Decorating is a difficult task made even harder when one is on a budget. All those cutesy layouts in the Crate and Barrel catalog really start to add up when you total the sum of the knick-knacks needed to make it happen. Luckily for you, poor college student that you are, the Vanguard has gotten crafty with thrift so you don’t have to. Trust us, no one thinks your handmade macaroni picture frames are precious anymore. Keep the noodles in the kitchen ’cause that shit’s just sad. Here are our helpful tips for making your apartment livable and, dare we say, cute.
Develop a floor plan
First, measure your living area. (This will also come in handy if you buy new furniture or rugs in the future, because you’ll know what fits in your space.) Turn your measurements into a rough sketch of one room or your whole apartment.
Make copies of your floor plan sketch so that you can play around with different furniture arrangements.
Create balance
Balance is essential to keep your room from looking disjointed and frenzied. Use scale, contrast and rhythm to create balance.
Scale: Larger rooms should be furnished with larger items, such as high-backed chairs or tall shelves, and small rooms should be furnished with smaller pieces, such as bistro tables and stools.
Contrast: Contrast makes designs interesting and exciting, but too much can be overpowering. Create color contrast without being overwhelming by sticking to similar textures. Or stay within the same color palate and vary textures.
Rhythm: One unified theme in your apartment can give it purpose and vision. Bring the space together with color, a series of contrasts or similar patterns throughout.
Determine a color scheme
Terms to know:
Hue: aka color
Tint: color with white
Tone: color with gray
Shade: color with black
Value: the lightness or darkness of a color
Types of color schemes:
Monochromatic: Use one hue throughout your room. Create interest by varying textures.
Complementary: Use two hues that are opposite on the color wheel, such as red and green or blue and orange.
Analogous: Use three hues that are next to each other on the color wheel, such as blue, green and yellow.
Triadic: Use three hues that are of equal distance from each other on the color wheel, such as red, yellow and blue.
Use your space effectively
• Add an additional, lower rod in your closet for shorter clothes such as skirts or dress shirts.
• Install shelves. Corner shelves are great for picture frames and trinkets, and multiple-level shelves are great in kitchen cabinets for smaller items.
• Get extra storage space with spice racks, racks that consolidate canned goods or furniture that has extra storage, like an ottoman that opens up.
• Don’t ignore wall space. For example, free up space in your kitchen by hanging pots and pans.
• Put frequently used items where you need them. Put linens in the bedroom, DVDs by the television and office supplies near your desk.
• Keep your desk clear—you’ll get more done if you have a clean workspace, and the lack of clutter will keep your room looking good.
• Rearrange. For example, if you never use your dining room, transform it into a useful space so it isn’t wasted.
• Rotate. Store your possessions during the offseason. Put your winter sweaters and blankets away in storage when you don’t need them. Then when the weather cools, bring them out and put away your summer clothes and light linens.
Money saving tips
Cheap ways to add color
Can’t afford to paint or your landlord won’t allow it? Add color to your bathroom with bright towels in different sizes, colors and textures. It adds visual interest without the mess, and it’s easy to change!
In your bedroom, try a patterned bedspread as the focus of the room and use neutral colors to decorate the rest of the room.
In your living room, try colorful throw pillows or a montage of photos with unique frames. You can even hang frames with colorful ribbon. Rugs are also an easy way to add interest and texture contrast, and the same can be achieved by hanging a large, painted canvas across a wall.
Fresh flowers can also add a pop of color to any room.
Build things yourself
Can’t afford a coffee table? Purchase a piece of glass or particleboard and use a large flowerpot, cement blocks or bricks as the base. If the base is unappealing, paint it or cover it with fabric.
Instead of a bed frame, you can use cinder blocks and plywood slats to prop up your bed. Instead of purchasing a headboard, try a section of picket fence, a vintage door or an antique screen.
Where to get cheap furnishings
Garage and tag sales
Show up early to get the best goods, or just before closing to get the deals.
Flea markets
They are a great place to haggle with vendors for the bargain.
Beaverton Flea Market: Sat and Sun at 11595 Canyon Rd., 503-644-4062
Portland Saturday Market: Sat at 108 W. Burnside, 503-222-6072
MKC Flea-O-Rama: Sat and Sun at Multnomah Kennel Club, 223rd Avenue between Glishaw and Halsay streets, 503-666-8969
No. 1 Flea Market: Sat and Sun at 17420 S.E. Division St., 503-761-4646
Online auctions
Look for deals on your schedule, day or night—but be sure to do your research before so you don’t get ripped off.
Consignment or junk stores
Find hidden gems in slightly used but perfectly fine condition.
Craigslist
You can find free or dirt-cheap furniture, and then spend the money you’ve saved on a gallon of Febreze!
Furniture store back room
Find last season, slightly damaged or show pieces that are marked down.
Estate sales or auctions
A great place to find vintage or antique goods.
Top five decorating mistakes
1. Curtains hung too low: This can make the ceiling appear lower and the room darker. Hang curtains a foot above the window molding.
2. Too many decorative pillows on the bed: This is not inviting or sexy, and it can make your bedroom appear cluttered. Stick to one pillow per person sleeping on the bed.
3. Beds or sofas on the diagonal: Leave this for the design professionals. You may think you’re saving space, but it makes too much of a statement and leaves wasted space behind the furniture.
4. Theme rooms: Less is more! A fun zebra print rug is one thing, but no one wants a “jungle madness” themed bedroom.
5. Art hung too high: This makes the room seem top-heavy. Instead, center the piece at eye level and avoid cricked necks.