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[jubilant]

@feline groovy   This is an interesting post.  Lots of great ideas here!

I took a big wooden jewelry box that my grandmother had made for her many years ago.  It has 14 different size compartments in it, stands about 19" tall by 15" wide and sits on my dresser.  In it are bobbi pins, hair accessories, thermometers, nail clippers, scissors and emery boards.... and the list goes on and on.  The two long top drawers that open up towards the ceilng are big enough to hold all my watches. The two big deep drawers hold  long strands of pearls.  Honestly, I don't know where all this stuff would go without it.

[Katcat1]

@feline groovy    I have mercury glass candle holders for a 4x4 candle and other sizes; decorative vase; pictures in frames of mom & dad on side table; in the bathroom I have a rustic container that holds a couple of rolls of toilet tissue which I keep on top of the toilet; I change dish towels according to certain holidays on the front of the stove; eucalyptus wreath on entrance door; various baskets to hold masks, chargers for phone & other gadgets.  I bought the baskets at Target for next to nothing.

[Lucky Charm]

Nothing is prettier (or sexier) than a clean home.  Not just tidy, but clean.  A clean home smells fresh (that's the sexy part).  My opinion only!

Everything can be cleaned and scrubbed using simple cheap dish liquid, if money is an issue.    That includes dingy upholstery.  That's my inexpensive decorating tip!

I realize you live in an apartment, but you can take a sprig of and azealea or forsythia and plop it in an emptied glass jelly jar filled with water.    

Put it on the windowsill in front of your kitchen sink.  Will last a while.  So pretty to look at while doing the dishes.

[queendiva]

@feline groovy : Good topic!

Your rental sounds so nice and like the apt.where my minimalist son and his fiancee rent.

Under 900 SF. She is averse to color and he does not like "stuff".  Everything is neutral, including her wardrobe! 

ITA that the everyday items can and do add signature style and color to your home, regardless of size. The only thing I would add from my own point of view is that I purchase towels, bed linens, kitchen towels, etc. in the best quality I can find. These items can be found at reasonable prices and will stand repeated launderings, making them a good value. Also, anything that I touch has to be soft, smooth- not scratchy or cheap/faded.

@Foxxee : I am also a big fan of buying on the secondary market. Best quality for less. I enjoy the patina of having an "old" item or two in most every room. Like the OP, my home is small, so my purchases must be intentional, useful and/or beautiful/ whimsical.

I try to incorporate the 60/30/10 color rule in each room: Main color/ secondary color/ accent, "pop" color. Helps to keep rooms looking balanced and coordinated.

I also agree with a previous poster that nothing beats a clean & tidy home, although that definition varies from one person to another. Editing what's in each room makes the important items shine!

Many good ideas mentioned so far. Keep 'em coming!

[Nonametoday]

@jubilant 

great repurposing.  I have used a small jewelry box that has tiny compartments, about 2-3 inches x the same which would fit pairs of earrings and have cleaned it really, really well and relined it and use it for tea bags.

[Nonametoday]

@Lucky Charm 

Nothing says designer like immaculate and impeccably clean with fresh flowers.

[jubilant]

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@Nonametoday wrote:

@jubilant 

great repurposing.  I have used a small jewelry box that has tiny compartments, about 2-3 inches x the same which would fit pairs of earrings and have cleaned it really, really well and relined it and use it for tea bags.

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Thanks! What a great idea.  I never would have thought of that.  So many new things I learned here today.

[Nonametoday]

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@jubilant wrote:

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@Nonametoday wrote:

@jubilant 

great repurposing.  I have used a small jewelry box that has tiny compartments, about 2-3 inches x the same which would fit pairs of earrings and have cleaned it really, really well and relined it and use it for tea bags.

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Thanks! What a great idea.  I never would have thought of that.  So many new things I learned here today.

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@jubilant 

It's neat to learn new ways of decorating and using what we have.  I agree.  I learned a lot.