Be back soon....

Aaaaah!!  There's so much stuff going on right now.  We're going to be moving for the second time in a month!  More details later.  Till then, take a minute to browse around the blog for great DIY projects and design inspiration or take advantage of the Apt528 Store sale going on now.

See ya soon!

Decals on Sale!!

Surface Collective's having a 50% off sale.  Now through Sunday, all decals are half price.  Time to get shopping!

Drumroll Please...

Congrats to Tamera from CrankHeartPony for winning the Apartment 528 Giveaway!  Hopefully she'll snag the teapot clock she wanted from the Apartment 528 Store.  If you haven't been to the store lately, stop by and take advantage of our sale with discounts of up to 20%!!!  The Summer Sale ends August 31st so shop now.

If you haven't seen Tamera's Etsy shop, head over now, or see our Etsy Shop of the Week feature of Crank Heart Pony.

Apt528 Giveaway!!!

UPDATE (8/18/10): The giveaway is now closed.  Congrats to Tamera for winning the $25 Apt528 store credit!

Want to spruce up your apartment on the cheap?  Enter the Apartment 528 Giveaway for your chance to win a $25 voucher to spend on ANYTHING you want in the Apartment 528 Store.

To enter, head over to the Apt528 Store and take a look at our selection of unique and colorful home accessories.  Then choose one (or both) of the following options:

  1) Leave a comment below and tell us your favorite item from the Apt528 Store (counts as one entry)

  2) Send a tweet to @Apt528 letting us know what your favorite Apt528 item is.  Remember to include the hashtag #528Giveaway (counts as 2 entries)

Enter as many times as you want.  The giveaway ends Tuesday, August 17th, 2010 at 11:59p CENTRAL.  The winner will be announced Wednesday morning.

Good luck!

The Big Move

It's that time again.  Everyone's moving around to get settled before the fall.  Whether you're moving, going to move, or already moved, we have something for you.

About to Move

If you're still looking for a place, don't forget to try websites other than craigslist.  Zillow has a great rental search engine that gives you detailed information about the apartment AND the neighborhood.  If you want a nice, move-in ready condo, Avalon Communities is a great option.  Not only are they an awesome Apt528 sponsor, but their properties are awesome as well...many include pools, workout facilities, and more.

Once you've found a place, use the Rent-o-Meter to see if it's priced right for the area.  Who knows, you may be able to negotiate a few bucks off your rent!

Moving

Once you're ready to move out, head over to our Move-Out Checklist to make sure you've done everything you need to get your security deposit back.  Also check out the wood cleaner product review to get your hardwood floors as clean as they were on the day you moved in and the Fix-It Club to find answers to every problem you can imagine.  Now your landlord will never know about the hole you accidentally knocked into the wall or the scratch you made in the floors while moving furniture.  It will be our little secret!

Moved

Already moved in? There are a ton of great DIY projects you can do to make the place your own.  The one thing to consider is, how long do you plan on staying?

Short Term

Get some privacy.  Window film is perfect for covering ugly views or blocking your neighbors while still letting the sun shine in.  Rolls start around $15 and come in many different designs, colors, and textures.  The best part is, you only need soapy water and a squeegee for the install.  When it's time to move, simply peel the film off and bring it to your next apartment.  If you have a little extra money to spend on shipping, check out Emma Jeffs, a UK designer who makes the more beautiful films.
  
 
 A year

• Add a few accents.  If you don't want the work of painting the entire apartment, try painting a couple of accent walls to highlight your favorite furniture pieces or architectural details.  If your landlord hates the color, you'll only have one wall to paint back.
• Make a headboard.  You can go as simple as a headboard decal or make your own tufted piece.  Either way, it will give your bedroom instant glam.

  A year +

• PAINT!!!  Painting is the easiest way to completely change the look of your apartment.  If your landlord doesn't like your color scheme, volunteer to paint it back when you move.  You may choose to paint the larger rooms a more neutral color to save time when you move-out, or just stick with accent walls.
• Cover the counters!  If you have horrible laminate counters that you just can't stand, talk to your landlord about painting over them (you can do this one yourself) or completely replacing them...offer to pay the $75 for materials if they'll pay for labor.  It's a win-win - you get a nice kitchen and they get to raise the rent when you leave!
• Make a Moddi.  The Moddi is a DIY Murphy bed that can be made using hardware and Ikea pieces.  For $275 (not including mattress cost), you can have a guest bed that folds away to save space when not in use.  Genius.

Don't forget other fun options like changing out your cabinet knobs and pulls or switching out light fixtures.  Just remember to put them back when you move out!

**What are your move-in/out tips and tricks?

The Weekender: The Laminate Cover-up

Why hello again!  It's been three weeks since I last wrote.  Since then, we've packed up our Boston apartment and dragged a Uhaul trailer 23 hours to our new Chicago pad.  It's been a busy time with little sleep and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.  But, we got our first piece of mail the other day (it was a welcome packet from the post office. Still, it's mail), the kitchen is cleaned and unpacked, and our cable and internet have finally been hooked up so we don't have to live in the stone age.  Not to mention we now know how to get to all the important places like Home Depot and Dairy Queen.  What else do you need!?

Well, how about new counters in the kitchen?  The counters by the sink are ugly blue while the counters on the built-in are across the room are a much more neutral black.  As much as I love having a vintage kitchen, I hate the color blue.  I did a little research and found several websites with great ideas for covering ugly laminate countertops.  Some people suggested temporary measures like contact paper but you have to be super careful with it and it only lasts a short period of time.  Not to mention the amount of time it would take to cover an entire counter, all the while making sure there are no air bubbles or wrinkles.  Other people suggested using a laminate paint.  You can do a solid color or go for a faux granite.  From what I read, it's a relatively easy thing that just requires patience since you'll be without counters for a few days while each coat of paint dries.  You'll also have to be careful to avoid heat and knife marks which can both damage the paint surface.  On the upside, it's an easy enough project that you can do it yourself which will save you and your landlord from having to pay for labor and it requires little investment.

Ugly blue counters on the left...

Nice black counters and shelves in the built-in

If you're up for it, tiling over the laminate is another simple solution that you can do yourself.  Pick out tiles that you and your landlord both agree on, grab a role of Bondera to make the job easy, and within 24 hours you'll have yourself a new kitchen!

Painted kitchen before and after (via Contractor Talk).  Not a fan of the faux granite but still, great work!

Seeing as how I don't like tile counters (too bumpy) the best idea for us is to just get new counters!  We went to Home Depot and talked to their kitchen specialist.  It turns out you can get a 6' laminate counter top (just the size we need) for under $60.  They even had discountinued and slightly damaged counters on sale for $14!  Now that's a great deal.  If you're in the same predictament as I am and desperately want to change your counters, try asking your landlord if they'd be willing to invest $75 for materials and a couple hundred in labor on something that will ultimately improve the value of the apartment.  Or do what we're doing...offer to pay for materials and let them pay for labor, or do the work yourself if you're skilled and they trust you.  In my opinion, $75 is a small price to pay to get rid of ugly counters, especially if you plan on living there awhile.

I'll let you know how it goes.  If you have any other suggestions send 'em on through!

Now to find a solution for those blue floors...