ktelschow's Profile

My husband and I live in a married student apt at our grad school, so I know what it's like to work with a small budget and white walls! I would never have the courage to post our 550 sq foot apt on here, so I applaud you for entering the contest and seeking pointers from the AT community (although it looks like entries are getting more jibes than tips this year...)

First of all, I think you're off to a good start and you have nice furniture pieces that you can work with as you add to your apartment - love the table! If you can't (or don't want to) paint the kitchen cabinets, a good way to add a little color would be a simple window panel. It's a small window and curtains would be too much for it, but you could pick up a colorful piece of fabric and whip it into a quick panel - you can let it hang to cover the window at night or roll it up during the day (or sweep to one side with a hook). Reprodepot.com and purlsoho.com have some great fabric (check out the Pear Tree Border at Repro).

Since you like original art, you can pick up some great, cheap prints off Etsy (mLee and BluLima are two of my fav sellers):

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5205908&section_id=5300599

I love color, so all-white/cream homes always feel a little to sterile and boring to me, but you've done a GREAT job pulling things together. Usually only multi-millionaires in the Hamptons with designers at every fingertip can make white feel cozy (picturing Diane Keaton's house in Something's Gotta Give).

All the little knickknacks give it such personality - wow! I know people have their criticisms, but pulling together an eclectic place like this without looking like a crazy cat lady requires SO much more time and talent than yanking some "designerly" McCoffee Tables and McSofas from (take your pick) Room & Board, Crate & Barrel, or DWR out of a box.

I recognized that Whole Foods in the picture right away...it's right down the street from us in New Orleans! My favorite thing by far about Whole Foods is that they have meal-worthy prepared foods. It's not crap that's slathered with mayonnaise and wilted lettuce like the typical convenient/grocery store fare. They have good salads, fresh fruit, and a really great variety of soups. It's nice that they have pre-packaged prepared foods for when you're on the go, in addition to their salad and hot bars.

Sometimes when my husband and I want to go out to eat but don't want the hassle of a restaurant, we grab some sushi and have a cheap date out on their patio!

The dutch oven for Blackberry Dumplings (with some homemade vanilla ice cream...yum!)

Oh, and I love the red!

Love that shot of the staircase!

I have those exact same placemats! Love them! Now if I could just have the exact same apartment....

Well if you don't have an ice cream maker, you can always do it the poor man's way! We used to do it as kids all the time. You can actually make homemade ice cream using two coffee cans...as long as you don't mind rolling a coffee can around for a while...

http://ezinearticles.com/?Home-Made-Ice-Cream-Recipe-for-Coffee-Can-Ice-Cream&id=40545

It may sound strange, but Fiona Apple's "Extraordinary Machine" is really good to clean to...and I listen to Frou Frou "Details" and Coldplay pretty much anytime I'm alone in our apartment, whether it be cleaning, cooking...you name it! Singing along at the top of my lungs is also a requirement :)

Yay! This one is my favorite...I want your kitchen (and the rest of your apartment, if you don't mind)!