I spent a whole five months in self quarantine due to COVID. Confined to my little ‘ol apartment. I figured that if I had to spend so much time in my space, then I might as well make a few home decor updates. Now don’t get me wrong- I loved my space already and had designed it to be a sanctuary & place of solace. But having to spend so much time at home made me realize a few areas that I wanted to upgrade. Especially my home office area since I was working from home this entire time. Enough rambling though, here are the home decor updates that I did during quarantine.
I started with my entryway as I was never 100% happy with this area. A six cube storage unit served as my console table. It was off black and didn’t exactly fit in. It was also too large and overwhelmed the small space. I had attempted to put a mirror above the unit. But it was way too small so that was an absolute fail. While reorganizing my son’s room, I decided to move the cube unit in there to use as clothing storage. This gave me the opportunity to refresh the entryway.
Entryway Before
Entryway After
I started by moving the bar cart out of the corner next to the console table. The corner was too cluttered with it over there. Besides, I wanted my bar cart to be on display as part of the decor. I replaced the cube storage with this shelving unit to use as a small console table. My goal was to create a space to drop the mail and my keys when I come in. I also wanted to declutter and only have a few knick knacks, mags, books, and a small wine rack on display. So I moved the wicker boxes to the kitchen and some of the books to a side table. As a final touch I added a 28″ round mirror to reflect light and make the space look larger, and to get another peek at myself on the way out the door. I love how this corner turned out. It looks so much better than it did before!
Office Space
Next I updated my vanity area and transformed it into a shared office space. I would occasionally work at this desk. But it was used predominately as my vanity where I do my makeup when I’m getting ready. Usually I would simply work wherever I’m comfortable- from the couch, the bed, my dining table and occasionally at my desk. But after working from home a couple of months, I realized that this wasn’t very productive. I was experiencing a lot of pain in my back do to bad posture, and pain in my legs from poor circulation. So I made some updates to this space to make it a comfortable & cozy work environment, while still being able to be used as a vanity. I also wanted to make sure that the space seamlessly fit in with my home decor.
I moved my perfume tray to my dresser in my closet area to give me more space to work. Next, I used gold spray paint to make my vanity mirror more glam and blend better with the rest of my decor. It was previously silver. I always keep a candle on my desk since they look pretty, and I like to burn them while working to help me to relax. The addition of a desk pad was necessary as my laptop case was scratching up my desk surface. I got a black one and it’s practically invincible, although it covers almost the entire desk. Last but not least, I added a faux fur rug to protect the floor from further damage from my chair. I bought this golden pouf to be used all around the living room. But it comes in handy to prop up my feet when I’m sitting for long.
The Hallway
This small hallway has always been a neglected area of my apartment. I had a few photos of my son growing up on the wall and that’s it. No rug. No rhyme or reason. It was pretty boring. So I decided to change all of that with a gallery hallway. I wanted to upgrade the photos to showcase my son all grown up, and also add some images of myself since I didn’t have any on the wall previously. My goal was to have the gallery wall be not only a reflection of our individual personalties, but a reflection of our strong bond as well.
Four of these images are professional portraits. However, the rest are images that I’ve taken of my son and myself. My tripod self-portrait game is strong lol. I simply ordered some prints and frames, and my son helped me put the wall together when everything arrived. I added a chic rug. Now this hallway has a whole new look. This is my favorite home decor update.
The Kitchen
I made just a few small updates to my kitchen. Aside from adding the wicker boxes (similar here) from the entryway for more miscellaneous storage space, I simply added a jute rug. Now I was going to put down some glam black & white tiles. But some of the rental tiles are in need of repair as they are lifting out of the floor. Therefore, I won’t be able to lift up the peel & stick tiles when I move without further damaging the original tiles. I also decided not to to make any major updates as I’m considering moving when my lease is up again in 18 months. It all depends on my circumstances. So a rug it is. I’m not 100% sure that I’m going to keep this rug as I’m not loving the way that it’s wearing. But I’ll choose another if I decide to return it. I also added this cute EAT signage to the wall above my serving hatch as it was in desperate need of a lil’ something. Now my kitchen is cute enough, yet very functional. I’m content with that.
Aside from all of these home decor updates, I added lots of plants as they add a little zen to your space while enhancing your home decor. I truly love the updates that I made. The result is a peaceful, cozy & chic space that is a reflection of my personalty. I’m going to continue spending most of my time here since COVID is still a threat. So I’m grateful to have this little space of my own.
