Apartment decor pieces

Hey guys! Just checking in with an apartment update.

I posted a little bit of my design inspiration when I first moved into my new space. It’s slowly coming together, but I’m not going to lie — it’s hard to focus on boring things like unpacking when there are just so many other things to do and people to see in a city like Chicago!

I will eventually do a full tour of my new apartment, like I did with my Mount Pleasant loft, but in the mean time, I’m sharing some of my decor inspiration — and some of the items I’ve snagged — as another sort of teaser post.

My decorating tastes are… interesting. I have two very distinct and separate styles I love. I love all things white, gold, textured, plushy and vintage glam girly, but I also love all things earthy, rustic, industrial and Pinterest-perfect shabby chic. Sometimes it’s hard to find things that are a combination of both of those styles, so my apartment gets a little hodge podge-y at times, but it’s still very much me, and I love it.

(You can totally catch sneak peeks of my space on both Instagram and Snapchat: @RandiMShaffer)

–

1. Philodendron plant. My mother has one of these and it’s a wonderful addition to the living room. I love keeping fresh flowers and plants around, especially more so now that I’m living in a concrete jungle. Plus, plants are a nice way to say “hey I’m a responsible adult” without having to adopt a pet. Assuming you can keep the plants watered.

2. Ork neighborhoods poster. It’s a little cliche, but I’ve loved these posters forever, and now that I’m actually living in Chicago, what better time to finally take the plunge? The one I got is in simple black and white with a frame.

3. Metal initial. This is in a frame and up on my gallery wall. My version was a half-off find from Michaels, and lights up with the use of batteries.

4. Vintage typewriter. This is another carryover from my last apartment. I really love it, because it’s one of the most commented-on pieces in my living room. It’s a eBay find I bought myself a few years ago as a present for landing a graduate assistantship. Mine’s a 1920’s antique, but you can pick up a similar piece without the bigger price tag here.

5. Blanket ladder. Mine will be (as soon as it gets here) an upcycled ladder from the bunk beds I shared with my sister as a kid. I mentioned in my inspo post that with limited floor space, I would be looking upward for storage, and this takes up less floor space than a trunk.

6. Glass apothecary jars. Another carryover from my Mount Pleasant apartment. But hey, if you love something, why get rid of it? I love filling these with Halloween candy and pine cones in the fall, Christmas ornaments in the winter and Easter eggs in the spring.

7. Gold tray. This is a carryover from my last apartment and is getting reused in my living room. I store candles, candies and a vase of flowers on it. I also grabbed this gold tray (can we see a theme?) to prop on top of my bar cart to corral my liquors together.

8. Throw pillows. (Specifically this one, this one, this one and two of these.) I hated the ones that came standard with my couch, so they were quickly replaced with these pretty gray and mint designs. Pillows are a great way to add some impermanent color and texture to your space for very little money.

9. Moroccan rug. I love my hardwood floors because it means I don’t have to buy (or store) a vacuum cleaner, but they’re kind of boring to look at, and not very friendly in the winter. This is a nice neutral addition to the space. My apartment layout is a little interesting, so this rug seemed like a nice way to kind of pull my living room together.

10. Chrome shelving. My kitchen is tiny! As someone who loves cooking, I have a lot of kitchen gear, and it will not all fit in my three cupboards. I found this unit on Target’s website and loved it, and measured to ensure it would fit in the space… but then ended up hating it when it arrived and was assembled. Luckily, I ended up finding these shelves during a Memorial Day sale, and they’re a much better fit in the space.

11. Ikea Kallax. I mentioned in my first design inspo post that I was struggling with picking out a Kallax design. I ended up with the four-by-four. I’ll be using it as a TV stand and I’m really looking forward to styling it. I love the open back design and white color. It makes my living room feel so much bigger than it is.

–

What kind of decor sparks your interest? What quirky items do you have in your space? Let me know in the comments!

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my disclosure policy.