Steph's Apartment

This post is for one of the few who actually comment on my posts, my friend Steph . She's moving to Little Rock in a month to live in an awesome loft apartment. I've been collecting photos for her to give her ideas on what to do with those large ceilings, exposed brick, and open floor plan (yeah, she's really suffering). Here are some ideas...

Those large walls don't need to stay blank forever, so start collecting drawings, posters, and artwork that you can collect together to form a focal wall.

Storage is difficult in open spaces so a set of wall-mounted shelves could be very useful.

Separate your space into different sections. Use every inch by designating living, dining, and office space through the use of visual barriers. In the picture above, the couch acts as a visual barrier between the office and living space, but doesn't block off the open feel of the room.

Since painting the walls is usually a no-no for renters, let your furniture and accessories pop with color. Add warm woods and fun accent pieces to really make the room feel lively, even if the walls are not.

Apartment kitchens are usually the size of a broom closet, so make the most out of the space by lifting things off the counters. Instead of a knife block set, use a magnetic strip or hang your hand towels from hooks for easy access. Also, keep your color palette simple in the kitchen. That way your food will take center stage.

I hope this has helped not only Steph, but anyone else dealing with tricky apartments. Anyone else have good ways to spruce up a blank apartment?