The post 5 Things to Make Your Apartment Instantly Chic appeared first on The Belden-Stratford Blog.
]]>
You live in a chic part of Chicago, so shouldn’t your Chicago apartment look chic as well? Of course, it should. But it does not have to have a deep impact on your wallet. There are simple, yet crafty ways to make your apartment chic, and we provide five of them, one for each living space in your home.
1. Make Your Kitchen Instantly Chic in Your Chicago Apartment
Apart from the dishes and pots, towels get used most in the kitchen. Find towels with a punch of color—towels that you actually look forward to using—to place in your kitchen. Towels, even luxuriously soft ones, are affordable, and the added color makes the kitchen feel fancier.
2. Make Your Dining Room Worth Dining In
Apartment dining rooms can be small, so add a beautiful mirror to add visual space as well as chic-it-up a bit. Mirrors come in all sizes, shapes and framing. Find a mirror that is affordable and matches your decor, and all at once you have a chic new element in your apartment.
3. Make Your Living Room Worth Living In
You spend a lot of your time in the living room, so make it worth it. If you have throw pillows, think about purchasing new covers to spice up or tie in colors. If you don’t have them, think about which colors make you happy and purchase a few. They are functional and aesthetically appealing.
4. Make Your Bathroom Luxurious
There are so many things you can do to a bathroom to make it luxurious! But one fun idea is this: Replace bathmats with a cool rug. Why should you have to limit your floor cover to boring bathmats? Find a rug you like and spread it out.
5. Make the Bedroom the Chic Place to Start & End Your Day
Your bedroom is the place you close your eyes at night and open them in the morning. Buy new sheets and a soft new duvet that adds a bit of color while maintaining a soothing feeling. This aids in getting a good night sleep, which aids in your ability to wake up happy. Plus, it looks great!
If you are looking for that chic place to live in Chicago, then come visit us at The Belden-Stratford. We look forward to building our community one neighbor at a time.
The post 5 Things to Make Your Apartment Instantly Chic appeared first on The Belden-Stratford Blog.
]]>The post Elegant Table Setting Tips appeared first on The Belden-Stratford Blog.
]]>
This holiday season, living in The Belden-Stratford Apartments in Chicago provides the perfect backdrop for hosting elegant holiday celebrations. Even if you do a minimum of home decor, you can add a dramatic effect to your entertaining this year by featuring an elegant tablescape that will put all guests in a festive state of mind.
Elegant Table Setting Tips
What is a Tablescape?
When considering your tabletop arrangements, view each setting and centerpiece as part of a design plan to create a breathtaking look that harmonizes your dining or serving area with a sense of balance. A tablescape is just that! It is less about matching plates, silver, linen, and glassware and is more about creating a sense of balance using textures, color, and scale.
Consider Alternate Color Combinations
While you may want to take your color inspirations from traditional holiday palettes such as red, green, gold, and silver, you can increase the visual effect with color alternatives such as deep pink, purple, and red or adding a pop of mustard yellow with your blue and silver. Nature can offer its own inspiration for color combos — brown, green, and white or red, yellow, and black for a dramatic effect.
Layering Textures and Finishes
So maybe this is a good year to change up your silverware settings with a set of bronze patina flatware or a lovely tinted set of stemmed goblets in a soft azure or nuanced plum. A key part of the balancing is to add subtle differences in textures and finishes — mixing and matching to make your table come to life in a unique and festive way.
For finishes, you may opt for a linen tablecloth or choose to leave your lovely wooden table uncovered. The options can go from a relaxed look of a cream-colored cotton/linen with a burlap table runner to a vibrant red Poinsettia imprinted tablecloth to add spectacular contrast.
Use Elements From Nature
Bring your tablescape together using elements from nature. Ditch the idea of pinecones and holly for blooming tropical plants, a floating orchid centerpiece, branches of fern and scattered peppercorns, or sprigs of wintergreen with pomegranate seeds.
Call our offices today to schedule a viewing of our The Belden-Stratford Apartments in Chicago, IL and to discuss which floor plans are available. Start your own holiday traditions in a luxury apartment setting with fully equipped kitchens with stainless steel appliances, hardwood flooring in select units, and panoramic views of Lake Michigan, downtown green spaces, and the city skyline.
The post Elegant Table Setting Tips appeared first on The Belden-Stratford Blog.
]]>