Happy 528!

Today I want to wish a super happy birthday to my amazingly talented mother. Apartment 528 wouldn't be here without you mom!

Moving on Out!

With all the students graduating or leaving school for the summer, I figured now is the perfect time to do a Move-Out Checklist full of tips to help you get your deposit back from your landlord!

1. Patch them holes!
If your landlord was nice enough to let you hang pictures, you probably have a hole or two left in your wall. Patch them the easy way with Patch-N-Paint. Spread the lightweight spackling over the hole, remove the excess, wait 15 minutes for it to dry, dab on a little touch up paint and you're all set. A half pint container ($3.48, Home Depot) works great for small jobs. If you're looking for a bargain, grab the 1 quart size. For $5.98 you'll end up with enough spackling to last you the rest of your renting life. Click here for more...

2. Uh oh!

Did you lose a burner cap for your stove or screw up the ice dispenser in the kitchen? Before your landlord kills you, check ApplianceHelp.com. Appliance Help carries every part you could ever need for every appliance brand you can think of. Break the dishwasher door handle? They've got you covered. Drop the a/c out the window (I've almost done it several times!)? They've got you covered. If the repair is a little over your head, try bargaining with your landlord. Perhaps they'll do the labor and give all or part of your deposit back if you buy the necessary parts.

3. Get on your knees...
and start scrubbing the floor. If you have carpet, try Resolve High Traffic Foam ($6.99, Walgreens) to remove stains. I've used this stuff on rugs and couches and it got the stain out every time. For wood, repair scratches with Old English Scratch Cover. It comes in two shades...one for light wood and another for dark. It won't get rid of the scratch but it will make them blend in. Once that's done, give the floors a good cleaning with Method Wood for Good ($6, Target). The almond scent is amazing! Click here for more...


4. Start replacing
If you removed something from your apartment, make sure to put it back. Door handles, window blinds, light switch covers, curtains, light fixtures...whatever. If it's your landlord's property they'll expect it to be there when you move out.

5. What's that smell?
Don't leave any lingering odors. Even if it's just the trash, your landlord will assume the worst. Oust Surface and Air Disenfectant will help get rid of any stubborn smells. If you want to leave a nice scent behind, try one of the airfresheners from Airwick. Their products tend to leave a nice, lasting fragrance. I love the Freshmatic Mini. It releases a scent every few minutes.

6. Don't leave anything behind!
Double check everything. Go through every drawer and cabinet one-by-one to make sure you didn't leave anything behind. Check in the back of the closet and in the pantry. There's always that one little thing that gets forgotten.

And we have a winner!

Congratulations to Green Yogurt for winning the Apartment 528 Lamp Giveaway! She'll soon be the proud owner of the Lights Up! Devo Round Table Lamp from CSN Lighting.

Thanks to all who entered the contest and thanks to CSN Lighting for sponsoring. It was the first giveaway on Apartment 528 but I plan to do more soon. Keep checking back for your chance to win!

Apartment Wanted: North Dakota

North Dakota. It's not a place you think of much, until now. Today, I'm dedicating an entire Apartment Wanted post to the forgotten state of North Dakota.

Move-in Ready

2bed, 2bath

Price: $785

The kitchen and bathroom are updated with granite counters and new cabinets. The dining room has built-in cabinets and there's a large garage...you won't be lacking for storage space!

Charming Grand Forks Cottage

3bed, 1.5bath

Price: $1500

Location, location, location. This apartment is near schools, parks, UNH, the hospital, the air base, and within walking distance of downtown Grand Forks. The house features a den, jacuzzi, new flooring, and a 2nd floor balcony...not to mention it's SO cute!

Green Townhouse

2bed, 2bath

Price: $1100

I love the architecture. On the inside, there are new cabinets, new appliances, new washer and dryer, new windows, and new carpeting. Gotta love new! To complete the package, the living room has vaulted ceilings and the master bedroom has large walk-in closets.

Apt528 Reminder: The Apt528 lamp giveaway ends today at 11:59PM...enter NOW!!

Small Kitchen Solution

At "five-figure sums," I definitely can't afford this but I'm sure anyone who's lived with a small kitchen would appreciate the design as much as I do.

This kitchen from Compact Concepts rotates to reveal countertops, a microwave, a dishwasher, and more! No more cramped galley kitchens that can only fit one person! I love the idea of using the kitchen to divide two rooms so that it's accessible on both sides...pretty cool.

For more on this and other wonderous designs, check out Dornob.com.

Apt528 Reminder: The Apt528 lamp giveaway ends Sunday...don't miss your chance to win a free lamp from CSN Lighting!

Method Madness!

My favorite cleaning brand's been busy again! Method now offers Smarty Dish dishwasher tablets in an even more eco-friendly package. The pink grapefruit scent (also available in unscented) will have you jumping for joy when it's time to do the dishes! If you don't have a dishwasher, check out the dish soap which comes in four scents. Cucumber is the best - we use it at work!

If you like the convenience of cleaning wipes, Method now has wipes for every surface. I'm addicted to the Steal for Real stainless steel wipes with their amazing orchard blossom scent...it's like heaven! The almond Wood for Good wipes are my second pick.

Have a baby shower to attend or have a little one of your own? Try the Squeaky Green baby line. I bought my future cousin-in-law a bunch of Method Baby products for her baby shower. They're made with rice milk and mallow...I have no clue what mallow is but it sounds soft and fluffy and the packaging is cute! That's all that matters, right!?!

Apt528 Reminder: The Apt528 lamp giveaway ends Sunday...better enter today!

Apartment 528 Lamp Giveaway!!

UPDATE (5/25/09): THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!! Congrats to Green Yogurt for winning the Lights Up! Devo Round Table Lamp.

Just when you thought this blog couldn't get any better (hehe!) it does! Today, I'm bringing you the first ever Apartment 528 Giveaway, brought to you by the fine folks over at CSN Lighting. That's right...one of you lucky readers will win one of the awesome lamps below!

CSN Lighting has just about any lamp or light fixture you can dream of. Don't believe me? Check it out for yourself! It took me hours to sort through all the lamps in their home lighting section looking for the perfect lamp to offer my Apt528 readers. In the end, I couldn't pick just one...I found SIX lamps that I couldn't live without. Check them out below.

Sonneman: A Way of Light
With pieces designed by Robert Sonneman, Sonneman modern lights look like art but are totally functional at the same time. Since 1967, Sonneman designs have been sold and exhibited throughout the world. His passions for both contemporary design and architecture can clearly be seen in all of his designs. Unlike many designers who simply lend their name to a product, Sonneman remains deeply connected to all of his designs, from the conceptual stage right through to production.

Lamp #1: Sonneman Solid Table Lamp

Lamp #2: Sonneman Orbiter Double Floor Lamp


Lamp #3: Sonneman Essex Boom Floor Lamp

Lights Up!
The colorful pieces made by Brooklyn-based Lights Up! have the ability to fit right into any room of the house. With an offering that includes table and floor lamps, wall sconces and pendant lights, Lights Up! features a beautiful selection of printed shades made from 100% silk in exclusive patterns. All Lights Up! shades are manufactured to order at their Brooklyn headquarters.

Lamp #4: Lights Up! Oscar Boudoir Lamp
Base of lamp available in your choice of Carrot, Grass (pictured), or Olive

Lamp #5: Lights Up! Devo Square Table Lamp
Base of lamp available in your choice of Carrot (pictured), Grass, Olive or Soy

Lamp #6: Lights Up! Devo Round Table Lamp

Base of lamp available in your choice of Carrot, Grass (pictured), Olive or Soy

So how do you win one of these amazing lamps? Simple. First check out the info on the Sonneman and Lights Up! lamps featured above, then pick your favorite lamp. From there, there are THREE ways to enter.

1. Post a comment below telling me which lamp is your favorite. Each comment counts as ONE entry


2. Post a tweet about this giveaway on Twitter (@Apartment528) linking back to this blog entry. Put the link to your twitter post in a comment below so I can find it. Each twitter link counts as TWO entries.


3. Link back to this giveaway on your blog. Put the link to your blog post in a comment below. Each blog link counts as TWO entries.

The contest ends at 11:59PM on Sunday, May 24th. One winner will be chosen and announced Monday, May 25th.

Good luck and happy lighting!

Apt528 Couch Potato: For Rent

Just when you think HGTV couldn't come up with another show idea they do.

This time, it's just for renters. For Rent, airs Thursday nights on HGTV. I usually watch The Office and CSI on Thursdays so I was psyched to finally catch a For Rent rerun this past weekend.

From what I can tell, the show is like My First Place for renters. The potential tenant(s) are shown three apartments that (semi) match their criteria. The host Jodi Gilmour helps the renters work around design flaws by showing them the hidden potential of one of the rooms in the space. Once the renters choose the apartment they want, Jodi surprises them by transforming the chosen room into a masterpiece while working on a slim budget.

I have to admit I was a little skeptical about some of Jodi's ideas at first, but they turned out great! I'm just happy to see a show that encourages renters to spice up their apartments instead of living in a white box...yea for color and design, even if it is temporary!

Check it out the next time you have a free Thursday night.

Bones!

I'm addicted to Ikea Hacker which is why I'm always sending you over to see all the awesome hacks. This time, there's this super cool bone table designed by a guy who collects xrays...whowouldathunk?

(Images via Ikea Hacker)

Finally fixed the dining room!

Thought I'd show you the new "art" piece I did for the dining room. As you know, we've had a gazillion different things on the dining room wall. First there were the three plain clip frames (my mom still hates that pic of my dirty stairs!). Then there were the three gold frames and the brown stripe. Still, nothing did it for me. For the past couple of months, the wall has been completely blank, waiting for a bolt of inspiration to hit me.

(Before...yuck!)

Finally I realized I was thinking too small. We needed something large to fill the space and set the tone for the whole room. That's when I saw this awesome piece on Ikea Hackers that was made using an Ikea Komplement hanger, wood, and paint.

(Image via Ikea Hackers)

Using that pic as inspiration, I made an Ikea art piece of my own! I went larger (6' x 4'), added random colors, and framed the piece out with this awesome molding that fit right in with our retro decor. Now I FINALLY have a piece that I LOVE!!! Who knew!?!

(After - yea!)

Shopping with the King

My friend over at Comments On Culture recommended this amazing shopping site to me called One Kings Lane. One Kings Lane is a member's only shopping destination that offers deep discounts (up to 70%) on exclusive (read: pricey!) home decor.

As a member, you receive an email every couple of days alerting you of a new sale event taking place. Each event lasts 72 hours and features select merchandise from some of the top home brands. You log in, browse through the various offerings, and shop like crazy!

All items on One Kings Lane are in limited supply and sold on a first come, first served basis so if you see something you like, jump on it before it's too late!

Want to take part in this invitation-required fantasy shopping world? Simply go to www.onekingslane.com/join, register, and you're all set. While you're there, check out the "Get Inspired" tab for tips and tricks from designers.

Apartment Wanted: Under $1000

I haven't posted in forever. Partly becauase I was busy, partly because I was lazy, and partly because Blogger's not been working properly the last couple days.

But I'm back now with an Apartment Wanted post. This time, we're seeing what you can get for $1000/month.

Colorado Mountain Views
2bed, 1.5bath
Price: $964

There's stainless steel, a balcony, pool, garage parking, blah, blah, blah. The real feature of this condo is the GORGEOUS view of the mountains. Could you have a better view for such a great price?!

Spacious Maryland Apartment
3bed, 2.5bath
Price: $900

This 3 bedroom house comes complete with a master suite. The kitchen's been updated with all new cabinets and stainless appliances. To make the deal even sweeter, there's a two car garage...you don't find that in Boston!

Cute Florida Home
2bed, 2bath
Price: $895

It's the cheapest apartment on the list but it's still full of features. The master suite has vaulted cielings and a seperate loft area that's great for use as an office. There's a washer and dryer in the garage and a beautiful outdoor space...hopefully the patio furniture stays.