After a long day at work or school, we want to find peace in our homes to help us settle down and enjoy some time with ourselves, or with some good friends. How we decorate and keep our apartment/home is important. I don’t know about you, but when I have a clean, put-together and “cutely” decorated place, I feel better.
Over the years, my style and vision have certainly changed but I am proud of what I have going on right now. With the slightly tiny apartment I have in downtown Chicago, I have to utilize the space I have well, so here are five of my favorite classy decor items I have in my apartment right now.
- Black and White Photos for the Walls
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I find black and white photos to be a simple but elegant decor idea and have always loved the idea of them because they can go with any color scheme. As for my apartment, I have a wall full of black and white photos of all my favorite photos from traveling through Europe. You can use this time to get creative! Finding inspiration on Pinterest is always fun, but I always find that filling your room with photos that mean something to you, whether it be your travels or your favorite photo of your dog, friends or even newspaper or book pages is the best way to feel connected to your space.
Original photo by Sarah Sommers - “Minimalistic” Dresser Decor
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Sometimes, I find that the tops of our dressers can get cluttered easily. It can get full of our perfume, photos, candles, jewelry boxes and so on. I am the queen of putting way too much on my dresser and finding that it suddenly looks too full. I’ve decided to get rid of most of my dresser decor and replace it with the important things and only a few decor pieces. You can get creative with this aspect and find a vibe you like the most but for me, I wanted a mirror I thrifted years ago to be the centerpiece and the rest will compliment it.
On the left side of my mirror, I have a vase of flowers, a candle and a print I found in Amsterdam of a Vogue Magazine cover. On the right side of the mirror, I have a perfume display tray and a jewelry holder. That’s it! With a less busy dresser, I find my room to be cleaner and it looks classier.
Original photo by Sarah Sommers - Display ALL of your books
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This idea is the only one that toes the line for a “classy” look but I have been struggling to find a way to display all of my books subtly. I love the look of all book lovers who have organized their collection by color and it fits perfectly. My books, however, don’t have the most appealing covers sometimes so to ensure every book can get displayed, I decided to turn them around and display the pages rather than the bind.
The only downside to this method is the fact that you can’t see what book you are finding but I find that to be a small con compared to the look of my bookshelf. If you have a favorite or “aesthetic” book, you display it by alternating the order of the page side and bind side.
Original photo by Sarah Sommers - Vogue Magazine Covers
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This is the one decor idea that I have consistently used for a few years now and it gets the most compliments. I love fashion and personally, Vogue magazines are the universal “symbol” of fashion. I do get magazines delivered for myself but instead of cutting the covers off of my magazines, I print covers found on google of my favorite celebrities. If you felt inclined, you could combine this idea with number one and print them in black and white but personally, I love the color versions and use them for my bedroom and living room decor.
Original photo by Sarah Sommers - Two-tier Spinning Table for Skincare
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Finally, I found a two-tier spinning display in the Target dollar section and painted it pink to match my color scheme. It fits perfectly in the corner of my bathroom sink and I put all my everyday skincare items on it to have easy access. I think this can go both ways between a cluttered look and a classy one, but I make sure to not overcrowd the display and it makes my bathroom more functional.
Original photo by Sarah Sommers
We all have different definitions of a “classy look” but I find these five small ideas I put to work in my apartment to be simple but effective ways to bring your home together. They are also pretty affordable if you find the right deals and thrift some items!