Goodness, it's been a while since I posted about this again, but as promised... I'll talk about the always dreaded apartment dilemma. Here's a little schematic into how these posts will go, for future reference since I'll be all over the place going from one style in apartment to the same style in home and blah blah blah.
Let's begin!
A CRASH COURSE INTO APARTMENTS, BEWARE ALL YE WHO ARE CREATIVE.
Apartments. I loathe the word, and whoever made such a limit on the word should be shot
Walls - Almost all apartments are white/off-white color, unless you live in an apartment where you literally only have the brick wall... which has happened, just ask me XD... lovely times in Mexico, I tell you! Anyway, in an apartment you're not allowed to really alter the walls or even make holes in them to hang stuff. If you have a nice landlord, they'll let you slide with a few things here and there. I've been so lucky as to have those landlords where they really don't care if you pin stuff on a wall. I wish I could tell you that this is the most challenging part, but more challenging than that is the realization that you have to customize a room that you feel at home in and reflects your personality, when you're not allowed to paint the walls or even put permanent wallpaper on it. So what do you do when you're tired of those yucky white walls?
Solution #1: Ignore the fact that you have white walls and try to live around it. Many people do. For me however, that is NOT an option.
Solution #2: Try out the temporary wallpapers. They not only cost a pretty penny, but they come in some of the world's ugliest colors because they're so new and almost, just almost, non-existent. Most, if not all of the designs for temporary wallpapers are all out because they tend to make the room setting. Most will also come in patterns. If patterns are something you want to try, or if maybe the classic Victorian/Princess/Mode style is your thing, then try them.
Solution #3: Try out wall decals. In this day and age they are the most powerful and useful tool to help customize an apartment or home. Also, it's easy to make your own! Want to make a wall decal with your favorite brand's name? How about a mock JP store setting? Maybe a few pictures of your favorite models? What about your name in JP handwriting? Look no further than a wall decal, really.
Solution #4: Take advantage of the clutter and buy fabric to hide the ugly walls from head to toe. *I've actually been playing this out in my head and with a few tweaks, this tends to be the better option, but you'd have to live with the fact that your room would look smaller, and feel hotter. Still testing this one out.
Space - In this aspect, I think that apartments are the lucky ones for the people that want their rooms to reflect a Japanese apartment (or basically a studio space). While it would be ridiculous to blog about setting up a mini-home in what American apartments are today with their current size, it may help to mention that both a living room area and mini bedroom are possible to do. (I'll eventually take a picture of my futon/couch area and my bed area... when they're not covered in an ocean of clothes). Depending on the style you're looking for, it's easy to separate sections of an apartment room *remember, main focus is bedroom, a.k.a your sanctuary xD*. I'll cover each and every possible section once I go deeper into the different styles.
I live with one thought in mind, and that is that everything is achievable if you have the drive and determination to see it through. With that in mind, I offer a few different thought processes throughout this analysis:
Thought #1: What do I want my room to reflect about me? In my case, this is more along the lines of "why am I willing to tear apart my room and make an effort to keep it organized despite how much I hate the shithole apartment I live in?" My thought is simple: I want my room to reflect my personal style as well as be able to be a room where I can do all I need to do. I have too many wild ideas, really, so this really has to be how you picture your place to be. It is, after all, the place where you should feel most comfortable in.
Thought #2: What inspires me? Why do those things inspire me and what can I draw from them? Personally, I'm highly inspired by Ashley from BK/LOVE GALS. I also grab my inspiration from D.I.A and Tutuha shop staff, and even Host Style. I love edgy and cool, but at the same time I don't want to lose the sense of cuteness and childishness. I draw my inspiration from music as well, if that makes any sense, and from fashion in general, especially Harajuku and Shibuya.
Thought #3: What am I willing to do in order to get this room the way I want it to be? This is probably the biggest and most important question. I can't stress enough how a lot of people are used to having their things handed to them on a silver platter. Unfortunately, there is not an inexpensive store that is designated to just Gyaru items, so a lot will be DIY... More than a lot, probably, if you're on a budget. I'd start wrapping my mind around the fact that learning to do deco will be major, as well as having to go on a religious basis to all of the craft and fabric stores. Again, you'll see why on the next few posts depending on what style you're looking for. For those who don't want to spend too much, are you willing to modify what you already have in order to fit to the theme you're looking for?
Decorations - Let's face it: unless you're stupidly rich, as my parents would put it, there's absolutely no way (or at least very little chance) that you can get every single decoration you dream of off a store or website. More than anything, there won't be a 100% chance that the items will suit your style, so what do you do then? You DIY as much as you can! For this, you need to think about what you're already good at, what you think you can do with a bit of effort, and what you simply can't no matter what you try.
For example -
What I'm already good at: graphic design, layouts, color schemes, collages, and thinking outside the box.
What I think I can do with a bit of effort: deco; lots and lots of deco, fabric manipulation (including sewing and crafting with).
What I simply can't do: organization. I suck at it, I can't stick to it.
This for the most part doesn't apply to redecorating as a home owner, so in every style section I'll just add a "if it was my house" section to each part I work on. Please continue to look forward to these posts, I'm very happy on the response thus far~
part four// Gyaru-fy your room: Hime Style!
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