Cheap and Chic of the Week: Starter Home

I know, I know typically I do “Cheap and Chic of the Week” and scour the internet for the best deals of the week, but this week I wanted to post on recent college graduate Lauren McGrath’s first apartment which was featured in this month’s issue of Traditional Home. Lauren’s apartment is a perfect example of how you can make a chic space, while spending very little money–cheap and chic.
The most expensive piece in the apartment is the Odette sofette from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, otherwise the rest of the furniture are family pieces, discount store bought, or Craigslist finds.  The cane chair was found on Craigslist, and then re-upholstered in a chic discount fabric.  
This teeny Brooklyn apartment has an amazing outdoor space, which was the selling point for Lauren.  The curtains are from Ikea, and the dresser is a family piece that her grandparents gave to her parents when they got married.
These shelves are from Ikea, and she painted the backs of them so that her objet would stand out.  My favorite part is that she took simple, white, ceramic pottery and spray painted it with mercury glass for an eye-catching look.  Don’t you just love a good DIY project? Also, I must remind everyone what a difference fresh cut flowers make in a small space.  Notice the vases filled with flowers in Lauren’s apartment–they add color and life to her apartment. 
Here Lauren created a vanity out of a street find, a damaged mirror from Anthropologie (cheap!), and a fabulous lucite stool.  I love Lauren’s mix of old and new, purchased and inherited.  People like Lauren, and myself, are lucky to have design saavy mothers with basements full of pieces we can “borrow”–but for those of you who don’t, ebay, Craigslist, and the street can be great places to find some more traditional and “loved” pieces into your apartment.  
photos courtesy of Traditional Home

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Cheap and Chic of the Week: Cheap Seats

In the most recent issue of House Beautiful, the magazine has given the readers a list of sixteen “recession proof” sofas, all priced under $1999. Their lowest priced sofa is $899. Although the article was quite helpful, unfortunately it isn’t for those of us for which a purchase of under $1999 could be more than a single paycheck! Additionally, if you’re anything like me or have lived in small urban apartments, a sofa is typically out of the question because they are much too big. So below, I have given my top five choices for truly affordable loveseats.

Target
Starting with the most expensive on my list, the Regent Loveseat from Target, costs $929. I love the sloping arms and the chic pewter color. The lines are both modern and traditional. 
HSN.com
Next, and perhaps my favorite, is the Nate Berkus Studio Sofa, available from HSN.com. This sofa has beautiful turned wood legs on casters, which give it a very traditional feel. It comes in a variety of colors and patterns, and at just $499, its a steal–I am partial to this pool color above. And remember, one of the best parts about HSN.com is that you can pay in installments! 
Urban Outfitters
The more I look at this sofa, the more it grows on me. This is the Mid-Century Sofa from Urban Outfitters. It is the largest on this list, at 75″ long, however, at $480, you are getting a lot of sofa for your money. For those of you who might not like the dark wood, this is easily lacquered (love it) in another color! The best part is, you can remove the back cushions and the sofa becomes a twin bed! So although a little larger than the others on my list, this sofa can also serve as your guest room–a great value. 


Ikea

Gotta love ikea.  This is the Karlstad loveseat, which comes in at $379. I love the clean modern lines of this sofa, it is a total blank canvas. It would work with any decorating scheme, and in fact should probably come with a tag phrase–just add throw pillows!  

Target
This little sofa is the Dolce Loveseat from Target. At just $279.99, this little loveseat will fit just about anywhere into any decorating scheme, again, with some throw pillows. I thought this might look great at the foot of a bed or perhaps even as a dining banquette. The possibilities are endless! Please head to the newsstands or check out HouseBeautiful.com for their list of affordable sofas, it truly is a great assemblage.

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Cheap and Chic of the Week: Zebra

I have decided that Wednesdays are a good day for my weekly post, “Cheap and Chic of the Week.” Every week I will scour the web, and the stores, for the one thing that I think deserves the title, “Cheap and Chic of the Week.” For my inaugural post, I want to talk about zebra. If the infiltration of Osa Johnson’s I Married Adventure into every designer living room isn’t enough of an indication, zebra has been quite the craze. Although I’m sure there are those critics out there who feel that zebra is “over,” I say that a little zebra can always go a long way! Now I am not advocating that one “deck the halls” with zebra, cheetah, and leopard; but just a small hit of zebra in any room can exclaim, “I’m into adventure!”–and give that room the edge that it was looking for.

This week, the “Cheap and Chic of the Week” is at Urban Outfitters. It is a small, cotton, 5×7 zebra rug, at a cost of only $68! This is definitely a worthwhile purchase, which will add a hit of adventure to any room–big or small.

About a year ago, I purchased a similar throw rug from Urban Outfitters, and it was a staple of my apartment in NYC under a CB2 lucite coffee table, and has become the focal point for my tiny Philadelphia studio. I purchased a brown and white 3 x 5 version for $11 (!)–and I am still kicking myself that I didn’t buy them for friends, neighbors, relatives, strangers and a few extra for myself.
Lacquered Life Philadelphia Studio

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