This bed will fold up to save you some space.

For those of us that live in small spaces, we understand the importance of making use of every bit of square footage in our apartments. One unique and stylish space saver that is making a big comeback with apartment dwellers is the Murphy bed. Some helpful facts about this type of pull down bed are listed below:

• Typically, this type of bed is made with a portable closet similar to an armoire. When it needs to be used, the mattress will easily fold down out of the closet. Some common and useful accessories include built in drawers at the bottom of the storage frame and bookshelves on the sides of the frame.
• Prices for this type of pull out bed generally range from $700 to $1000. Most bed frames are made for full sized mattresses, and the price can go up considerably to accommodate a queen or king mattress.
• You can find murphy beds at specialty furniture shops and stores that specialize in space saving furnishings. For a more affordable option, you may want to check out an antique or consignment shop.

For more tips, be sure to read our post for how to make a room look bigger at Apartment Allure.

Image Source: Associated Fabrication

Save a lot by simply unplugging electronics when not in use.

We have all unfortunately experienced wide fluctuations in electric bills, which can make a significant impact on a monthly budget. For this reason, we wanted to share some helpful tips for how to lower your electric bill:

• Consider the size of your apartment. If you live alone, do you really need a 2 bedroom apartment? The extra square footage will require more electricity, therefore causing your electric bills to be higher than if you opted for a 1 bedroom apartment.
• Make use of a ceiling fan in the summer and an electric heat blanket in the winter to help maintain a more comfortable temperature in your apartment without breaking the bank. Research shows that a ceiling fan can actually make a room feel 10 degrees cooler in the summer and can be turned counterclockwise during the winter to make a room feel 10 degrees warmer.
• Unplug electric appliances such as your TV, toaster oven, and hair dryer when they are not in use. Surprisingly, these items still use energy even when they are turned in the off position.

What are some other strategies that you use to keep your electric bills low? Share them with us at Apartment Allure!

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Keep a drink cart in the corner.

One of the most important lessons of apartment living is to learn how to make the most of every bit of square footage. Often, the corner space inside apartments is left untouched. For this reason, we wanted to share some ideas for decorating apartments that will help you to spice up your corners courtesy of Homesessive:

• Use a corner as an opportunity to incorporate some greenery into your apartment. Whether you choose to occupy this space with a large houseplant or a small indoor garden, please be sure to check out our tips for how to keep your indoor plants alive.
• A corner serves as the ideal space to store an old-fashioned drink cart stocked with your favorite cocktail concoctions.
• A side table is always a good solution for a vacant corner, especially if it includes drawers for extra storage.
• Depending on the size of your corner, you could use it to create your own reading nook. Consider revitalizing an old chair to dedicate to the space.
• Use a corner to carve out a home office space. This could be as simple as adding a small desk and chair.

Please check out Apartment Allure for more apartment living tips!

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Wheat products will attract pests.

We often use our Apartment Allure blog to share green friendly apartment living tips, and we wanted to take a moment to touch on composting. As you can imagine, not all of your trash is appropriate for composing, and Homesessive discusses what not to put in a compost bin:

• Dairy Items. In addition to creating an unpleasant sour smell, including dairy items in your compost pile will likely attract animals as well.
• Black Walnuts. Surprisingly, walnuts contain juglone, which can be toxic to some plants, making it not ideal to compost walnuts.
• Wheat Products. Typically, products made of wheat have a tendency to attract unwanted pests.
• Most Paper. Since many paper products are treated with chemicals, it is generally better to recycle these items versus adding them to your compost pile.
• Meat. Rotting meat is definitely not a desired smell, and it will likely call attention to pests and animals too.
• Rice. Surprisingly, rice is a magnet for bacteria, which can be harmful to the plants that you are trying to grow.
• Sawdust. If it came from treated wood, you do not want to add this to your compost pile.

What other items should be excluded from your compost bin? Share them with us!

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Make your own getaway spot on your patio.

We’ve shared some helpful tips for creating a patio garden, which can help to offer a cozy and inviting outdoor living space. To learn more about how to decorate an apartment patio, here are some useful suggestions from Homesessive:

• Design a realistic space that you will actually use. When it comes to apartment living, maximizing both your indoor and outdoor living space is essential. Having access to an outdoor patio can really allow you to expand your entertaining space.
• Depending on the space available, consider adding some tables and chairs or a small bistro set. This will come in handy if you enjoy eating outdoors or have the opportunity to occasionally work al fresco.
• Accessorize. Take a look at the inside of your apartment and carry on your decorating theme to your outdoor patio. This will help the space to feel more fluid. Creating an inviting atmosphere on your outdoor patio will encourage you to use the space more often.

For more apartment living tips, please be sure to follow our Apartment Allure blog.

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Use flowers for place settings at a dinner party.

Since we’re currently in the height of spring, we thought it would only be appropriate to discuss seasonal decor. One of the easiest and least expensive ways to bring the spring season into your apartment is to incorporate fresh flowers. Here are some helpful tips for how to decorate with flowers courtesy of Homesessive:

• Use fresh flowers in your bedroom to brighten up the space and keep it smelling fragrant.
• Don’t limit yourself to just displaying flowers in vases. Feel free to use a unique pitcher or some vintage mason jars that you may have around your apartment.
• For your next dinner party, incorporate an individual flower at each place setting to enhance the personalized feel.
• Use a flower arrangement to greet guests at your doorway, and consider using large berry branches to make more of a statement.
• If you are not one for colorful arrangements, stick with simple white flowers as they will go with anything.
• Jazz up your bathroom with a colorful blend of flowers.

Please be sure to see our blog post about how you can help your flower bouquets last longer. Share your own expert tips with us on Apartment Allure!

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You’ll hang your photos perfectly from here on out.

When it comes to decorating your apartment, one of the biggest challenges tends to be hanging pictures at the appropriate height. To make life easier for you, we wanted to share some helpful tips for how to hang pictures, courtesy of Homesessive:

• Always aim to hang your pictures at eye level. Typically, this means that your pictures or artwork should be between 60″-65″ from the floor. For rooms like your dining room where people will be seated the majority of the time, it is acceptable to go a few inches lower.
• Keep in mind the scope of your surroundings to determine the appropriate size of artwork to display. You would not want to hang an enormous picture on a small wall or vice versa.
• A common place to display artwork and pictures is over the couch. If you plan on doing this, the length of the artwork should be at least 10 inches shorter than the length of your couch. Also, as a rule of thumb, the artwork should hang 4″-8″ above the back of your couch.

For more apartment living tips, please be sure to check out our Apartment Allure blog.

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You don’t need an electrical can opener.

If you love gadgets, the kitchen provides you with the perfect excuse to stock up. For those in the market for new kitchen gadgets, here are five essential gadgets that should be in your cabinet drawers:

1. Vegetable Peeler: This tool is not just limited to peeling potatoes. Try using it to grate cheese, lemon zest, and incredible chocolate flakes!
2. Can Opener: No, you don’t need the electric version. A hand-held can opener is budget friendly and will be a tool that you call on more often than you would think.
3. Pizza Cutter: Whether you plan on picking up takeout or picking up some dough at the grocery store and coming up with your own homemade version, a pizza cutter is necessary. You can also use it to cut pastry dough, make homemade noodles, or slice French toast.
4. Colander: Pasta is a great economical meal for those with an on-the-go lifestyle, and you wouldn’t be able to enjoy it without a colander.
5. Tongs: You will use this kitchen gadget for everything from flipping burgers to tossing salad.

For an expanded list of new kitchen gadgets, please be sure to check out Homesessive. For more tips and tricks on apartment living, keep checking in with us at Apartment Allure.

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Keep a crystal clear mirror with our tips.

When it comes to cleaning your apartment, one area that often gets overlooked is your bathroom mirror. To remove the streaks and toothpaste particles that accumulate on it over time, we wanted to share some green friendly tips for how to clean a mirror:

• Make a habit of wiping down your mirror on a daily basis simply with a little rubbing alcohol and a soft, lint-free cloth. If you don’t have rubbing alcohol on hand, a great alternative is an antiseptic mouthwash.

• Rid your mirror of unwanted water spots by sprinkling some Arm & Hammer Go Green Cleaning Powder on a dry cloth and buffing away the spots.

• To defog your mirror after a hot shower or bath, shoot your hair dryer at the mirror and allow the dry heat to remove the condensation. To keep your mirror fog free for the next week or so, use a lint-free cloth to rub your mirror down with shaving cream or dish soap until it has completely disappeared.

For more apartment living tips, please be sure to check out our Apartment Allure blog!

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Hang hooks on your bathroom door for towels.

We’ve talked about how to turn your bathroom into a spa-like experience, and one of the fastest ways to interrupt this relaxing environment is clutter. For this reason, we wanted to share some helpful tips for how to save space in the bathroom:

• Take advantage of shelving space in the bathroom. If you do not have much of this, consider hanging floating shelving on the walls to help maximize your floor space.
• Install hooks on the back of your bathroom door to hang towels or a bathrobe. When the door is open, your guests will not see these items hanging on the back of your door.
• If you have a window in your bathroom, make the most of the natural light that enters the room. Natural light does wonders at making a space appear larger.
• Use simple decor to unify the space. Busy patterns, multiple colors, and ornate decorations can really make a small space feel cluttered.
• Throw away the items that you no longer need. This can include empty shampoo bottles or loofas that have reached their expiration. These items in quantity can take up a lot of room and make your bathroom look messy.

Try out our tips and share your own with us at Apartment Allure.

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