Shabby Chic Studio Apartment

If you're like me, and you live in a small space -- but you're too old for the dorm look -- you have some choices. Will you try to make your 200 square feet look bigger, or will you turn them into a cozy little nook? Will you bring home some boxy modern furniture and try to conceal every little thing, or will you build a style around your stuff?

Part of making the room look like something other than a dorm is concealing clutter. But that doesn't mean that everything has to be hidden away in sleek cabinets. The look I opted is shabby chic, which is a type of cottage style decor, one that makes use of thrift store items and faux paint finishes. The style fits my lifestyle, my tastes... and my stuff.

Several generations of my family have quilted, so I have quilts by my aunt and great-aunt in the room. I also like refurbishing doll houses and other items -- things that wouldn't fit in well with that ultra-modern loft look. I like finding things at the thrift store -- or downstairs in the laundry room of my apartment. (The laundry room has a give-away area that sometimes turns into a veritable rummage sale at the end of the month when tenants are moving out.)

In this picture, you see a distressed ivory shadow box that I made from a plain wood frame; it's 'posing' with a few other found treasures on the dinette table (in the center of the room). I'll show off some some more tidbits from my living space down below; it is a work in progress, and has centerpieces and also some clutter. I'll also share some resources and video from around the web. Most of the pictures you'll see featured here are my own; others are creative commons pictures that struck my fancy.