Monday 22 December 2014
Happy holidays!
Wishing all our lovely, loyal The Apartment readers a very merry Christmas - we're closing for the holidays. See y'all in the new year with loads more small space inspiration - and a few surprises too...
Sunday 14 December 2014
That's a wrap
Everyone knows little kids are usually more excited by the wrapping paper than the actual present and you know what? These days, if we're presented with a beautifully wrapped gift, we often feel the same way. There's something just so special about receiving a perfectly packaged present. This Christmas, we aim to bring out the inner child in everyone we're giving to with papers, ribbon, twine and tags that are almost too pretty to tear open. Almost.
Image via glitter guide.
Look one: pastels. Buck Christmas tradition and take up the trend for pastels for gifts that really stand out under the tree. Add a smattering of sparkle - think gold, silver or copper foiling - to keep the style festive. Chevron, oversized polka dots and stripes are the patterns to look out for.
Image via perfectpalette.com.
Look two: monochrome. Black isn't an obvious choice for Christmas wrapping, but when pared back with white or kraft paper and lit up with metallics, the result is sophisticated and stylish. Create your own version of a white Christmas (or a little black magic) with the ideas below.
Image via LillyAllsorts.
Image via deasogmia.blogspot.dk.
Image via fairynuf.blogspot.no.
Look three: rustic. Ever since Maria started sewing clothing out of curtains, brown paper packages tied up with string have pulled at our collective heartstrings. Spruce up yours with a sprig of fresh foliage - pine preferably, or rosemary - or personalise with photos or prints of Christmassy scenes.
Image via nicety.livejournal.com.
Image via anthropologie.
For the prettiest of papers and all present-wrapping paraphernalia, we love Kikki K (for gorgeous roll wrap in particular this year), Inky Co and The Lust List's limited edition range.
Check out our pinterest for more Christmas wrapping ideas, and watch as we share our own Christmas wrapping over the coming days on instagram.
Friday 12 December 2014
Friday find: printable holiday cards
Christmas time may be (commercially) about presents, but here at The Apartment, we're all about giving good card. A beautiful card or tag lends a gift personality, sentiment and a final layer of finesse, so we were pretty thrilled to discover that graphic designer and typographer Jasmine Dowling and DIY style queen Geneva Vanderzeil from A Pair & A Spare have teamed up to create a stunning Christmas stationery range. These girls are so stylish it hurts, so it's no wonder their cards are equally cool. And it gets better - the collection is available online to download and print - for free!
By no means limited to Christmas gifting, the striking monochrome cards can be downloaded in pdf form here. The girls recommend printing them onto card for a five-star finish.
Complete with cute polka dot backings, these tags are ideal for office
Kris Kringles or to accompany homebaked gifts. Download them here.
Kris Kringles or to accompany homebaked gifts. Download them here.
Images via @jasminedowling and @apairandaspare on Instagram.
Sunday 7 December 2014
Merry minimalism
Do you remember your first Christmas out of home? You excitedly picked out a tree (twice your size, naturally) and painstakingly lugged it back to your apartment, only to be met with a harsh reality check: "Where are all the decorations?!" There was no cupboard under the stairs overflowing with boxes of sparkling, sentimental (and let's be honest, probably garish) baubles and beads collected over the past two decades.
Some years later, we still find ourselves in this predicament. Because tempting as it may be to rush out and buy all the garlands and glitter under the sun, we're firm believers in building up our Christmas collection over time - choosing a few new pieces each year that we'll cherish forever. As such, we've come to embrace the minimalist look, a style that lends itself beautifully to festive decorating. All you need are a few ornaments, plus pieces you already own, to create a magical and modern Christmas scheme.
Some years later, we still find ourselves in this predicament. Because tempting as it may be to rush out and buy all the garlands and glitter under the sun, we're firm believers in building up our Christmas collection over time - choosing a few new pieces each year that we'll cherish forever. As such, we've come to embrace the minimalist look, a style that lends itself beautifully to festive decorating. All you need are a few ornaments, plus pieces you already own, to create a magical and modern Christmas scheme.
Image via cathrineshjerterom.blogspot.com
The look is all about effortless chic and has its roots in Scandinavian style. Key colours are black and white, with accents of timber and copper thrown in for warmth. And there's no need to reach for your wallet before unleashing your inner stylist - a tray, candle and a few sprigs of greenery are the sole ingredients in these stunning seasonal vignettes.
Image via weekdaycarnival.blogspot.co.nz
Image via noralill.blogspot.com
Image via decor8.blog
Image source unknown
Never underestimate the power of fairy lights or metallic
candlesticks to instantly festi-fy a space.
Image via tamalikainenparketti.blogspot.com
Image via media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com
Image source unknown
This brings us to our next point - star quality. We're not talking tree-toppers, but rather oversized statement-making stars that epitomise Nordic cool. Make your own by tying together six branches, or shop our favourite matt black offering below.
Image via kronprinsessene.com
Image via stilinspiration.blogspot.se
Image via avenuelifestyle.com
{SHOP THE LOOK - A MINIMALIST XMAS}
Friday 5 December 2014
Friday find: Kate Spade Christmas baubles
As a rule, we love accessorising, from finding the perfect
pair of earrings to finish off an outfit to decking out the Christmas tree with
the very best of baubles. Just as you wouldn’t rock up to your Christmas party wearing
a frock from ten years ago (unless of-course it’s vintage, darlings) nor should
your tree showcase faded, dusty relics from Christmasses past.
Up the style stakes with one of these dazzling Kate Spade decorations
instead:
These beautiful baubles are simply too pretty to pack away in January - style them up in a vignette on your bedside table or mantelpiece, or hang one from a doorknob for year-round festivity. They’d also make a fabulous, fashion-forward stocking filler.
Sunday 30 November 2014
It's (almost) Christmas!
Crack open the Advent calendars (one day at a time, now) and dust off the fairy lights - the countdown to Christmas is officially on. Don't have room for a tree (or the time, the car space, or the biceps required to haul that thing up three flights of stairs)? Don't despair - for the love of tinsel, we've compiled a list of fabulous ways to add a festive touch to your apartment this Christmas - no tacky plastic trees need apply.
Image via Apartment Therapy.
It's green, it's gorgeous and it doubles as art - this Christmas tree on canvas ticks all the right boxes, and rolls up neatly for the rest of the year. See below for Ponyrider's new greyscale version, perfect for creating a winter wonderland at home.
Image via Paper Blog.
So it's a little more involved, but we love this yuletide display - ebony floating shelves, paper bunting, silver-dusted wreaths and all. We're also taking inspiration from the earthy colour scheme - swap the red and green (yawn) for peach pink, silver, kraft and charcoal.
Image via French by Design.
Cheat's option: deck the boughs of your indoor pot plants with baubles for an instant Christmassy effect. A few pinecones at the base (and presents, of-course) and you're good to go.
Image via Apartment Therapy.
If there's one time of year that all-out bling is allowed, it's Christmas. Indulge in a smattering of sparkle with an oversized foiled Christmas tree print or canvas - this one's so pretty we'd have a hard time taking it down.
Image via onekinddesign.com.
We know, we know - nothing beats the delicious pine scent of the real deal. The solution? Find a florist selling Christmas tree branches (or pinch some from your parents' tree - tis the season for sharing, after all) and display in glass demijohns as per the above, or large glass vases.
Image via lizmarieblog.com.
Fairy lights = instant festivity. Fairy lights + star decorations + antlers + a framed mini tree = Christmassy perfection.
Image via pinterest.
Possibly our favourite look - a Christmas tree silhouette constructed from polaroids. Simple, stylish and completely customisable based on the images you choose.
{SHOP THE LOOK - CHRISTMAS TREES}
Friday 28 November 2014
Friday find: Beauty advent calendars
Ask any girl to choose between chocolate and beauty products and she'll find herself in a bit of a predicament. We admit it, we love chocolate like a Kardashian loves a selfie, but this year, we've decided to trade our traditional candy-filled advent calendars for something a little more glossy. 24-days worth of beauty products, anyone?
Only L'Occitane could make an advent calendar elegant enough to double as artwork. Behind each door, find a luxurious sample-sized beauty product, from hand creams to shower gels and shampoos. It's available at participating boutiques; find your local store here.
Sunday 23 November 2014
Freshly minted
Pantone may have named Radiant Orchid the 2014 Colour of the Year, but here at The Apartment, we feel another hue deserves a special mention: mint. Refreshing and contemporary, this pastel shade is like the trendy younger sibling of duck-egg blue, the cooler cousin of jade green, and the best friend of blush pink. And nowhere does it work its magic more than in interiors. Watch and learn...
Let's start small. Like the herb of its namesake, mint is best used like a garnish, sprinkled over interiors. An accent chair or set of barstools adds just the right amount of colour, and makes serious impact alongside natural timber textures and shots of copper or gold.
Image via decor8blog.com
Let's start small. Like the herb of its namesake, mint is best used like a garnish, sprinkled over interiors. An accent chair or set of barstools adds just the right amount of colour, and makes serious impact alongside natural timber textures and shots of copper or gold.
Image via Home Beautiful
Image via sortofpink.blogspot.com
Image via nordicliving.be
Image via coclapinedesign.com
Of course if you can't get enough of this good-enough-to-eat hue, you could take the leap with
a subtle spearmint feature wall. A word of advice: floor-to-ceiling colour should be paired with monochrome furnishings, rather than more pastel shades (otherwise your room may end up looking like a rainbow ice-cream, which come to think of it, isn't necessarily a bad thing...)
a subtle spearmint feature wall. A word of advice: floor-to-ceiling colour should be paired with monochrome furnishings, rather than more pastel shades (otherwise your room may end up looking like a rainbow ice-cream, which come to think of it, isn't necessarily a bad thing...)
Image via blogg.skonahem.com
Image via dustjacket-attic.com
Ice blue has owned the category of "stylish kitchen accessory" for some time, but we're
sensing its reign may be coming to an end. Mint is an elegant and of-the-moment addition to
any kitchen, whether in the form of display-worthy crockery, a painted cabinet, retro fridge,
or covetable Kitchen Aid mixer.
sensing its reign may be coming to an end. Mint is an elegant and of-the-moment addition to
any kitchen, whether in the form of display-worthy crockery, a painted cabinet, retro fridge,
or covetable Kitchen Aid mixer.
Image source unknown
Image via decoraconrojas.blogspot.com.es
Image source unknown
{shop the look}
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)