Blog Appétit

Seems like yesterday I was going to bed only to stare at my kitchen and bedroom tv that double dutied as the family room tv.

Ah, the luxurious memories of my old place.

Ok, not really but who can blame me when I moved to the city the day after graduation. Just me, myself and my u-haul full of hand-me-down furniture. The only thing missing was a full-time job and some money in my bank account.

Talk about major “recent grad” status.

But hey, an empty bank account and some old furniture wasn’t going to stop me from making myself at home in my cozy little studio apartment. I mean who needs money to decorate anyways?

Well whether you’re a recent grad or just looking for some cheap DIY home decor ideas for a tiny space, this post is perfect for you! Sharing my top ways to decorate and make the most of your space for less.

DIY Wall Art.

With sites like pinterest, it’s easy to find cute and fun printable art work that you can print off on your personal printer. No need to go out and spend $20-25 dollars a print when you can print your own pieces from sites you love or google. If images are not able to be printed, screenshot them and save them to your desktop to print. I picked up these frames above in bulk at Bed, Bath & Beyond and printed a few fun quotes and images I loved and then created stripes using gold glitter tape I bought at Michaels for the other frames!

Chalkboard Paint It.

Chalkboard paint may just be the greatest invention, seriously! When I first moved into my studio, these cabinets were an ugly off-white color with stains and food splatters all over them (yuck!). Luckily my landlord let me re-paint them as long as I kept the color scheme neutral. I chose a white paint with an inner black chalkboard paint to give the kitchen a fun and creative look and to add some art since there was a lack of wall space. You can find chalkboard paint at your local Home Depot or paint shop.

DIY Headboard/Bookcase.

I am a bit of a photo fanatic which means I need plenty of bookshelf space for my frames but when you barely have enough space for your tv, you have to get creative. I made this bookshelf/headboard out of a few pieces of wood and a can of white spray paint. The best part is it easily comes apart to make it transportable when moving to a new place.

Use Paper.

Paper is your best friend when it comes to decorating for cheap. Tissue paper, construction paper, card stock, printer paper, you name it and it can definitely be a great way to add a little decor to your home for next to no cost. For this little garland chain, I used different color tissue paper to help add a pop of color to my space and a little decor to my bar cart. P.S. I got this bar cart from ikea for less than $50 and spray painted it gold;)

To view the full studio tour visit Neighborhooding

Photography by: M Lindsay Photography