Moving: Suburbs vs City

We are gearing up, and packing to move from our 670 sq ft apartment to a 960 sq ft apartment.  If you haven't already guessed, we chose to stay in the city and opted out of moving to the suburbs.  This decision was a struggle and came with many sleepless nights, hours of discussion and too much gas mileage in exploring several neighbourhoods.

The suburbs can have a tranquil, quiet feel to them where everyone lives in their well-kept, warm and homey "bubbles".  Neighbours get to know each other and there can be a intimate sense of community.  Generally, there is more space in the suburbs and of course, cost of housing is a bit more affordable.

For us, the lifestyle of living in the city is what kept us here.  We love that the city is very pedestrian and bike friendly allowing us to function with only one vehicle and walking to do most of our errands and shopping.  The city is closer to work for both of us and we generally love the energy.  There are plenty of fun activities for children, large city parks, beaches and an unlimited variety of restaurants, pubs, lounges and cafes within walking distance.

Needless to say, we are so excited to be moving.  I am eager to transform our new home through diy projects and re-decoration.  I will be posting the changes, mistakes and eventual progress here.… let the fun begin!

Re-vamping the IKEA Lack Shelf

Like many young adults with their own home to furnish, I have purchased many pieces from IKEA.  I try to mix them in with older, ornate and even some vintage pieces.  IKEA furniture is great for a small apartment that needs to stay organized and tidy.  A piece I'm hoping to give a little bit of a  facelift to, is my Expedit shelving unit.  I want to paint the unit a matte colour... through researching online and mainly Apartment Therapy, I understand its a matter of getting the right primer (BIN), and then you're set to go.

Only problem... I live in 670 sq feet, there is really no room for me to execute this project.  I'm curious, how do other small apartment owners find the space to do projects like this one?

Ombre: not your hair, but on your walls

A trend that has gotten a lot of hype lately is the Ombre look... a trend that was huge last summer for hair has seeped into our homes!  Applied in the right room I think it can look gorgeous, it can give an almost dreamy feeling.  Ombre is being applied to more than just walls, furniture is also getting this dye job.  What do you think, yay or nay?

Romance in the Bedroom

I am currently overhauling my apartment... but my bedroom is needing some attention and love.  I plan to change it all, I'm loving this silver/charcoal and purple scheme here.  Its muted, but still sexy with the strong accents of black and purple.  And what's not to love about the chandelier above the bed?  

A chandelier in the bedroom is something the French have been doing for many, many years.  It makes a bedroom feel romantic. I know for myself, I am always trying to find a balance between the feminine and masculine interior.  With a variety of different textures and colours it helps create that balance.

I just installed this Kristaller chandelier from Ikea in our bedroom.  The chandelier is so affordable (49.99), easy to install (given you know how to do the electrical wiring) and gives off a lot of light.