Inexpensive but Effective Tips for Decorating Sublet

[Anonymous]

We are new to Arlington, and have a simple 1 bedroom apartment. It is a temporary 2-3 month stop, while we get our bearings, start new jobs and adjust to the area. It's "furnished" in so much as it has a bed, and a couch and something vaguely resembling a table with two chairs. The main color scheme is white and beige. Light wood floors. So far I'm thinking most bang for buck is some woven rugs, nice shower curtain and bath rug. Beyond that, I can't think what makes sense. We have a couple of printed photos in frames, but don't want or have room for too much "decorative" stuff. Meanwhile most of our belongings are in storage.

Any suggestions welcome and appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Try apartment therapy for ideas: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com

and Ikea for low cost furnishings, rugs, artwork.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, trying to move beyond Ikea, since that is what all of the furniture and lamps already are. It's kind of depressing and monotonous.

[Anonymous]

I don't get it.. You're in a sublet for 3 months and you want to decorate it to make it look homier?

[Anonymous]

p.s.

some ideas:

flowers
1 nice rug
some curtains you can hopefully reuse
maybe some large cheap posters you can hang with sticky tack so you don't damage walls

[Anonymous]

get your stuff out of storage.

[Anonymous]

Use small pieces for easy impact:

Rugs on floors
Runner and nice bowl on your table
Throw and accent pillows on couch
Curtains

Buy some blank white canvases at Michaels and then paint them, add photos to them, wrap them in fabric you have (nice tea towels, pillowcases, scarf) for easy art

Visit local thrift stores and buy hideous art with good frames. Toss the art and hang the frame and then within framed area add photos with washi tape borders

Or buy small empty frames and add letters within each one to spell out FUN or LOVE or whatever you want

[Anonymous]

Another idea:

Buy three 3 colorful lack tables from Ikea and stack them on top of each other (screw them together) and now you have a cheap but cool cube/parsons storage unit for displaying books and photos and small decorative items or to corral bar items, plates, etc

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the ideas! Don't worry, I am not going crazy decorating a temporary place, just imagine living somewhere so minimalist, that the walls are light beige, the floor is light wood. There is a bed with a white bedspread, white blinds on the window, a clear shower curtain, white couch and black table. That's it. Nothing else...and not super fancy new where it looks like it should be empty.



Successfully found a decorative 3'x5' rug on sale for only $28.
-Nice cotton shower curtain
-Bath rug
-Orchids for the window sill
-oversized bar tray to make our alcohol look more organized in the living room
-Printing up a few family photographs to put out in frames

[Anonymous]

Sounds good. Lots of us pay a premium for minimalism. Enjoy it while it lasts.