Cheap ideas to decorate your first apartment

Moving into the first place you can truly call your own—be it a dorm or studio apartment—is super exciting, but it can also be a little overwhelming. Should you paint? What should you buy? Where should you even begin?! These are all questions probably running through your mind—not to mention how to stretch what might be a tight budget and turn it into something truly chic. Luckily, taking a little money and turning it into a lot of style is easily accomplished (hint: it's all about the little things). We chose these five decor items to help turn blah digs into an awesomely accessorized pad:

Removing most common stains

When you attack stains with ordinary household staples, you transform yourself into a domestic mad scientist (no lab coat required). With the right formula you can remove almost any kind of stain from clothing, and there's no reason not to experiment with ingredients that "do no harm" — in alphabetical order, baking soda, cornstarch, flour, lemon juice, liquid detergent, a raw potato, shampoo, an:d white vinegar. Follow stain treatments with a regular wash.

Choose Board Games

Why board games in the 21st Century? That’s like the 19th Century right? I’ve got a Wii, a PSP, a broadband internet connection and an iPhone. What else do you need?

Well, here are some reasons why I’d say you need to play more board games:

Few Tips to Upgrade Your Living Space

Overhauling your home doesn’t have to bleed your bank account dry. In fact, it doesn’t have to cost you a thing, says Alex Reid, in-house designer for One King’s Lane. “Small changes are often the most effective and will keep your space looking personal, not like it came out of a catalog,” he says. Read on for some spendthrift tips you can use right now to elevate your space in a flash.

Unexpected Space-Saving Ideas

Sure, living in shoebox-sized digs is a challenge. But for us metropolitanites, sacrificing square footage is the price we willingly pay for living in a city full of amenities.Here we have some ideas to help you saving space and living better.

5 Cool Ways to Use Fashion Items as Home Decor

Your favorite fashion items don’t have to be relegated to the confines of your closet, as some of the most fashionable decor enthusiasts are using apparel and accessories as decor elements in their homes.

For instance, Tamara Mellon, the co-founder of Jimmy Choo and now the founder of her own namesake label, displays some of her favorite shoes as mini works of art in her living room. Similarly, fashion blogger Kelly Framel behind The Glamourai has a dress form beside her bed, where she shows off some of her favorite fashion items.

The best part about using fashion items to decorate with? In most cases you won’t have to go out and buy anything new to get the look, rather just re-think how you’re displaying everything from your scarves to your handbag collection. Here, our top tips for how to incorporate fashion items into your home decor.

3 Timeless Home Decorating Tips

Looking for design inspiration? Consult this advice from legendary decorating experts.

Stick to a muted palette

What she said: "The fewer colors used in a room, the more pleasing and restful the result will be," said Edith Wharton (1862-1937), in The Decoration of Houses (1897). Before winning a Pulitzer for The Age of Innocence, Wharton was a decorating pioneer, advising people to steer clear of the overstuffed furniture, the gloomy colors, and the multitude of knickknacks characteristic of the Victorian era. The Mount, her estate in Lenox, Massachusetts, was restored in 2002 and is currently open to the public.

10 Decorating Ideas for Kids Rooms

Lovely Girls Bedding at www.lewisboutique.com

1. To help your kids stay organized, keep things at their height. Closet storage, benches and coat racks will all be used more often if kids can get to them easily.

2. Try creating a continuous art center by using wainscoting in a room and painting the wall below with chalkboard paint. You can get chalkboard paint in the color of your choice. Simply paint up to a chair rail or install your own and paint below.

Tips for Decorating Your First Home

Moving into your first house is a liberating, landmark life passage. After you've freed yourself of your college futon and your roommate's attempt at fine art, it's time to come up with a plan for turning your empty shell of a house into an inviting home. Here are some suggestions for pulling it off:

1. Clean house at the old place.Even before you make an offer on a new place, get ahead of the game by starting this process. This critical first step will not only make your current digs easier to pack up, but it will put you miles ahead during move-in. Be strong and rid yourself of anywhere from 25 percent to 50 percent of your old stuff: wobbly furniture in the attic, faulty appliances in the garage, questionable accessories you received as gifts. This is the perfect time to start over. Pare down your accumulated possessions to the minimal amount. Have a garage sale, auction it off on eBay or donate it to charity. You'll be amazed at what you won't miss.