Apartment Style

Decorating my bedroom (that I share with my best friend, Jennie) in my new LA apartment has been a fun project for me. Because I was abroad this past semester, I was only able to do furniture shopping the weekend before I moved in...hence why pretty much everything is from IKEA. (Also, side note: building four different pieces of furniture in one weekend is not a good idea. If it wasn't for my friends helping me...I think I may have had a mental breakdown.) Because my IKEA furniture is all white, I wanted to add pops of color to other parts of my room to off-set its simplicity. I used mustard accents on items like my rug and lamp base to match my purple, navy, and mustard bedding.

For my desk, I decided to not nail up the magnetic backing on the side facing my bed to make my room look more open. However, the fiberboard was exposed in the back, so I stapled sheer craft lace over it to cover it up. I then used the extra fabric in a couple of my mason jars (along with some spare clothespins), and cut small pieces to decorate the outside of two vases. On the left magnetic wall of my desk, I used decorative magnets as a fun way to display photographs from my semester abroad. And, as a way to display some black and white photographs, I strung some of my favorite shots up over my bed using twine and clothespins—a craft that I had seen on Pinterest and wanted to try for the longest time!

On my dresser drawers, I swapped out IKEA's standard knobs for six different knobs from Anthropologie that went with the color scheme of my room. It's amazing how a few different pieces of hardware can completely change the look of a piece of furniture. I also swapped out the plain knob that came with my nightstand for a more decorative black and yellow knob.

Ever since coming back from Europe, I have been loving maps. So, I invested in a big floral world map print, a monogram "M" (maps and monograms: two good things in one place!), and put up the "Cities" calendar Andrew got me for Christmas. If I had more room, I would have bought this scratch-off map from Urban which I think is the coolest thing ever!

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Apartment Details:

IKEA—Bed frame, Nightstand, Desk, Chair, Dresser, Table mirror

Anthropologie—Bedding (similar), Dresser knobs, Homegrown mug

Urban Outfitters—Map print, Map letter, Herringbone rug, Jewelry organizer (similar), Mirror organizer

Cost Plus World Market—Mason Jars, Chalk Board, Yellow lamp base

Target—Lamp Shade, Clothing organizer, Ivory basket

Rifle Paper Co.—Cities Calendar

Ruche—Bottle Cap Magnets

Aaron Brothers—All Photo Frames

Joann's Fabric & Crafts—Lace Fabric, Flowers

P.S. check out my home inspiration board on Pinterest for a collection of all the home decor that inspires me...I have been re-pinning interior design photographs like a mad woman lately!