Hey! It’s Monday, so let’s get this week started on the right foot, drink coffee, be productive, all that good stuff. Instead of procrastinating and waiting until tomorrow to get this post up, I’ve decided to power through my tiredness this morning and get it done now. Plus, I’m talking about my apartment, which I LOVE, so it’s all good.
No more rambling. Let’s get started.
To make room for new stuff when we moved, I made an effort to trash anything we didn’t love. It was straight up Marie Kondo style. You’ve read her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, right? If not, go read it. You’ll thank me later.
Her basic principle is to get rid of anything that doesn’t bring you joy. If you hate looking at something, hate wearing something, etc., just get rid of it. Since I have no problem throwing out clutter, this wasn’t difficult for me at all.
After I got rid of all the nonsense around our old apartment, I realized that I really wanted to showcase some items that meant a lot to Bryan and me. One item in particular was our wedding album. Up until a few weeks ago, it was sitting in a box in our closet. Which made ZERO sense, because we spent good money on it and we love the photos!
I looked online for a cool bookshelf, and couldn’t find anything under $500 that I loved. You feel me? I have expensive taste. What can I say? That’s when I decided that I should just go to Ikea. Let’s be real here people, you can get some great pieces there for CHEAP.
We ended up buying the Ikea Vittsjo {not sponsored, just love!} and it’s definitely one of my favorite things in our home. The glass shelves don’t look bulky in our living room and they really open up the space.
How I Decorated the Ikea Vittsjo
Top: An aloe plant from Ikea. This thing has lasted us SO long - probably over 3 years to be honest. That’s only because Bryan waters it. If I lived alone, that thing would have been dead a long time ago.
1st Shelf: Flameless candles, which have a melted look without having to actually burn them. I talked all them in this post, so go check it out.
2nd Shelf: Photos of family and friends + a ceramic elephant. Feng Shui practitioners believe elephants symbolize power, wisdom, success, good luck and protection of the home.
3rd Shelf: A terra cotta vase from Pottery Barn. {It’s a few years old, and not sold online anymore}
4th Shelf: Our wedding album, some of my favorite books + a small Jamaican drum we bought on our honeymoon
So that’s how I decorated the shelving unit. It’s nothing groundbreaking, but I know that you guys love getting a look at our apartment.
If you’re in the market for a bookshelf, I highly recommend checking out the ones at Ikea. They have this single Vittsjo shelf as well as a double, which would work great in a slightly larger living area. I genuinely think that you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on home decor and furniture. Home Goods, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Target and Ikea are some of my favorite places to shop. I think a lot of the items at more expensive home stores {you know which ones I’m talking about} are RIDICULOUSLY overpriced. Save your money, my friends.
Talk soon.
xo, Nicole
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I’ve been thinking about purchasing this, but wasn’t sure how I’d decorate it. I love how you’ve done yours! Looks amazing!
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Thanks Jess. It’s such a great piece + it’s so affordable! They also have a double one, which is equally awesome. We just didn’t have the space for it.
Can’t wait to see your new place!