I just ran across these images from The Every Girl blog (if you haven't checked this blog out, you surely should!) and it instantly took me back to my days of small apartment city living. My Chicago apartment was so tiny, organization was a challenge for me. (Hey, I may be a designer, but I never said I was an organizer. It's actually one of my biggest flaws! Working on it though!!)
The following images make small city living (or just small living in general) pretty, polished and styled perfectly, and best of all, functional! It's all about how you style it!
If shoe boxes are pretty, showcase them!
Make sunglasses easy and accessible.
Commit a shelf to make up and jewelry so it's not scattered.
Together as a whole, it looks collected, polished and most of all pretty! I love how they have the dresses on the back of the door hooks, someone once told me to save time in the morning, put your outfit you plan to wear on the back of your bedroom door on hooks, it kind of gets you excited to start your day!
Next up: Kitchen
Average things look so much prettier when displayed. Putting them in nice canisters and jars make them easily accessible and actually might make you more creative to use them when cooking!
Your items may not be as perfectly matched and color coordinated, but that is okay. Sometimes things look most beautiful when mismatched. However, if you aspire for a more coordinated look, it's important to find one common thread color and try to find it in each new piece (it can be as simple as white! As long as there is some kind of color thread on all the pieces, it will make visual sense!)
This photo really makes me smile. It really takes me back to my city living days. I remember feeling frustrated about the lack of kitchen storage and having the microwave and coffeepot in a weird spot. I wish I had seen these images back then, I may have felt differently.
The coolest part? These are all done with great sturdy little wire shelves, you can get them from hardware stores and even Target has them!
I hope you feel inspired to get to work on your small space! Make it functional and styled, add a touch of whimsy with the practical stuff, layer with a piece of art or a plant. Most importantly make it you!
xo}L
A navy outdoor living area gets a touch of the sea with an assortment of coastal wall accessories, along with cool little sailboats and lovely Chinoiserie elements.
A beach decal sends a festive message saying, “It’s time to hit the sea and sand.”
Mimicking the ocean, modern art prints bring the beach inside. The surf board leaning on the wall is a nice beachy touch. I love this coastal interior design.
I love this pelican print topped by a bronze fish. Proof coastal décor can be as fun as it is chic, don't you think?
An abstract painting fills the wall of this gorgeous beach home. The dolphin sculpture hanging from the ceiling is incredible.
Art doesn’t necessarily have to be on the wall in a coastal home, shells make perfect works of art when placed on tables and shelves. For instance, the starfish pictured here.
I’ve seen this triptych several times in different rooms and fall in love with all over again. It has a Captain Nemo feel to it. I could take these interior design ideas and run with them.
Seahorses and a mermaid play above the fireplace. Palm leaves act as art when placed in a little niche such as this. Images