Adventures of a Young Homeowner: ...And Apparently it Feels Like Christmas, Too

Hi y'all!

Well, I believe I mentioned yesterday that it was beginning to feel something like Christmas weather down here in the Deep South...oops, I mean the Arctic Tundra! This morning I woke up to a house which was nothing short of freezing, much to my own confusion. I hadn't experienced the likes of this weather since my two-year foray in Tennessee, and I certainly wasn't ready for it to be in my bedroom. It took a bit of complaining via text to friends, yelling at myself and then finally bribing myself out of bed before I could get to the thermostat to discover such an interesting concept as the heat setting- rather unheard-of down here! Anyway, Little House is warm now, and the redecorating has continued.

Today's projects were: silver polishing, finishing several paintings, redoing the third floor guest bath, and stripping the paint (or whatever that was) off an antique trunk I was given. Three out of the four were done- I desperately need sandpaper before I can go any farther on the trunk.

Now, decorating a home for a college student's needs and lifestyle is clearly a completely different pitcher of sweet tea than decorating a real home. For most students, this is a matter of fiscal practicality: a college student's budget, as I have discovered, usually does not accommodate the way one lived with her parents. So yes, this means unfinished walls where Mama's oil paintings would have been, ikea tables where one wishes she could put her grandmother's table, etc, etc, etc. But it goes far beyond that.

1. Decorate using your budget. Money will be tight, yes. So stretch it where you can. Places like Marshall's, Ross, SteinMart, etc. sell lots of cute goodies at a fraction of the cost. Learn to shop here now, and you'll learn how to cut costs when you're older. That could mean food for your family, or it could mean money saved for a vacation. You can do style without looking cheap. Bear that in mind, because...
2. Don't put anything valuable or sentimental in the way of raging. And I mean anything. Whether it's heirloom silver (and I've managed to snag a few pieces!) or a favourite picture frame, put it in your room, away from common party traffic. If you want, say, a silver remote tray, go to an estate sale, buy an inexpensive piece, polish it up, and use that. You'll be much less upset if that's broken than if it's your deceased grandmother's engraved platter.
3. Get durable furniture. I missed this memo, as my living room proudly sports suede couches. Oops. The first week I moved in, someone cried their eyes out on it...and my focus was on those tears not hitting that suede- not on their distress. Go with ikea pieces or something from garage sales. Ikea chairs have covers which are easily changed, and their furniture is surprisingly durable with clean lines and varying styles for every taste. I highly recommend it.
4. Pots & pans are the one thing you do not want to get from ikea. (If you have, and it's working for you, please tell me!) My experience with it has left my kitchen smokey more than once. Go with pots and pans from a more well-known maker whose designs stand the tests of time. However, ikea silverware ($24 for four settings!) has worked well for me as have a lot of their smaller kitchen utensils. I love their cork hot pads and their chrome can opener. I haven't seen a reason to get anything more expensive at this point. I'll explain why in a moment.
5. Get things which double as storage. Clean lines are fabulous, I will say that. But often those same clean lines afford absolutely no discreet storage at all, and the homeowner/renter winds up with their possessions visible all over the place. Mess, visible or otherwise, isn't my thing, so I would suggest finding bookshelves with built-in cabinets for easily hidden goods.

Earlier I mentioned that I hadn't found a reason to get anything more expensive just yet. Here's why: there are a lot of people coming through here regularly. I have found that although knives/bottle openers/tvs/lamps and pretty much everything else in my house is used frequently, that in itself is just the reason I won't buy the expensive versions. Frequent use raises the opportunity for breakage, and as I explained in #2, I'd much rather something cheap go now than something nice go after a year or two. Perhaps you see it differently- that's fine! However, I have found that my dollar-store bottle openers are just as appreciated as the electric aerators would be- and I'm just fine with that!

Bottom line: you're in college. Don't forget that when you're decorating. DIY. Save the heirlooms and the dollars. You'll thank yourself for it in the long run!

And before I disappear, a few inspirational pictures to end your evening...