On April 11, 2018, Tim and I got the keys to our first apartment together! It’s my first time moving out of my parent’s house (commuter college probs) and I’m thrilled to now be sharing a home with my best friend.
We looked at 11 different apartment buildings in the span of 2 weeks. Surely enough, it was the last apartment we showed up at without an appointment to “just look” that we ended up falling in love with. I’ve always dreamed of living somewhere I could see the sky, and now we get to watch the sunrise every morning from our balcony. We feel way blessed.
Some prominent structures you can see in the distance are the U.S. Air Force Memorial, MGM, National Harbor Ferris Wheel (lit up at night), and the planes flying in and out of DCA.
I’ve never been interested in interior designing. In fact, I run far, far away from anything that says “DIY”. However I’ve been inspired thinking how this will be our home for a little while, so might as well make it feel like one!
I’ve done a bit of browsing on Pinterest lately and after looking at my pins, I’m not exactly sure how to describe my style. It’s got a touch of mid-century modern mixed with bohemian while trying to be minimalistic..? It’s pretty confusing, but I don’t care to identify with one or the other. I want to have fun with our space! A space where we’re not afraid to mix different designs and colors, yet still make it feel cohesive. Fewer restrictions mean more creativity! To me, a home with character combines old with new, bold with neutral, and thrifty with designer. I’m lucky that Tim doesn’t care how the place is decorated. As long as it’s not “hideous”, he’s cool with it.
So let’s start off with the overall vibe I’m liking!
As you can see, I love earthy colors! The warm tan, leafy green, and bright white makes me feel relaxed. I envision our place to feel airy and light where we can come home and feel at peace. #GoodVibesOnly. I want our guests to feel that positive energy, too! ✨
So we picked up the couch pictured (it’s actually more blue in person) off Craigslist back in March. It was in like new condition at an incredibly reduced price so we decided to snag it. Initially, we wanted a sectional but this size is better for our space.
I’ve been having a hard time picturing what color and style accent chair would look good next to it. I want to keep it light to balance out the dark couch. Please leave any suggestions in the comments!! I need help. Also because space is limited, I want to get floor pillows as seating options. Yay for functional decor!
Not too picky on the rug. I think anything neutral with a minimal design will be just fine!
I want a coffee table that is sturdy and simple. Nothing fancy – ideally no marble, acrylic, or glass. The idea is to comfortably kick our feet up or place a glass cup without worry of much damage. Coffee tables are expensive, so I’ve been patiently stalking Craigslist and other marketplaces to find something great that’s in our budget.
There’s not enough lighting installed in our living room so it can get pretty dark at night. One floor and table lamp will probably be enough. How cute is the bunny!
We have one wall that’s slightly caved in, which instantly made me think of a fun accent wall! Wallpapers are a fun way to liven up a rental since they’re easily removable. I go back and forth between having something bold like banana leaves or lemons, or stick with something neutral like herringbone. Decisions, decisions! It’ll be the perfect nook for our bar cart, too.
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I want to keep the decor pretty minimal. Having useless junk everywhere makes me a little anxious.
2 / Between the two of us is a sizable collection of books. We’ll get a bookcase to store those along with any board games, framed pictures, and other random decor.
3 / I’ve always grown up with tall leafy plants in the house so we’ll get one or two. They’ll be our additional roomies that we can sing to 🌵
8 / The circular mirror will be hung above our couch to catch light from the balcony window and have it reflect onto the rest of our apartment.
The advice we repeatedly hear is to take our time decorating to make sure each piece is something we love. We want our selections to be intentional, functional, and charming. I’ll share pictures once our place starts to look put together!! I’m sure it’ll look like a bootleg version of my inspo board, but still 😌
Please leave any suggestions you may have – I would love any design tips I could get! Thank you so much for reading and cheers to sunny weather finally arriving in DC! ☀️
Love,
Jules
Jules in Life 