, envisioning the furniture, accessories and details that will one day make up my first long-term living space. While that may not be for another year or two or five, I can begin thinking about decorating my apartment back at school in Boston where I will be living with my Fall '09 roomies: my best friend Alex and our friends Sharona and Amanda. So excited to be reunited in Stuvi!!

For those of you that don't know, Stuvi stands for Student Village, the first of three Boston University on-campus apartment monstrosities that boast some of the best views of Boston. We will be living on the 15th floor in a corner apartment in the East Tower, which is the one that faces the city, as opposed to Brookline and Cambridge. Either way, not too shabby! But I'm expecting a beautiful view of our beloved Charles River.

Anywho, these blogs have got my creative decorating juices flowing and I CANNOT wait to put them into action in decorating our not-so-humble abode!

The main aspects to consider when decorating a pre-furnished, on-campus space such as ours are that we are required to use all of and only what is provided to us by the university AND we cannot mess anything up. With these restrictions, most students shy away from decorating at all, but we four chicas are not the ordinary students!

Here are some ideas of how to spruce up an unattractively-furnished, minimalist space on a student-friendly budget:

Hang a bulletin board full of your favorite things

{picture from pink wallpaper}

Most of my life, I have had a bulletin board in my bedroom containing photos of friends and family, concert ticket stubs and inspiration images. Ideally, my bedroom's or office's bulletin board would cover an entire wall, but we gotta stay small-scale in Stuves, so only half of a wall :)

Find or create a make-shift jewelry rack

{picture from good bones, great pieces}

It should come as no surprise to any of you that I have a lot of jewelry. And by a lot, I mean A FREAKING LOT. To me, my jewelry is more that just a way to decorate my body, it also has the potential of decorating my room. Displaying one's jewelry is a simple and virtually cost-less way to add decoration to one's space and display something that clearly reflects one's personality. This mesh screen makes an excellent jewelry rack once little tacks or nails are added to it. Last year, I was on the hunt for a pretty frame and some antique lace to make a jewelry rack to the same effect and I plan on using one of these two methods come fall.

Add turquoise accents

{pictures from good bones, great pieces}

I don't know what came over me this past spring, but somewhere between a shopping bag purchased in Amsterdam, a scarf from Paris and my own chunky stone ring, I have fallen for the color turquoise--especially in the form of accents. I found tons of images of rooms with turquoise accessories and I am smitten! Vases! Throw pillows! Accent walls! Patterned rugs! I want them all!! No doubt I'll be adding details such as this Target lamp to our apartment decor.

Place flowers in random glass jars, cups and vases

My apartment is located two blocks from a Salvation Army store. Last fall I was on the hunt for tea cups and found five beauties! This year: assorted glassware to line our windowsill, into which we can display perfect pink peonies. Maybe I'll also find one just the right size for our traditional basil plant!

Other decorating plans include finding a great couch cover to disguise the fuglymcfugly furniture provided by BU, perfectly mismatched throw pillows, and other brightly-colored accents.

Oh, and have I mentioned our wall fish tank?


Peace, Love and Neon,
Marisa

P.S. A VERY SPECIAL 21ST BIRTHDAY SHOUT OUT TO MY BEST FRIEND IN THE UNIUNILALAVERSE, ALEXANDRA IVY BLACK!!!!