Since we’ve just moved into a new apartment in the DC area, I’ve been a busy bee with a bunch of little ‘fix-up’ projects. I’ve barely gotten started by already feel like the small changes have made an amazing difference. As much as I’d love to own our home, for now a rental is the only practical option, but I’ve realized I still have so many ways to take it from an apartment to our apartment.
On that note, I’ve decided to share these small, manageable, and temporary projects with you along the way. That way, you can turn your house into a home and then back into a house on your way out! Keep reading for the breakdown of this entire room, including the cost for everything.
This project is actually from our old apartment, but I’m still obsessed with vinyl decals as an incredibly easy, affordable way to make a big impact. As you can see, we had a pretty small dining nook, and I really wanted to somehow set it apart as its own room. This cutlery silhouette decal from Wallums was the perfect finishing touch to fill that awkward, empty wall space while getting the point across that it’s a dining area. Disclosure: Michele* from Wallums sent this to me at no cost to try it out. I wasn’t compensated in any other way, and I really do love it! Also, if you want something clever and a little bit sassy, this is pretty good, too… You can get any of their decals in multiple sizes and 46 colors, and they can send you free color samples if you’re on the fence after peeking at the swatches below.
We also flipped our Ikea Expedit (now Kallax) bookshelf on its side to create extra kitchen storage and space for a home bar and used Ikea’s Kassett boxes for storage. We changed the hideous brass lamp for the Melodi pendant light. It’s actually shockingly easy to change out the wiring for a ceiling light, but from what I hear, it’s not too costly to hire an electrician if you need to. If you’re not comfortable doing it, try asking around for your friends and friends’ friends. I’ve already shared the tutorial for the cafe letters here if you’d like to make those, too.
* Michele of Wallums is the same talented genius behind Diesel + Juice and Inkopious AND she does WordPress design and wedding photography. The very thought of her exhausts me!!! You probably remember her from Rosco’s moment in the spotlight. 😀
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