I have officially lived in my apartment for a full year, and in six days, I'll be leaving it. This was my first solo apartment in Chicago after living with friends in Bucktown, so it was a big deal. Not only was I going to live alone for the first time, but I was moving to South Loop to be closer to downtown. I brought a few items from my old apartment, but more or less started from scratch when I moved. I've always been drawn to blues, so decided that it would be the cornerstone of my decor, flowing throughout the apartment.
THE ENTRYWAY
When you first walk in, the bathroom is on your left and the kitchen on the right. Since college, I've always had a key hook at the front door, so picked one up that would also store my mail. (It's also holding my mask during this crazy time.) I ordered a gold calligraphy "home" sign to add some interest to the otherwise blank wall.
THE KITCHEN
I bought this table for our Bucktown apartment and loved it. It's circular, but holds a leaf within it to make the table larger. There wasn't really a place in this apartment for a table, but I couldn't imagine not having one, so made it work. Thank goodness I did - working from home would have been a lot harder without it! The kitchen also lacked a pantry, so I created one using a Billy bookcase and some cute baskets. The final piece was adding something above the sink. It was such a blank space, so I opted for a white shelf that quickly became my little tea station.
MY TRAVEL WALL
Ever since I was little, when I travel somewhere new, I purchase a charm. I don't like to wear bracelets, but wanted to showcase them in a unique way. I bought this push-pin map and knew it was the perfect display spot. I'm just love how it turned it out!
THE FAMILY ROOM
I made a deal with myself a couple of years ago that if I was going to move into my own place, I had to be able to afford a new couch. For whatever reason, that was always the goal. The couch I purchased from La-Z-Boy is my favorite part of the home. It is the most comfortable couch I've ever had and completely worth the money! I tied the room together with a blue and navy rug, with hints of pink, my nesting coffee table, and decorative throw pillows and blankets.
THE GALLERY WALL
I just love the way my gallery wall turned out. I carefully choose the photos and prints for the wall, collecting frames from Hobby Lobby and HomeGoods for over a month. I love that I have Monica's apartment from Friends in a watercolor, photos from my trip to Banff, and other favorites as a focal point in my family room.
THE BOOKCASES
Built-ins are my favorite, so I decided to create my own. The lower half of the bookcases are used for storage (mainly glassware, alcohol, and books), while the top half is all decor. I spent months purchasing the different pieces for my bookcases, scouring countless HomeGoods and other shops to make everything cohesive and meaningful. The final step was adding my TV.
THE BATHROOM
The hardware and faucet in the bathroom are silver, so this is the one place in the apartment where I swapped gold for silver accents. I started with my blue shower curtain and then went from there. My bathroom is large, so I made sure there were decorative pieces to balance the space. I added a funny gallery wall, tall flowers, and fun bath products to finish it off.
I love my apartment. I tried really hard to create a space that reflected my personality and esthetic. Everything flows from the entry to the bathroom to the family room, just like I wanted.
Check back on Thursday to shop my decor!
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