Fine Homes

The Apartment Dude asked:


These days everyone is investing in improving their Home Theater system with new flat screens, high tech video game systems, HDDVD players and such. But if you really want to make your apartment the desired hang out spot and impress your friends, you’ll want to go beyond just beefing up the movie watching experience.

After a brainstorming session with a few friends, I have 5 additions to the rest of your apartment that’ll leave your friends nodding in a approval and make your place the place to be.

Kegerator- Cold beer? No one likes constant trips to the store to buy more beer because you just ran out. Then sometimes you have to wait for it to chill. Then you always have to throw out the mess of cans and bottles at the end of the night. Let’s by pass all that. Impress your friends, save time, and money by investing in a Kegerator. My friend Shane even built his own from scratch. He has a “Keg Donation” jar next to it that people actually donate to fill up the keg. Think of all the money saved in the long run.

Refrigerated Wine Chiller- Not a beer drinker? With this slick invention you can keep your wines chilled and constantly display that your taste in wine has become highly evolved since your days drinking it straight from a bag. If you’re on a budget, you can get a twelve bottle fridge for about $90, but if money is not an issue, look to the Marvel Three Zone Refridgerator . Not that I’m a wine expert or anything, but I do know that you need to keep those white wines chilled and those reds just a hair below room temperature.

I-Pod Stereo- It seems like everyone I know has an I-Pod, but what’s the good of having all your music in your pocket if you can’t blast your “Best of Hair Metal” play list while hanging with your friends? Thankfully, there are a wide variety of boom boxes that cater directly to playing I-Pods varying in features.

High Tech Coffee Machine- Do you hit up Starbucks all the time, spending 5 bucks a pop on a venti? Why not save yourself t $35 a week by grabbing yourself a gourmet coffee machine, like the Philips Senseo Supreme Single Serve. Your body will thank you for the extra 15 minutes of sleep you’ll be able to get in the morning and then you can spend the extra $140 a month savings on something nice for your significant other. If you don’t have one, you can just spend it on me…that will suffice.

The Jimmy Buffet: Margaritaville® Frozen Concoction™ Maker- Personally, I’m not a huge frozen drink guy because I can’t stand to get brain freeze, but nothing says really good times better than a party that has margaritas, pina-coladas, or daiquiris. Unfortunately, we’ve all had the experience of trying to make these drinks for a party and finding out that standard blenders are only good for making clunky hard to drink margaritas. Luckily for us, the master of margaritas himself, Jimmy Buffet, has come to the rescue with the Margaritaville® Frozen Concoction™ Maker . All you do is add ice and your preferred ingredients, then the Concoction Maker does all the work for you. Just try not to lose that shaker of salt…of salt…of salt.

So there you have it. Sure, for most of these items you will be shelling out a couple of Benjamins, but the investment will be guarunteed to be well worth it and provide a number of great times at your apartment. I better get invited!

For more info on apartment living, check out ApartmentHomeLiving.com.

Navneet asked:


From armoires to wooden figurines to headboards and accent mirrors, home furnishings are canvases for artists around the world. Adorned with floral patterns, Asian motifs and other ethnic-inspired designs, hand-painted furniture and accessories are the must-have items of the season. “Hand-painted home furnishings are taking center stage in the home, adding a world-inspired flare and style to the overall décor,” says Gary Babcock, vice president of merchandising and fashion at Arhaus Furniture, a 23-store lifestyle retailer of fine home furnishings.

Worldly influences

Hundreds of years ago, Egyptian artisans embellished everything from tables to pottery with colorful motifs to pass on ancient fables to future generations. “We’re seeing a resurgence of these hand-painted items as consumers look to add personal style to their home with unique pieces from around the world,” says Babcock. “They’re embracing heirlooms and other richly decorated items that they see as authentic to a certain era or culture.”

Today, influences in hand-painted home furnishings are widespread, coming from as far away as the Middle East, Europe and South America. “We’ve seen a variety of items wrapped with ethnic-inspired artwork, from a sideboard with a soft, delicate floral print inspired by Eastern Europe to an Asian armoire with clean, simplistic lines and finished in black and red with the added touch of painted landscapes and pictorials,” says Babcock. “Painting styles vary from region to region. From the palate of colors to the brush stroke, every region has its own influence. The uniqueness of the hand-painted piece is reflective of the individual artist’s background, as well as their talent.”

Arhaus commissions gifted artisans from all over the world to give each hand-painted piece its own unique qualities and traits. For instance, the Sam Remo Armoire gets its charm from old world style cabinets reminiscent of those that can be found in the Italian villas of Tuscany. It features intricate, hand-painted floral accents and a distressed garnet finish achieved by applying several layers of multi-colored paints and lacquers. A matching cupboard and sideboard are adorned with the same hand-painted finish making the San Remo an exquisite collection.

Ethnic motifs

From attractive 19th-century Southwestern prints to those of Northern Sweden, there are a number of decorative motifs to choose from when incorporating elegant hand-painted pieces into the home. “Artwork with Moroccan, Indonesian and Middle Eastern influences tends to be very ornate with rich, bright colors like cinnabar red, black and bronze,” says Babcock. “If the goal is to add a vibrant color or pattern to a specific room, but you are not ready to paint the walls, try adding hand-painted pieces from one of these regions to create a focal point or accent to the room.”

To create a balanced, eclectic look with clean, ethnic-inspired collections, Babcock recommends introducing lavish hand-painted furnishings showing a variety of influences from all over the world. “It’s important to choose one piece to serve as a center piece or focal point in the room. This may be a large Venetian mirror with a handcrafted frame covered with Middle Eastern art to hang over the sofa or a grand vintage-inspired armoire with doors ornamented with lilies,” Babcock added.

Ethnic-inspired accent pieces are becoming increasingly popular, especially mixed with contemporary furnishings. According to Babcock, there are no rules to decorating with hand-painted items. “You can take an intricately painted console table like our Kartini Console and pair it with a handsome contemporary leather sofa and brushed chrome lamps. Accent the look with graphic pillows and a fur throw and you have a contemporary look full of color and texture,” says Babcock.

Endless opportunities

With ethnic-inspired hand-painted home furnishings, the opportunities are endless. Below are suggestions from Babcock and the Arhaus team of interior design consultants as to how to incorporate these one-of-a-kind pieces into your décor.

* Look for antique-looking pieces that bring a certain era or culture into the home. This adds a personal touch to your décor, and because hand-painted furniture is such a big trend, it’s becoming easier to find unique pieces with a variety of ethnic influences.

* Introduce painted furniture that brings a new element of style and color into the space, adding an eclectic look. This piece doesn’t necessary have to blend with the existing furnishings; it’s the subtle details like an accent color of paint on a coffee table duplicated in the pillows on a sofa or the beading on a lighting fixture that pull the entire look together.

* Mix more modern, contemporary styles with ethnic, antique-looking designs. For instance, take the Verona TV Cabinet by Arhaus. The doors of the cabinet are accented with clusters of hand-painted roses and vines. Pair it with a floral tapestry sofa and throw in pillows with lots of floral mixes — now that’s a refined, elegant look!

* Embrace pieces with a variety of finishes. For example, the panels of a simple armoire can be brushed with black and gold filigree accents, while the casing is a deep-waxed stain allowing the natural wood grain to show.

* Watch for this season’s decorative, hand-painted accessories like mirrors with delicate floral designs, candlesticks imprinted with Asian-inspired designs and bowls, platters and tabletop figurines to add color and interest to any room. Accessories are just another way to achieve this charming hand-painted look in your home!

The Apartment Dude asked:


Hey Apartmentites! Brianne here, your apartment decorating and style expert, and I want to share with you a little insight on making your apartment fit the mold of the motto at Apartment Home Living.

Okay, so at this point I think it is safe to admit that there is a huge variety of things that people “Live 4″ out there, but one specific “live for” is our motto around here and it rings true with just about everyone…(except those sad and forlorned emo-kids.) We (most of us at least) Live for Fun!

So why not let it show in your apartment decorations too? Here are a few simple ideas to help you decorate your apartment to reflect playfulness and energy.

1. Keep the Dining Area Simple- Try a small wooden table and don’t decorate it too heavily. Allow the wood grain to shine and show off the simplicity. Let all the attention be put on the furniture. It becomes cheaper for you and makes a bolder statement. Avoid bulky drapes and let the sun shine through using light fabrics and light colors on the windows. You want you kitchen area to feel fresh and rejuvenating. The light provides energy!

2. Extra Space Can Be Great- If you have a ton of extra space in your apartment, turn some of it into an area for you to do the things that you really enjoy. Whether its a game station or a reading spot, maximize your storage and space possibilities by building shelves to house your favorite games, DVD’s, or books! Nothing says “fun” like having a space that is purely meant to celebrate what you do for “fun.”

3. Mirrors and Candles- So you want to have some really energetic, expressive, and fun walls but not sure how to do it? Easy. Take a bunch of left over or old mirrors and attach them to a wall at varying levels first. Right there, you suddenly have created an “open” feel that goes beyond fun and free. Then if you are feeling like really make the place great. Take a ton of candles (if allowed in your lease) and place them on small shelves in front of each mirror. It gives off a classic almost Victorian type feel in a fun and energetic way!

4. Accent Wall!- Don’t waste the time and energy painting an entire room. Instead, roll one solid (and very bold) color of the most important wall in a room and let it draw all of the attention. In your living room, make this either the wall behind your entertainment center or couch. In your bedroom, make it the wall behind the headboard. In the bathroom, make it the wall with the mirror. Remember…everything on that wall is going to stand out more, so don’t put your ugly old stuff there.

5. Put Your Life Into Your Environment- You should always have your apartment reflect yourself. In fact, it should be a spitting image! If you have a bold, bright sense of humor, using bright colors and letting in lots of light can really help match your apartment to you. One of my friends once framed a dozen different jokes and hung them all throughout his apartment. Everywhere you went…you could have a laugh. If music is your thing, how about framing cd inserts and hanging them throughout. If you can’t express yourself through the way your apartment looks and feels, when can you?!

If you follow these simple tips and have a little fun while decorating, your place will feel incredible in no time with energy and tons of flowing freedom!

For more info on the apartment lifestyle, check out ApartmentHomeLiving.com