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It's Monday.... welcome back! This has been such a chaotic & busy weekend to say the least. With strangers coming by my home & seeing all the pretty pieces of decor (I purchased) slowly disappear.
However, one must do what they have to do to move cross country right? For now I have a few things left for sale, you can see in this post.
I've been looking for inspiration all over on how to decorate a small place & even though books like "Big Book of Small, Cool Places" are great, I can't help but look at more. This home in particular is a small place in NYC that has a lot of style. In fact it's already inspiring me for my newest venture: APARTMENT LIVING.
One of my favorite features of this apartment is the TALL chevron wall!! It's making me think of possibly painting a wall in the new place in a darker color, like black.
Any of you ever paint your walls in a rental?!?!? We were told we could paint walls as long as we painted it back to its original color before moving out.
I'm just glad I have that option because adding color to a wall in a small apartment gives it more interest.
-all images via apartment therapy
I've painted in rentals before. I'm actually moving back into a rental in a couple weeks and will be painting first thing. I'm moving to Las Vegas, will just miss you! :)
ReplyDeletei love that chevron wall!
ReplyDeletewww.absurdlypeculiar.blogspot.com
We're living in a pretty small flat in the UK right now, so I can't wait to see how you decorate yours and hopefully get some ideas! also, this Apartment Living addition to Made By Girl sounds so good! It's really hard to figure out what to do with small spaces w/out making them feel smaller!:)
ReplyDeleteI am so excited to see how you decorate your apartment! I know I'm going to be so inspired. I haven't painted the walls in my rental but I always think about it. I don't know if I could ever decide on a color though! That chevron wall is amazingly cool.
ReplyDeleteI always used to paint rental places. Most of the time it improved on what it was like before! My landlord's have always been really good and I didn't have to revert to the original magnolia shade. Can't wait to look more at Apartment Therapy - need inspo for my ver 'bijoux' bedroom!
ReplyDeleteThat wall is fabulous Jen! How exciting to be moving to NYC! I just love the place :)
ReplyDeleteAbbey x
Lovely and modern! I'd appreciate if you stopped by Tulips&Tulle soon!
ReplyDeleteI painted a very small bathroom black in a rental. Landlord permission, of course ;). I told her I was a design student and I promised to make sure everything was painted well and that if she wanted me to change the colors back I would. She ended up loving the bathroom (she said it was stunning!) and reimbursed me for all other painting I did (which was LOT!). Go for it, it gives a rental that extra feeling of home. Good luck with the move...cant wait to see the new place!
ReplyDeleteLove the chevron wall!!
ReplyDeletewww.mychicmyway.com
Ahh! That chevron wall---and that bathroom! Loving it. My husband and I have painted just about every rental we have ever lived in. It is a pain to paint it back--but we love being able to make the rental ours even if it is only for a short time. I am so so excited for you guys. I almost got butterflies thinking about moving to NYC. So exciting.
ReplyDeleteWow, I love the chevron.
ReplyDeleteyou'll do great with it! a black wall sounds SUPER!!!
ReplyDeleteCant wait until you are on the east coast :)
Bethany
http://powellbrower.blogspot.com/2012/01/for-sale.html
we just sold our house and have moved into a rental house. they repainted all the walls right before we moved in! so we will not be repainting anything unfortunately. i'm so depressed! i'm thinking of covering large canvases with wallpaper or fabric to have the illusion of a painted or covered wall. we shall see! good luck!
ReplyDeleteI dream of living in an apartment in New York, but a flat in London is working out just fine for now! Good luck with the move Jen!
ReplyDeletehttp://56torivington.blogspot.com/
i love your small apartment inspiration pictures. i rent a small condo and was able to paint my bathroom bright pink! those small touches go a long way
ReplyDeleteYes, definitely. We painted two accent walls in our old 1-bedroom apartment - dark teal and dark red.
ReplyDeleteHere's the post on my blog: http://awalkinthecloset.blogspot.com/2011/01/humble-abode.html
Luckily, the landlord wanted us to surrender the keys a few days early so we worked out a deal where we didn't have to paint anything back to its original.
Another option you may want to look into is temporary wall paper - Oh Happy Day blog did a great review on it here: http://ohhappyday.com/2011/02/removable-wallpaper-the-final-report/
Good luck with your move! Can't wait to see what you do with the rental apartment. There's definitely a lack of blogs/posts geared towards renters and apartment dwellers so I can't wait to read about your new place. :)
I've painted rentals in NYC and it's fine. As long as you return it to white you are fine. The chevron wall is great! It is just the thing to make a bold statement in a small entry. I referenced it in a inspiration board.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.designpretty.com/blog/?attachment_id=429
I always paint walls in rentals, so far in 3 different places! Its so worth it. Love that chevron wall!
ReplyDeleteI actually just finished painting a wall in my house in a more abstract chevron pattern, so fun and need to post on my blog!
eileen
www.acreativedayblog.com
Yup! They told us the same thing, but I painted anyway! It's worth it! Here's my baby's nursery:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.karashurtliffphotography.com/?p=912
Those are really cute spaces. I love them because I have some small rooms in my home. Thanks for sharing! Next time I go to NYC maybe we can have a getty over coffee!
ReplyDeleteI rent too and was told that I had to repaint when I move out. I think it's totally worth it to live and love the space I live in...even if it is temporary. I painted a few months ago, a focal herringbone wall...and I loooove it!
ReplyDeletehttp://saraplus2.blogspot.com/2011/11/herringbone-wall-diy.html
I am sure you'll do something amazing with yours!
I love that chevron wall! We have painted in every rental we've been in--it's one of the conditions of me signing a lease! Unfortunately, I don't paint as many walls as I would like just because I know we have to paint it all over again when we leave, but I would definitely paint the main living space. Good luck with your move. That is so exciting!
ReplyDeleteI am seriously OBSESSED with that chevron wall! I would love to try it over my mantle!
ReplyDeleteWe moved to NYC 6 months ago and I was dying to paint my wall, so I did. http://www.taylormorgandesign.blogspot.com/2011/07/painting-stripes.html It turned out really well. I say do it! You wont regret it! :)
ReplyDeleteI've never painted a rental before, simply because I've never wanted to paint it back, but I love the idea of adding a chevron wall! Good luck on your apartment inspiration search!
ReplyDeleteI love every single one of these photos. I have to have that rug in the last picture. It is fantastic!!
ReplyDeleteI cannot wait to see what you do with a new space! Good luck with the move!
ReplyDeleteA great tip for those who cannot paint (like myself when I was in an apartment) is spruce up your area with accessories that have color. I had a fleece throw that was bright red (from Ikea) and it made the living room pop!
ReplyDeleteI heard you can paint in many NYC rentals. In the apartment building where I live in Seattle, we are not really supposed to paint, but seeing many have, I decided after five years to just go ahead and actually paint the cream walls white with a gray accent wall. So, the colors are gentle. I also have a black and white houndstooth wall I created using wall decals. It was expensive, but totally worth it.
ReplyDeleteAnother idea, is removable wallpaper in cloth or paper...
Enjoy experimenting and being creative with your new place. There's a whole new rental world to explore!
Love the chevron wall. I never had the motivation to paint in rentals because I knew I wouldn't want to paint back...eeek. Lazy I know.
ReplyDeleteI love that chevron wall! can't wait to see how you decorate your new space.
ReplyDeleteLoving this apartment! ...that bed looks divine!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the move! I am a renter and have repainted almost every surface of the home. Originally I had the same deal with the landlord-- paint what I want, but be prepared to paint it back. Now that I'm moving though, he's decided to keep it as-is. I hope the next landlord is as understanding.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the move! I cannot wait to see your NYC apartment decor!
ReplyDeleteWe painted a few different place in our current apartment that we rent from an owner. We used a dark grey about our fireplace and in the kitchen as a back-splash. It really makes the place feel more homey since I would never leave my walls all white in a home I owned. We also painted the wall behind our bed a very dark purple it make the whole room feel bigger. Our landlord came over a few days after we did it and told us he liked it better the way we painted and plans on keeping it!
ReplyDeletexoxo, traci
www.confessionsofaprofessionalbridesmaid.blogspot.com
Love that chevron wall!
ReplyDelete- Sara @ Gameday Stylist
We painted in our rental. We rented from an individual home owner as opposed to a corporation. He was very easy going and allowed us to leave the bedroom as we had painted it. The kitchen, though, he wanted returned to the original white. If you're going to live there for a decent amount of time, I would say go for it! It's your home! Love all your inspiration pictures!
ReplyDeleteNETTE: Yea i think its probably easier to paint when you're renting from an owner as opposed to a corporation. I believe our rental is a run by a corp, so we'd have to paint it back to white again...
ReplyDeleteGood point though! :)
17 Perth: I'll be honest - painting it back is the only thing I'm worried about...im opting on just painting a smaller area...not sure yet! Thats wild that you guys have painted walls in every rental...wow!
ReplyDeleteI have to paint! Even in a rental. It is the only way I can personalize it and make it feel like my own (even though it is not). Check out my bedroom as I painted the entire wall will a pretty pattern...
ReplyDeletehttp://vivalavidabonita.blogspot.com/2011/03/bienvenidos.html
In love with that first image. We live in a rental, and sadly can't paint any of the walls.
ReplyDeleteBoy, you go on vacation for a week away from blog land and look what you miss! First of all, congrats on getting to move back to the big apple! I would be going bonkers with excitement. Secondly, a suggestion for your new space is to use wallpaper! For an excellent tutorial on using removable wallpaper see Jordan's post here:
ReplyDeletehttp://ohhappyday.com/2011/02/removable-wallpaper-the-final-report/
Also, I know that if you find paper you like that is not a "removable" type, painters tape + double-sided sticky tape works wonders too w/o damaging your walls.
Can't wait to see what you do with you new space.
Peace and Blessings to you!
I wonder if there are some good decals (that look like wallpaper or a fun paint job) that would work instead of having to paint and re-paint?? I always want things a bit more easy.... :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your move!!
Ashleigh
www.girlwhocould.com
Welcome back to NY! I can't wait to see what you do with a NYC apartment, I need the inspiration! :) Trying to decorate my "jr one" which is fancy talk for alcove studio and I have too many ideas for such little space, lol.
ReplyDeleteCARRIE: Oh thats BRILLIANT..thanks!! Removable wallpaper is such a better option, i didn't even think of this. :)) I love the black ones they have ....so chic.
ReplyDeleteCant wait to decorate!
CARRIE: Oh thats BRILLIANT..thanks!! Removable wallpaper is such a better option, i didn't even think of this. :)) I love the black ones they have ....so chic.
ReplyDeleteCant wait to decorate!
I also can't wait to see what you'll do with your new place. I'm sure it will look fantastic. Hope it's a smooth transition.
ReplyDeleteI've painted in both my rentals - it makes a HUGE difference. Stick to one or two rooms to cut down on how much painting you have to do when you move out. For example, in my current place I have really high ceiling, so painting is a lot of work - I chose to do a chartruse color in my open kitchen to add a pop of color that can be seen throughout the apartment.
ReplyDeleteHi there!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your new beginning and congrats to your guy! I'll be watching the story of your move! Can't wait to see what you do with your new place.
xo
Coco
COCOCOZY
I have painted in rentals before. I am actually moving back into a rental in a two days and will be painting first thing. I'm moving to Chennai, I like very much. I miss you :)
ReplyDeleteflats in Chennai
Did you know that there is removable wallpaper...also known as renters wallpaper! It's not like traditional wallpaper where you have to adhere and then is a pain to take down later, this is easy up and down. Sherwin Williams makes a line of it. Just FYI-we don't want you living in an ugly apt:)
ReplyDeleteI love that wall and I definitely think adding a little color to an apartment will look great! I love small space decor!
ReplyDeleteGreat apt choices for inspiration. Its pretty amazing you still have time to blog:) I don't know how you do it...
ReplyDeleteI always painted the walls in rentals.. It's so worth it.. I rather live in harmony with my space:)
ReplyDeleteI have painted my rentals before! It is also my understanding that they often paint before new tenants anyways. So if you argue it, its possible they can't make you re-paint or pay the cost, as often times they would have been painting again anyways.
ReplyDeleteI painted black and white stripes in my last rental, big job, and kind of regret it seeing as I only got one month out of it before we unexpectedly bought our new house and moved!
Excited to see your new place! I also strongly suggest keeping you white french provincial. I have always LOVED that sofa of your. I too struggle with the whole 'is white actually liveable' issue though ... what to do?
Rai xo
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I have always painted the walls of any rentals I am in! And changed the drapery, light fixtures, etc!
ReplyDeleteI like this apartment very much, really apartment looking awesome. Many thanks for sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteApartments Specials
We painted an accent wall in our apartment navy (which I didn't expect to love, but I do) but under the pretense- that we have to paint it back when we leave, which I am already dreading despite it being 6 months away. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteDon't sell the sofa!!! One of the many reasons I started following your blog!
ReplyDeletejen - just catching up, haven't stopped by in a while. wow - so many changes! go for black! we painted our dining room black, seen here: http://twosixe.blogspot.com/2011/12/black-out.html and we mlove, love, love it! congrats on the move. NYC - how amazing!
ReplyDeleteI'm currently packing up my LA apt. to make a move to NYC, I lived there about 9 years ago, miss it and feel as thought that is where I belong, so, I'm heading back and can't wait! Your posts have been so helpful for inspiration...in fact, I'm currently starting a sub part of my blog that will feature small space living in style, which came about while packing up my things and down sizing for smaller square footage and gathering inspiration online at places like your lovely blog! All the best with your move! Really looking forward to your future blog posts and how you put it all together!
ReplyDeleteLiesl :)
wow!! what a lovely home...I really liked your blog, appreciate the great information about
ReplyDeletesell my apartment
many thanks...
Chevron wall looks fantastic..
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