My Home Needs a Style Lift – GIVEAWAY

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 | Published in Charitable Living, Gifts That Give Back

My apartment is in desperate need of a style lift. I’ve lived there for over 4 years, and it still looks like I just moved in. I think the fanciest thing that I’ve done is hang gorgeous purple curtains in the living room and buy some gray/purple/burgundy pillows for my couch. I have always been in a state of transition in that apartment and that has been the sole reason for my lack of decoration. I always feel like I’m about to move or I want to move, so why turn my house into a home?

While I haven’t quite found a place that makes me feel like Tiffany’s*, I think that I’m finally going to try and pull my place together before the spring gets here. That means coming up with a color palette for each room, creating a list of furniture to purchase (a dining room table tops this list), and finally breaking out the paint. When I first moved in, I bought two gallons of paint (deep red and a sienna) to add some warmth to my stark white walls. But, four years later, those gallons are in the closet along with shelves, candles, picture frames, and various other decor pieces that have brought more flair to my closet than my walls.

Well, thanks to the Lavish Giving gift certificate that I won a couple a months ago, I’ve found some vases that I must add to my bedroom. I like the earth tones/turquoise palette for my bedroom, so I am ordering the vases below in turquoise and brown.

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Aren’t they great? Aside from being the 2010 color of the year, turquoise is a favorite color of mine because it reminds me of the lake on a sunny day or the ocean. *sigh* I’m looking forward to installing a shelf in the room and adding these guys. I won’t post any before pictures of my apartment but as things start coming together, I will definitely sprinkle some after pics on the site.

NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY! *throws confetti*

I am giving away a $50 gift certificate to Lavish Giving! Lavish Giving has a great selection of gifts, stationary, and, of course, home decor. Even better is the fact that a portion of your total is contributed to a charity of your choice. I plan on donating to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (no surprise there)!

To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is respond in the comments to the question below.

“What’s your favorite way to give your home a quick style lift? Adding pillows? Buying candles? Etc?”

I’m looking forward to reading some of your tips because I’m really need to pull this together asaptually!!! I will randomly select the winner tomorrow at 3p, so make sure that your comment is up before then. Oh, and it sounds simple, but don’t forget to include your email and/or Twitter handle. Good luck, guys!

-kb

*In “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” Holly says that when she finds a place that makes her feel like Tiffany’s (calm and secure), then maybe she’d buy some furniture for her apartment. One of my favorite lines in the whole movie because I understand her COMPLETELY!

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  • http://demureprincess.blogspot.com Ashley

    My favorite way to give my apartment a face lift is to hang something on the wall. Whether it is a photo or a great piece of art, it really transforms a room for very little money!

    demureprincess7(at)gmail.com

  • http://www.teaandsuch.blogspot.com Tea

    I conceal clutter to give myself a style lift. My jewelry was all over the dresser, so I bought a small pink bamboo box from World Market, conceals it greatly. My books were ALL over the house in boxes, on the floor, etc, so I bought the Billy bookcase from Ikea. Now my books are neatly arranged. I think small fixes like that one at a time really help.

    And I want that gift card, so pick me!!! :)

  • http://www.shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com ShootingStarsMag

    Definitely some candles. We always like to have at least one. We also like to decorate the bottom of the candle holder…it’s like a jar where the candle hangs in the middle…with seasonal decorations. :)

  • S.wright

    I am bargain hunter/frugal decorator. A few ideas I have are don’t by new just repurpose what you have. For instance take an old book shelf and by some decorative sticky paper or wall paper and cover the shelves or back panels to liven it up, you can also install little lamps under the shelves. Then organize your items in different sized boxes (another money saving tip is using thick wrapping paper to cover the boxes for added flare (remind me to send you a link for the paper)
    of course you know paint goes a long way, add a rug and a jazzy throw blanket and you will be good to go.
    Another important thing is making sure all furniture you buy has more than one purpose or use (especially for storage)

  • http://www.thriftista.com Thriftista

    Candles are great, but plants are the way to go when you want to add some color and life to your home! Go to Home Depot and keep your receipt – if the plant dies within a year, they’ll exchange it for another one! That’s great for those of us with less-than-green thumbs. :)

    Pay attention to lighting too – the dorm halogen lamps may still work, but getting some excellent lamps [or even rigging up your own with a vase, shade and light kit from menard's], whether floor, desk, sconce, etc., will make a huge difference! Dimmers, colored bulbs and strategic placement [to point to a piece of artwork or as S.wright said, under shelves] can add depth.

  • Alli

    I love to just buy or find a few accessories to place on shelves and tables, like vases and little porcelain figures! Lamps are also really great because there are so many styles!

    northssclub at yahoo dot com

  • http://charitychickshouston.com Tam’ra

    Adding sheets or towels with a bold print or in a vibrant color immediately adds pop and flair! Every time I have my beige and brown zebra print sheets on the bed, I smile every time I walk into the bedroom.