By Kali Clemans – Student Reporter
With more than a few college students being short on cash because of the economy and living expenses, decorating an apartment may seem out of the picture. Here are some ideas as to what you can use (and have enough money to buy your morning latte, too). Instead of going out and buying everything brand new, take a good look around at places like your parents’ house. Paintings, picture frames, and bed sheets from the parents will cut about $150-$200 off of your expenses.
Melissa Bouche, a design consultant at IKEA, says another way to save money is to buy things that have more than one purpose.
“IKEA has wall mounted tables that can be used as a study station or a dining room table,” Bouche said.
BCC student Ryan Blair didn’t have any problem finding items, but said after he got everything for his apartment he “had problems deciding where to put it all.”
“My parents were kind enough to let me have all the furniture,” said Blair. My apartment was just too small to try and fit everything in.”
Be sure you have some idea of what you want each room to look like before you shop. Take size into consideration. Buying too little will make it look plain and underdone, but too much will make the room look smaller. Picking color schemes first and then deciding on patterns makes choosing items much easier. www.SoYouWanna.com has good d