Making Much of Small Spaces | Like a Saturday - DIY, Crafts, Recipes, Shenanigans

I hope y’all enjoyed your first peek into Andrea and Katy’s apartment! I’m so impressed with how homey they’ve made a small, stark space feel on a ramen noodle budget.

Today we’ll be moving out of the main living area into the bedrooms.

Katy is lucky to have such a nice big window that lets in plenty of light. She filled her room with bright colors and vintagey finds. I think it turned out great! You’ll recognize that sunshiney yellow side table.

bed:Ikea, afghan:Etsy, curtains:Target, metal bike wall hanging:Home Goods

lamp & shade:Target, turntable:Crosley, bird dish:Pottery Barn

I love this Bambi pillow! It belonged to our great-grandmother, so not only is it adorable, but it has sentimental value as well.

desk : Home Decorators, parsons chair : Home Decorators, pin board : DIY

Every college students needs a good place to study and do homework. This cute desk and comfy parsons chair were found on homedecorators.com. The blue desk matches the inside of the side table drawer.

Andrea also has a great window and plenty of light. She has some really fun light green bedding with a great pattern from Ikea. Right now, she’s neck-deep in nursing school. She’s going to make an amazing nurse (and soon!).

bedding: Ikea elephant bag: Target

She has outfitted her room with global finds from some of her travels, and of course, some vintage items as well. Global items are a great way to bring texture and color into a room. If you haven’t had a chance to make any great world travels, you can still find great things at flea markets or global shops.

The platter below was painted by my grandmother, which makes it all that much more special.

I hope you all enjoyed getting a little peek into the adorable apartment! I’ll be back later this week with a tutorial for one of the items found here.

Happy Monday and have a great week!

Over the Labor Day weekend, we got on the road towards Austin to visit my sisters and some good friends. You might remember that my youngest sister recently moved in with my middle sister – who was already attending school and living in Austin for the last several years.

If I were to compare apartments and dorms to a food…it would be cold oatmeal. My sisters have turned their little white box into a homey space by using bright colors, textures, a mix of vintage and modern, and handmade and global touches.

sofa: World Market side tables: vintage

In the living room, they used warm wood tones and bright pops of color. They have a couple of red floor pillows tucked into the corner for when they have people over. This is a great way to create more seating in a small space.

My sister found this great, solid wood coffee table on Craigslist for $50 and updated it with a can of mint green spray paint. It was originally an older looking piece with great bones. The bright color gives it a more modern, playful look.

Does this look familiar? Apparently, great minds think alike. The shade and lamp both come from Ikea. The shade is even cuter in person.

lamp: Target votive holders: World Market

Books are always a great way to add interest and height. You can find great deals on coffee table books at Half Price Books or in thrift stores.

pillow: Target purple owl: Hobby Lobby print: Hobby Lobby

The girls are really lucky to have some built in shelves in their apartment. They have a little bonus space to display some of their pretties and have easy access to their board games when they have friends around.

Isn’t that Pyrex pretty? My sister, Andrea, found it at a flea market in town for just a few bucks. The seller was practically giving them away, because he didn’t want to haul it all anymore. She also bought the little milk glass pieces at the same flea for about a dollar each. I’m dying to go back!

I love these hoops! These are on the opposite wall when you walk in the front door. The chalkboard hoop is made from foam board, cut to fit and chalkboard paint. It’s a super easy, inexpensive project!

They gave their small, white kitchen character by adding color and vintage pieces. A vintage crock or pitcher is a fun alternative to your average utensil holder. The mustard colored salt and pepper shakers are vintage as well. The spoon rest is from Anthropologie.

They added a little whimsy to the kitchen by using a Hello Kitty Toaster (Target) and alphabet magnets. What is a college apartment without alphabet magnets. Totally necessary.

That’s all for now! Stay tuned for part two of the apartment tour. I still have so much goodness to show you!