Making My Apartment a Home ("Before" Pictures)

Yesterday's highlight, of course, was the Gators' victory in the BCS Championship game. Today's indisputable highlight was the afternoon delivery of the narrow leg dresser (in acorn) and the framed secretary desk (in chocolate and white) that I purchased at West Elm last weekend. At last, I feel like I have all the essential pieces I need in my apartment. Now, I just have to pull the whole look together. I'm posting "before" pictures here so that I can enlist the help of friends and family (hi Mom!) to make that happen.


I took this picture at 9 p.m., so the lighting isn't great, but this a shot of my living room. The cream couch is from Macy's (it's microfiber and incredibly easy to clean). The throw is from Z Gallerie, the telephone pillow is from West Elm, and the white coffee table was a great find on Overstock.com. The lamp shade and the black and white canvas prints of Big Ben and the Arc de Triomphe are also great internet finds (lampsplus.com and art.com, respectively).

A better shot of the canvas prints (Big Ben and Arc de Triomphe) and the infamous Thanksgiving weekend "greige" paint job (thanks, Mom and Dad!).

The "circles" rug is another West Elm purchase. The white media console might be my favorite piece in the apartment (I waited almost 6 weeks for it to arrive after ordering it from Crate and Barrel, and my mom spent most of Thanksgiving day putting it together--hi again, Mom! And thanks!). The 32" LCD flat screen is fromVizio (and it was rated a Consumer Reports "Best Buy"!). I found the blue vases to the right of the tv at the Old Time Pottery store in Melbourne, Florida the day after Christmas.

My dresser! A steal at $180 from West Elm (regularly $549). And even though I was a little uneasy about the "acorn" color, I think it's already grown on me!

I found my bedding at Tuesday Morning. I fully intend to decorate my apartment using the colors in the patchwork pillow. My grandmother is graciously working on a beautiful cross stitch piece for me that will match perfectly (thanks, Grandma!)


How cute are these fish knobs? I found them at Anthropologie for less than $2 each and replaced the standard-issue knobs on the cabinet underneath my bathroom sink with them. Lurking in the background is my shower curtain (DKNY; I found it at Bed, Bath and Beyond).


This dining table nestled in the "nook" between my living room and kitchen. I'm on the lookout for a table setting to give the table a little more personality. That's my newly acquired secretary desk (and my laptop) in the background. Here's a better shot of the secretary (I'm still brainstorming ways to maximize its potential):


It's hard to tell from this picture, but the desk is quite sleek and compact.


Finally, the London Underground map that disguises the circuit breaker box in my apartment. And a housewarming gift from my brother that reminds me that every day is a good one.