Ways to make your modest apartment look its best, Part 3

Ask A Woman: A man’s home is his castle…make sure yours looks good.

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Take a look around you. Are you living in an anemic environment? Empty walls? Cluttered closets? Drab decor? Here to help is the third installment of suggestions for sprucing up your pad on a limited budget. These tips aim to help you work with what you already have, and require spending little to no money. If you’re just joining us, be sure to check out parts one and two, and enjoy part three!

 

1. Keep plants and flowers.

I know dudes aren’t going to buy themselves a bouquet of flowers, even if I tell you they’ll really brighten up your place. That’s fine, I’m not trying to neuter anyone here. BUT. Having something green in your apartment will make a big difference. It adds a bit of color, a bit of life, and in the winter it can get you through the coldest, bleakest days. So what about a masculine plant, like a cactus? A single large cactus in the corner of a room gives the space an interesting rustic touch. Other manly options might include plain green plants that don’t flower like a rubber plant. Make sure you do a bit o’ research about caring for your new baby (see here for info about indoor cacti). (Photo above via covast.org)

 

2. Clean out your fridge (and freezer).

You wanna know what could ruin an otherwise decent abode? An icky poo fridge. You got some Chinese food from two weeks ago lurking in the back; you got a jar of pickles that spilled half its juice. Looks bad, smells worse. Yeah, you know who you are. Ideally, we’d all act like responsible adults and wipe down our fridges and take inventory once a week. I think we all know that’s not actually going to happen. So how about once a month? The first Sunday of the month, spend fifteen minutes and take stock of the good, the bad, and the ugly (not to mention the growing fuzz).

 

3. Under your bed–it’s not just for dust bunnies.

If you use the space under your bed for shoving out-of-season shoes and condom wrappers, you’re missing an opportunity. You can find storage boxes specifically made for that space, and use them to organize and store (dust free) things like extra linens or heavy sweaters. Perfect solution for a home with limited storage. Plus, if that space is filled with neatly organized containers, you won’t be able to kick stuff under there when you’re feeling too lazy to deal with it. (Photos above via The Container Store, a mecca for organization nerds.)

 

4. Use natural light.

Are you guilty of having all your blinds closed but every light on, even in the middle of the day? Get in the habit of turning off those dreary overhead lights and opening the shades. Let in that beautiful natural light. It’s ecologically responsible, and everything looks better in sunlight.

Got something brewing in your life? Send me an email’style, etiquette, relationships’I answer it all: askawoman@dappered.com