pgm86's Profile

My advice is to always ask if a landlord is willing to help. A few months into my last apartment lease, my husband and I bought a house and moved. We were worried about telling the complex we wanted to break the lease, so we decided we'd just pay the remainder of the lease (it would have been more expensive to break it). When we mentioned this to them, surprisingly enough, they were willing to work with us. Our unit was the only one of its floorplan that was available, and the complex could rent it out for a higher price than what we were currently paying. So, once we vacated, we signed a document that gave them the ability to show the premises, and once they re-leased it, we were off the hook.

Much less painful than we thought it would be. So asking never hurts. Even if the contract says so you have no other options (which ours didn't), you never know.....

I once saw someone build/alter a coffee table so that it had a lip/edge. They arranged the bottle caps on top of the coffee table and then poured in some type of polyurethane or lacquer on top (don't quite remember what the name was). Somewhat like this: http://www.luxuryhousingtrends.com/archive/2008/10/okay-guys-heres/.

Could be fun.

I'm jealous all over again! Amazing!

I think if you used the colors in moderation and found the right patterns, they could be incorporated in a fun, sophisticated, yet inexpensive way.

First, while I love natrual wood, the door and trim does not seem to blend well with the walls. It could also just be the photo. But I would paint the window trim, door, and door trim a crisp white.

Second, a graphic area rug would do wonders under the desk and chair. Target, HomeGoods, Overstock, and suprisingly, WalMart all have reasonably priced rugs. I would go for a large, geometric print, in a black/white combo or possibly red or pink.

Third, I'd ditch the chair. The print is too small and the paisley doesn't lend to a sophisticated red/blue/turqouise theme. I'd find a wingchair from Ikea or Craigslist, or target. It would be white or the pink color in your logo.

I'd also find some curtains or roman shades. Using white is cheaper, and easier later if you want to change up the color scheme, but finding a bold pattern in red or pink would be nice too.

Finally, make trips to Target and Homegoods for bright accessories. I recently found some great desk accessories at TJMaxx and Homegoods. A colored lacquer box or tray, in combination with an acrylic/lucite lamp with a patterned/fun shade would be a great way to incporate your company colors.

I always love the idea of using a wall mirror to reflect the colors you already have in the room.

I think if you spend some time searching, you could reasonably do this for under $300. You might have to get a bit crafty, but I've re-decorated an entire apartment for $300 recently, so I know it can be done!

I will quite literally be doing the exact same thing in 2 months: merging my stuff with my boyfriend's in a new, rented space, while on a tiny budget. Any advice for how to successfully and peacefully combine spaces? I'm an interior design enthusiast, while he literally has no interest in any type of design and I think it will be an uphill battle trying to convince him to go along with my plans.....