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Decorating Your Apartment: Part Two

Welcome back for Part Two of how to decorate your apartment! We discuss 3 more styles that you can choose from when making your apartment your own.

Mediterranean

The rich colors and bold statements in Europe’s Mediterranean region have grown to be more and more popular over the last few years. This style is influenced by many different cultures from Spain, Greece and Italy to name a few. Wrought iron, patterned tiles, stucco walls and bright fabrics with various textures help to bring this whole look together. You could also take a more earthy approach with this look by including accents from the sea, sky and land around you. Instead of using the soft blue of the sky, try stepping it up a notch with a vibrant teal from the ocean. Red, orange and yellow prove to be a popular color combination when it comes to this design style. Mediterranean design is all about taking risks and mixing textures, colors and mediums.

Rustic

If you love the outdoors and would like to bring the outside in, then rustic design could suite your home very well. Bring nature into your home by incorporating elements from the outdoors. Include style from the sky, land, sea and plants. The use of natural woods is almost always a necessary part in rustic design. Adding a stone backsplash to your kitchen or a slate tiled floor could help bring the rock element into your design. Think log cabin or the mountain terrain when decorating.

Eclectic

Eclectic spaces mix many different kinds of styles and allow you to make your home as unique as you are. The crazier the mix, the more eclectic your style. Bring in family heirlooms, items you found on your travels, and other personal items to make your space as unique as possible. Eclectic spaces are often found to be interesting while remaining cozy and comfortable.

We hope you enjoyed our two part series on how to style and decorate your apartment to match your own unique personality. For information on our apartment community, visit us on Facebook or visit our website!

Decorating Your Apartment: Part One

Decorating doesn’t have to be as scary as you think. Begin by selecting the style that best suites you and work your way from there. Use this guide to help you with all of your decorating endeavors.

Contemporary

Contemporary is really a fancy name for a combination of many popular decorating styles. Most contemporary looks consist of clean, sleek lines, simple accents, and neutral colors with a few bold accents. Most apartments that feature this style have an open, spacious layout so that it is easier to blend each area of the home together. You may choose to use ultra dark wood or very light wood depending on the feel you are going for. You want your home to feel clean, airy, and simple yet sophisticated when you are finished with your design. Try finding furniture with a neutral color scheme and accessorize with accents of color. This way you can change your design as often as you wish without breaking the bank. Always take the “less is more” approach with contemporary design.

Cottage

If feeling cozy, comfortable and relaxed in your home then cottage design may be for you. This design style allows you to really express your personality and allows your guests to feel warm and welcomed in your home. You may want to consider drawing inspiration from the beach, country fields, or other parts of the natural landscape that surrounds you. Cottage design is often inspired by nature due to the fact that nature has many calming, relaxing sceneries to offer. Colors that are often used in cottage style design include soft blues, greens, yellows and whites. If you want your home to be cohesive yet stylish while still having a “lived in” look then cottage design should suite you well.

Traditional

While trends come and go, traditional design always remains the most popular style for homes across America. Traditional design is influenced by English and French design and usually exudes elegance, warmth and classical elements. Homes in the 18^th and 19^th century began using this style to help determine social classes within the household. Don’t let that fool you though, traditional design may look expensive, but can be pulled off for a lot less than you would think.

Stay tuned for our next blog post featuring Part Two of how to decorate your apartment! For more information on The Hammocks at Timber Banks, visit our website here!

Creating an Apartment Your Friends & Family Will Want to Visit

Having the opportunity to play host or hostess can be a fun and satisfying experience. Your apartment should be welcoming to those who will spend time there with you, and make a visit to your home a pleasant experience.

Your home’s ambience depends on the decor direction you take. For instance, if you are looking for a casual feel, give it focus by picking a theme: a country cabin, a beach house, a shabby chic retreat. Choose floor pillows or comfortable chairs of the proper era, region or design; wall hangings depicting appropriate themes; and paint or wallpaper that fits the palette.

No one will enjoy spending time at your place if there isn’t anywhere to sit. Floor pillows and bean bag chairs invite serious lounging, a sofa brings people together, and folding chairs work in a pinch when several friends visit at once.

Lots of tasty food, drink and good conversation should be enough to keep guests happy, but the truth is that many visitors like the option of watching television and movies or playing games — video, board or card. Be sure that you have some ice-breaking party games on hand. A game of Twister or gin rummy can make for a memorable and fun experience. Music creates atmosphere and fills the space better than almost anything else.

Regardless of the decor or entertainment options you choose, it’s your approach as a host or hostess that determines how much people enjoy themselves. Make your apartment the pleasant home you’ve always dreamed of when friends or family visit. Having a clean, well-organized apartment is itself an enticement to stay a while and feel comfortable. It just takes a little thought, a little planning and a spirit of confidence and fun. Most of all, taking an easygoing approach to greeting and entertaining visitors will make them feel wanted and welcome. But be ready — your apartment just may become their favorite place to hang out!

For information on our apartments at The Hammocks at Timber Banks, please visit our website!

Keeping Your Apartment Kitchen Environmentally Friendly

One of the easiest ways to create an eco-friendly kitchen is to limit the chemicals that pass through it. There are many different kinds of natural cleaning products that have been proven to clean just as effectively as their harsher counterparts. And “green” cleaning does not have to be expensive. You might already have some of these useful cleaning products in your apartment, in fact. Baking soda is a great way to keep your apartment sinks and countertops shining; toothpaste can keep your silver shining; and vinegar can clean nearly anything in your kitchen — and refresh your coffee pot, too!

Recycling your trash appropriately, and composting kitchen scraps are great ways to cut down on waste. (And compost is a nice addition to your apartment garden!)

You can also save energy by selecting compact florescent light bulbs (CFLs) and plugging your appliances into a power strip that you can turn off when you’re not using them. Buying your food from nearby producers saves money on fuel, as well as the paper and plastic used to package and ship food grown far away. Supporting local farmers is also good for your community’s economy. You can even go ultra-local and grow some of your food in a balcony garden, or get your feet wet with an herb garden.

The kitchen isn’t merely the room that sustains you and your household; it can also be a spot where you help sustain the environment at large. With a little effort and some smart choices, your apartment kitchen can serve up green as a main course.

This is your opportunity to make your outdoor space stand out above the rest! Decorate your outdoor space with flowers, furniture sets, container gardens, and any other tasteful outdoor decorations!

We will be rewarding the three most unique, colorful and creative balconies/patios with a fun surprise!

If you would like to join our contest please call the office and register with Sarah or Katherine. Please include your theme if you have one.

There is only a short time left to get ready. Our judging will take place on June 30th 2011.

Our Esteemed Judges are as follows:

Our Host - Perry Noun of Tea Time with The Pro-noun

(Galaxy Communications)

Mike Nolan (Affordable Landscaping)

Joe Galuski (WSYR Clear Channels)

Jim Learch of Bud The Man Child

(Citadel Broad Casting)

We will be inviting all our contest entries to the Clubhouse at 1:00 pm on Thursday, June 30, 2011 for refreshments and to announce our winners! Good luck to all and may the best green thumb win!!

Katherine and Sarah

Hot Electronic Gadgets for Your Apartment

- The high tech kitchen: A great gadget for the kitchen is the wireless meat thermometer. These take the guesswork out of when your roast is done. You can set your thermometer to gauge temperature or stage of readiness for any type of meat on the grill or in the oven. Take the thermometer receiver with you and it will alert you when dinner is done.

- Electronics for your bathroom: Shower divas, take note: waterproof iPod speakers! For use in either the bathroom or at the beach, these products let you groove to your tunes in watery places, you can adjust the volume and control your tunes from external water-safe controls and hang the device with a handy shower hook.

For health fanatics, Tanita’s BF-680W Bathroom Scale will also be a welcome addition to your bathroom. This digital scale not only gives accurate weight readings but also aids dieters, measuring body fat with electrical impulses and calculating body water percentages. It has a large LCD read-out that compares your weight to the healthy range for a person of your height and stores data for two people. Tanita’s scale sells for around $60.

- Electronic gadgets for the whole apartment: Digital photo frames are an electronic gadget that every fickle apartment dwellers needs. To satisfy the yen for constantly-updated wall decor, digital photo frames store and display a large quantity of photos. You can even jazz up the frame to reflect your personal style with an assortment of accessory picture frame faceplates.

Too busy to pick up a broom but hate dust bunnies? There’s a consumer electronic solution to your apartment cleaning needs – the Roomba. The iRobot Roomba is a robotic vacuum that cleans your floors so you don’t have to do the dirty work, and is available in a range of prices and features. Charge it up and it cleans your floors – both carpeted and smooth surfaces – on a routine basis. The Roomba can clean corners, underneath furniture, and even avoids taking a tumble with a built-in stair avoidance system. When it comes to mopping, iRobot can get you off the hook there, too. The company also manufactures a robot called Scooba that will wash, squeegee, and dry your floors.

No high tech apartment is complete without a weather station. Stations are handy, inexpensive home gadgets that get you prepared to start your day. A device like LA Crosse Technology’s $35 Wireless Temperature Station can show you the outside temperature and help you decide what to wear as you sip your morning java. Just place the device’s thermometer outside your apartment (say, in a window), and a wireless LCD receiver displays the temperature stats.

If you’re looking to live a little more efficiently, there’s an electronic home gadget out there with your name on it!