apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Oh Bridget - i feel your pain. Your bedroom reminds me of the dorm room i lived in for 4 months while studying abroad in London. Here are a few things i did...

1. Window treatments! It's the easiest thing to spruce up the room, and you could even cover that whole back wall with IKEA curtains for a small price.

2. I invested (as much as i could in London) on great bedding and made sure to make my bed every morning.

3. Lighting! Lamps and even a mock chandelier (with light cord kit from Urban Outfitters or IKEA) so that you don't have to use the fluorescent.

4. I covered my walls with beautiful sheets of the thick wrapping paper (i got it at Paperchase but nice paper stores have it too) to mimic wallpaper.

5. Rugs (mostly b/c i wasn't comfortable walking around barefoot on the carpet!)

6. Organization - i would get cute/colorful baskets, trays, etc. for your desk (i think i see some cubbies). It keeps things organized and also adds some pop to the dull desk.

Hope these things help. Be sure to post "after" pics!!

Try to eliminate the clutter and the boxes (in what seem to be the bedroom) first thing. That might be the most difficult task.

Then, for the bedroom, I would pick one or 2 accent colors and repeat it on canvas, on your bedspread, on cushions, on curtains, rug, .... That would give a little punch of color and eliminate the 'bare' look.

Is there any way you can move the desk to another room? Your bedroom seems most lived in and the 'kitchen-living room' looks really empty and untouched. The fact that the kitchen table is on an angle...well I'm unsure if it helps or not, since we can't really see what's beside it.

If you make a more balance use of your rooms I think that will help. Bring color in with accessories, which will help personalize your space. On the plus side, you have very big windows :) Maybe make them a focal point?

And for that light...oh dear... I guess you could find other lamps and not open the neons ?

Good luck!!

I would never turn on that fluorescent light again. My first idea in the bedroom would probably to get maybe a floor light, one of those cube things which light up. Then maybe a lamp on the drawers (shifting the centered drawer over to the left or right, not have it centered above the lower drawers).

If you still need more light (without using the fluorescent) then maybe some of those shelf lights from ikea on top of your desk hutch or closet. I'd move the boxes on top of the closet.. they feel kind of oppressive and just messy in general. You could put a few stick-on hooks to the side of the closet to hang your clothes/towels so that you can close the closet doors.

n the common room, the angled chairs only create awkward unusable space. In my opinion angled furniture usually only works in larger rooms with space to spare. You could try them up against the wall, getting a table into the corner with a lamp on it. Maybe another uplight in the corner so you don't need to use the overhead light.

If you don't need all 4 sides of the bar-height table everyday, maybe push it up against the wall.. and then get a rug or two and a couple of colourful cushions to cozy it up.

Then, definetely some wall artwork throughout the place.

Good luck!

Oops..common place. Could you switch the desk with the bedroom so your desk in under the neon?

try hanging a nice piece of fabric over your bed to create a "canopy" effect. it will make your bed feel like a cozy nook/nest. It's also a great way to add color without much commitment. I did this in college with a purple sari that i tacked to the ceiling with push pins.

Like CPark, I have used nice wrapping paper to cover walls and also furniture (and my refrigerator). I got some nice prints at the Container Store and Papyrus. You could cover the drawer units with it using double sided tape, which will make it removable. I would just test to see if it leaves anything behind - but Goo-Gone takes care of adhesive stuff! Maybe some printed chair pads for the table chairs - Ikea has cheap ones, and you could put something decorative fabric-wise on the table, maybe also some candles.

If you want to soften the fluorescent light you could cover it with a sheer-ish fabric in a warm color.

Well I think the first good tip is to finish unpacking. You got the place furnished, but you never know if you might need to add one or two pieces for more storage. It looks like you have got a lot of stuff - maybe get rid of some?

I would think you are allowed to move the furniture around - maybe work up a better bedroom set up so all the storage is together in maybe more of a form of a closet. The bed and desk really should be switched. The neon light might seem better when it's being used more as a work light. If you want to keep the bed where it is, maybe a nice big piece of artwork so the light seems more like a art light.

The common area probably needs the most work. I think the table would be best not in an angle - it's hogging the room as it is now. Maybe a two area rugs (one for the lounge area and one for dining area) and a few lamps. Maybe invest in several floor cushions or a nice ottoman to use in the lounge area of the room. Looks like all you have now for sitting there is a loveseat - and floor cushions would allow you to bring in more colors. Again if you are allowed to put holes in the walls, hang some cheap art or maybe a tapestry.

I want to say something more helpful than "declutter and throw stuff away" - but it's hard since clutter is the first thing I see in the photos...

On second look - really re-evaluate what needs to be in your bedroom and what could go elsewhere.

For instance, do you need to store your wine in the bedroom? Why not put that in the living room?
The toiletries and the towel hanging on the wardrobe - can they be stored in the bathroom?

I feel that organization should come before decoraton...IMHO.

Hi bridget,
It looks like your space needs some rearrangement of furniture.

For the bed rooms.

Move the bed against the window. I know privacy will be an issue here. To get around that, hang a colorful rug such that it stretches from end to end on the wall with the window, covering the lower half of the window, leaving the upper portion of the window exposed .This should anchor the room in terms of color , give a semblance of a headboard. Alternatively use wallpaper. If wallpapering, then fix a piece of mdf on the window such that it covers half the window and wallpaper over it.. Hang a sheer curtain for the upper portion of the window.

Move the wardrobe and desk on the wall on the right of the entrance to the room.

Move the lower drawers to the common area and use it as seating against the window.

The last set of drawers can be used as a night stand near the bed.

Invest in a coat hanger and a shoe stand for your coats, shoes and bags.

Add a desk lamp for the desk and some bed lamps for the bed.


In the living area

He current placement of the sofas at an angle from the wall is taking up too much space. It would be better to place as close to the wall in a more conventional placement

Same with the dining table

Some area rugs preferably a light color would be better.

Hang curtains , wall to wall , not just covering the window. Try and get a horizontal pattern for the curtains, this would widen the room.

Put up some nice art work behind the sofa, prop up come bright cushions, add a vase or two with fresh flowers.

Add two floor lamps on either side of the main sofa and table lamps on the console

Please have a look at my suggestions

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rashminvijay/3248292054/in/set-72157613276893498/


Before you actually get around to moving furniture measure your room and plot on a graph paper in the scale of 1 feet = 1 cm. Next measure each of your furniture and plot on another graph paper in the same scale. Mount this graph paper on a thick card paper and cut out each piece of furniture. Now place the furniture in the room layout. You can keep trying various options till you feel that you have hit upon the perfect floor arrangement.

All the best.

Regards
Rashmi
Bangalore.India

The reason it looks like a dorm room is because it is a dorm room.

Expend your efforts on moving somewhere else and getting your own furniture.

Thanks so much for the comments! I have lots of work to do :)

First - some comments to help give you a feel of the common room: there are two "coffee tables," a loveseat, a chair, two-drawer filing cabinets with a cheap wood top (acquired for free and acting as my pantry - it's the thing with lots of plants on top of it), and a square table with two chairs that also functions as more counter space (of which I have very little). That picture was taken from my kitchen, which is part of the reason for the angle of the table...it's an easy table to move around, which often happens for it to stay truly dual-use. Also, part of the reason for the odd angles was to make the room look fuller. When I arrived, the chair and loveseat were both flat against the wall facing a completely empty wall, so it was really rather sad-looking.

I didn't really store anything in the common space due to some pretty bad roommate issues (this is a two-bedroom apartment). But - my new roommate is moving in today, so I'm really hoping to discuss all of your great ideas with her!

There have been a lot of comments about clutter, something I took care of (for the most part) the day before I left for Christmas break. The boxes are now underneath my bed, and I try to keep things as clean as possible, something essential for such a small space. This first semester wasn't very productive decorating/organizing-wise due to a pretty rough grad school schedule (hello all-nighters once a week!)

CPark - how do you hang a mock-chandelier? And where is your favorite place to buy bedding? I am kind of still using my undergrad linens since this bed is an extra-long twin, a size with not as many options (and I didn't want to buy something expensive that would be completely unusable next year). I have glanced at Overstock, but would Ikea or Bed, Bath, and Beyond be a better option?

Marie-Eve - I can't move the desk. We are required to keep our furniture in our individual rooms, and as I share the common space with my roommate, I don't think that would be very courteous of me. I wish I could, though...I would have so much more space! One of the reasons my bed is underneath the long fluorescent wall light is because when the desk and wardrobe were underneath it, I lost almost of the light (something pretty bad during the first months when I was without any other lighting, but given that I do have a floor lamp now, I'd be more willing to re-think the furniture arrangement.

Jon from TO - holy cow I completely agree. That fluorescent light is hideous, and I only use it when I get home at night (since the lamp is all the way on the far side of the room, and I am a clutz who likes to avoid being bludgeoned by her bed). I have a shoe rack now (where the wine rack used to be), so that's good, but my towels are still an issue (well-the fact that they're in my room was another roommate issue...don't ask).

serialsquares - wow. That sounds like quite the project, but I'm sure it looked beautiful! I'll see what I can find!

kittykittymeowmixhead - I never thought of covering the drawers with fabric or wrapping paper. I don't exactly mind the wood color, but it's just so matchy-matchy. And alas, no candles allowed. Let's just say we have a very stringent risk assessment committee here.

ChrisGal - We're not technically allowed to put holes in the wall at all. But - do any of you know fixes for that? I'm willing to spackle and such after I move out, but it's a brand-new building, so you can bet they will notice and deduct from my deposit if I make a mess.

JenPDX- see roommate comments above. I would love to get rid of toiletries in my room...but I need to find some bathroom storage pieces as well.

Rashmi - great ideas! I can't move stuff into the common space for the most part, unfortunately. And believe it or not, I did measure my room the first week and cut out little pieces of "furniture" to come up with ideas, but apparently I chose the wrong setup :) I like the idea of putting the bed on the wall, but there is a fan unit on the side where the desk is that needs to be accessible at all times. I'm also a big advocate of having my desk near natural light, so that's one of the reasons I put my desk on that wall.

bepsf - As someone who would be moving to Boston from somewhere else as a first year graduate student, I had neither the money or time to deal with finding an apartment, flying out to Boston, signing a lease, etc..all while trying to graduate (and then trying to furnish an apartment without a car or money in this first rough semester). Also - I didn't know anyone in Boston. Part of being a new student is meeting lots of new people, and that isn't as easy when you are on your own. I have plans to move out next year, since I'm actually living in the area now. Another thing is, although I'm not an international student, many choose to live in these on-campus residences, oftentimes since they cannot live anywhere else due to their citizenship or residency statuses elsewhere. For them, this housing is not a copout: it is the only option.

Whew - that was a long post! But I'll keep you all updated, for sure!

When I live in a shared dorm with a common area much like yours, we would go as a group to Value Village weekly, and got the tackiest as possible artwork...painted velvet, then we made the common area into a lounge. the corner where the roof hist the wall had white fairy lights. There was much more but I cant quite remember it. I'm not suggesting to specifically tack-it-up but definitely pick a fun theme with your roommates and go with it. You're not there forever so have fun!

As for not being able to put holes in your walls, I remember my issue was the material was so dense and crumbly that even when we tried it didn't work. I just taped stuff, and it looked bad. What I would do now is buy some magnetic paint and put it where you want, then paint over the whole wall with primer. Its true your not allowed to paint, but if it ends up the same colour how would they ever know?

I would decorate your bedroom to complement your quilt
Good luck!

o just thought, those 3M adhesive hooks would be good too, they stick to the wall strong and can be removed without residue

If you have to keep the desk in the bedroom...move the bed to the opposite wall and butt the desk up against the foot of it. So the back of the desk will face the top of your bed. This can kind of create a divider for sleep/work and if you have the space, it works really well! This is what I always used to do in my dorm rooms

Your bedroom is nearly identical to my son's dorm room. He changed the bed to elevate it, and put his luggage and other storage items underneath. We bought a big rug at Linens and Things to make cozier, and he had a few posters to put up. He also had a couple of lamps for reading, one by the desk and one by the bed, and a nice comforter. I thought it was a lot nicer than the dorm room I had.

kgenesius beat me to my idea -- move your desk to the foot of the bed (facing away from the window). I would call it my headboard and if the back of the desk isn't attractive, fasten some pretty fabric on it. That way your bed faces the window, which might be pleasant, and it has that extra margin of privacy.

You should get a bunch of different sized Command hooks (3M). Big chunky ones could be used to hang towels and bathrobes from the side of your wardrobe. (They are easily removed without damaging anything when you leave and they hold a fair amount of weight.) The smaller ones might work on your walls to hang light weight posters or fabric panels as art. (Depends on the wall surface -- if too textured, they might not stick.)

You can get some bed risers to put under the legs of the bed. They lift the whole thing up another few inches so you can store more underneath it. (Just get bedding or a bed skirt to cover everything, or the clutter simply changes location. And the clutter is one major reason it feels confining.)

Once the desk is moved, you could put the low dresser drawers in that spot. Put some colorful cushions on top (or even a folded quilt) and you have a seat next to the bed. One end could be like a window seat.

If the walls are wallboard, I recently got some OOK hooks at a craft store in the picture framing department that might help you. They are long arced pins that you push thru the wallboard leaving only a hole the size of a safety pin shank, easily "repaired". There is a hook on the end to hold a picture or whatever, and the arc of the pin braces on the back side of the wallboard giving the thing enough strength to support some weight.

In your common area, I'd cooperate with your roommate in getting something on the wall, adding some color and coziness with a couple of throws, some pillows and maybe a nifty thrift store table lamp.

I think your furniture is overloaded on the desk/armoire side of the room and the little drawers look awkward so you need to get the furniture placement sorted out before any decorating.

Even though the window is probably freezing right now, I'd turn the bed ninety degrees so it's along the window wall and get some warm bedding. This way you won't walk into/fall all over the bed when you step into the room and you'll have a nice view from the bed out the window.

The 3 drawer thing is actually a night stand so move it next to the bed and get a decent reading lamp for it. Stack the other drawers on top of each other next to the nightstand and throw a big baskets or two on top to collect junk (shoes,purses, laundry, mail, etc.).

See if you can live with sliding the desk along the wall it's on now away from the window towards the door, giving you room to move your chair back since you won't run into the bed anymore.

Shift the armoire on the wall where the little drawers are now. Put that floor lamp next to the armoire so you can turn it on when you walk in the room and don't have to leap over a bed to get to it.

You've gotten a lot of really good suggestions. I hope a plan I quickly did will help you check out the link below:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35028386@N06/3249383857/

as for the faux chandelier urban outfitters has some really cute ones:
http://www.google.com/products?q=chandelier lights urban outfitters&btnG=Search Products&hl=en&show=dd


the how to put stuff up without damage to walls:
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Command/home/

also lessors don't normally stipulate the ceiling nor check it for that matter, so you can get away with hanging something light weight

lastly, and i know this sounds cheesy, but you can probably surf marthastewart.com, etc. to find some great ways to dress up your furniture.

in meantime i might implement some of these suggestions in my own place!

Let us see the finish project when its completed ! :)

move.

Get some inexpensive artwork -- of Boston/Cambridge, or of your hometown. I lived in two furnished apts during grad school, and artwork helped tremendously.

Also hit some fabric stores for some bargain-bin stuff for window treatments or to make wall hangings.

Everyone has good suggestions. Let us know what you do!

Thanks again for your suggestions, everyone!

I have talked some of the comments over with my roommate, and we're going to make some of the changes to make this place feel more like home. I will update you with pictures and the results when we get there :)

I agree with some of the previous posters. It would be realy worthwhile to get a zipcar for a day to do some shopping. Here are my suggestions:

1. Take a trip down south. Stop by Ikea and get some matching boxes (Kassett, Nostalgisk), to replace the ones you have on top of the armoire. As well as a duvet, and possibly a hanging light or chandelier.

2. Ikea also sells wooden frames you can wrap fabric around for artwork. And their light wooden frames can be used to frame a print or poster and are still light enough to be hung with command hooks.

3. Go to Building 19 (I think there is one in Norwood not too far from Stoughton) and get some cheap rugs. They have a ton and they are cheap considering.

4. Make some window treatments. You can use one of those spring rods or a shower curtain rod (your window looks large) to hold some drapery panels without drilling into the wall.

Good luck