In New Jersey, USA, this city apartment is designed for young professionals who value style and comfort. Visualised by Kamran Karimov, this 98 square metre apartment, this elegant modern home is fashioned with cool grey decor that is counterbalanced with warm wood grain elements. Punchy black accents give the contemporary decor scheme visual weight, whilst modern light installations instil an atmospheric glow. Storage furniture is sleek and linear, smoothing subtly around the perimeter of an open, light-filled living room with panoramic windows. Earthy brown and green infusions colour the two bedrooms and bathrooms to provide visual interest and promote a sense of calm.
We start the tour of this modern city apartment in an open layout living space, which incorporates a cosy lounge area, a formal dining room, and a kitchen with a peninsula breakfast bar.
Huge floor-to-ceiling windows break open the longest wall of the open plan living space, and wrap around a second adjoining wall to create a dual aspect panorama.
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The sectional sofa echoes the line of wraparound windows with an L-shaped design. The back of the modern sofa is partitioned to allow more of the city view to show through.
The grey sofa complements cool grey concrete walls. Opposite the sofa, a TV wall is clad with visually warming wood grain panels. A recessed light feature draws a crisp glow up and over the entertainment wall.
A modern linear media unit runs beneath the TV, whilst a narrow tower of shelving cuts into a camouflaged wall of storage nearby.
There is an unobstructed flow from the lounge area into the dining zone to create one socially connected space for entertaining.
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In contrast to the weighty dining room pendant light, a clear glass vase and floral display make a dainty table centrepiece.
The breakfast bar peninsula divides the kitchen from the rest of the open living space. The hob is situated here to allow the cook to be sociable while preparing dinner.
A boarded focal wall adds a textural element to the room, whilst wardrobes carry a smooth concrete-like aesthetic.
Mini bedroom pendant lights descend upon a brown bedside table, whilst a recessed light strip cuts through a deep wooden window reveal.
The wooden window panels mark a bedroom reading nook.
The desk merges with a bespoke floor-to-ceiling bookcase.
The lounge chair by the window introduces a chic black and white houndstooth pattern.
In the bathroom, it’s a modern linear vanity unit that sends a cut of contrasting brown tone through the cool grey backdrop.
The wall hung grey toilet coordinates with a granite clad cistern concealment wall.
A brown bathtub panel matches the vanity unit, creating one cohesive sweep of colour around the room. A modern toiletries shelf is mounted above the bath, where it introduces a bold black visual anchor.
A niche has been made inside the plumbing concealment wall to house a few select toiletries.
The second double bedroom is coloured with a deep green comforter. A walnut headboard panel complements the wooden interior of a glass-walled walk-in wardrobe.
A concealed ribbon of LED light glows across the top edge of the headboard to accentuate its great width, and to draw attention to a textured feature wall behind it. More LED light strips provide functional illumination to garment rails and accessory shelves inside the wardrobe.
A bedroom vanity table is wall mounted at the foot of the bed, where it benefits from natural light at the window.
The bedroom TV wall is wrapped by a light strip, which adds interest as well as functional illumination.
Fluted glass panels obscure the busy wardrobe contents from the restful sleep space, whilst accepting natural light into the dressing area.
A black modern wall sconce shines upon a low level bedside unit, which is incorporated into the bed design. A mature indoor plant complements the green bed covers with its lush green foliage.
A sleek stone hearth is set below the bedroom TV wall to create a platform on which to display a few decorative items.
Another potted plant adds a flash of greenery next to framed typographic artwork.
The TV wall is slatted to provide textural interest.
A unique modern wall sconce makes a soft night light after dark.
A mini pendant light illuminates the dressing table and a plush grey upholstered vanity chair.
In this ensuite bathroom, a unique bathroom sink sits a deep profile upon a textured modern vanity unit. A rattan laundry basket places complementary ribbed texture beneath.
In the shower area, a backlit narrow shelving nook is coloured with a tan tint, which warmly ties in with the wood tone elements in the bathroom scheme.
A multidirectional stem light illuminates the vanity area.
Lauren Wellbank is a freelance writer with more than a decade of experience in the mortgage industry. Her writing has also appeared on HuffPost, Washington Post, Martha Stewart Living, and more. When she’s not writing she can be found spending time with her growing family in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania.
It’s one of those things you expect everyone to understand. When it comes to writing out an apartment address, most people were taught how to properly do so in elementary school… or so you thought. In contrast to what you may believe, there’s actually a lot of confusion out there. In fact, search engines are overflowing with questions from people trying to determine the best way to ensure their packages and mail arrive on time and intact. Here’s a breakdown of the correct wait to address mail when you’re sending it to an apartment.
It’s easiest to write out an apartment address when you’re mailing an envelope. After all, there’s no confusing boxes to fill in like when you’re shopping online. A good rule of thumb is to use the three-line system that requires your legal name to be written on the first line. On the second line, write the street address and unit designator. That should be followed by the city, state, and zip code on the third line. It’s not that your mail won’t arrive at its destination if you put the unit number on its own line. In fact, it will probably be fine. However, this is not the specific way the United States Postal Service prefers it to be written.
Whether it’s a piece of mail or a larger package, it’s absolutely vital that you use a unit designator. These unit designators are the specific abbreviations that make it clear where inside the street address a piece of mail should end up. According to the United States Postal Service, the most common ones are “APT” for an apartment, “BLDG” for a building, and “FL” for floor. Those are followed by “STE” for suite, “RM” for room, and “DEPT” for department. For something that’s just referred to as a unit, the designator is just “unit.” Easy enough.
While many of us use just the pound sign to signify the number of a unit, the USPS specifically says it should not be used as a secondary unit designator if you have another option. While your mail will probably get to the correct destination if you use the pound sign, there must be a space between the pound sign and the secondary number.
If you’re trying to address something that’s being sent internationally, things get a bit more complicated. That’s because each country tends to have rules that are slightly different. Stick to the previously-mentioned system for the first two lines, using the name followed by the street address and unit designator. However, things change a bit when you get to the third line. Depending on where your mail is going, the third line should have the city and postal code. Follow that up on the fourth line with the country, ideally in capitalized letters.
There are always additional specifics that should be considered when you’re addressing mail. For instance, if you’re sending something to a friend who lives in an apartment with several roommates or works in a busy office building, you may want to write “Attn” before their name to specify attention. When you follow the tips and tricks the postal service specifies, you have a greater chance of having your mail land in its intended place.
Megan Johnson is a reporter in Boston. She got her start at the Boston Herald, where commenters would leave sweet messages like “Megan Johnson is just awful.” Now, she’s a contributor to publications like People Magazine, Trulia and Architectural Digest.
This is not a post about deceiving your landlord. This post is about updates you can make to your rental that more than likely don’t need your landlord’s permission. My husband and I are landlords. Rentals are a part of our full-time job; so here are some things WE wouldn’t mind you doing if you lived in our rentals … and I bet your landlord might feel the same way. If you’re sick of ugly apartment cabinets and want to cover them, or just can’t stand the light fixtures in your space, here are some simple ideas for you.
1. Create your own walls with pieces of furniture.
Need more rooms or spaces? Create them with furniture.
2. Change up the kitchen cabinet or bathroom vanity hardware.
New knobs can change a bathroom or kitchen, and they are really easy to change. I would buy some fun ones that you might use again … maybe in your new home or on a piece of furniture. Make sure you store all the old knobs with all the screws so you can easily put them back on when you leave.
Don’t do: Don’t drill new holes. You do need to ask permission to drill any new holes. Don’t switch the hardware out with something you would need to drill a second hole or a hole in a different place. If your cabinet does not have hardware then you need to ask to drill holes.
3. Remove your kitchen cabinet doors.
If your rental has ugly doors and you happen to have some awesome kitchenware that needs to be displayed, then go ahead and remove them. Make sure you store your kitchen cabinet doors in a place where they will not be damaged. Make sure you are extra careful if they are painted just to be thoughtful. Don’t want to remove the doors? You can make temporary cabinet covers by concealing ugly doors with removable adhesive paper (contact paper).
Don’t do: Don’t lose all the hinge hardware or putty fill the door holes. Remember, kitchen cabinets are a very expensive fix so store them well. Not storing them well will probably cause you to have to pay a hefty price.
4. Do use temporary wallpaper.
If you have a landlord with a “no paint policy” check out the paint-able and totally removable wallpaper from Tempaper. There are many brands of temporary wallpaper and as long as it is installed and removed well it will more than likely be okay with your landlord.
5. Install plug-in pendants.
If you are allowed to drill into the wall then there should be no problem with installing a hook into the ceiling. This is an easy way to make your rental look custom and then take that custom look with you when it’s time to go.
Don’t Do: Use the wrong hook or hardware to install into the ceiling. Doing this will make the hole bigger than it needs to be and a not so easy fix for your landlord.
6. Do switch up the shades or bulbs of your light fixture.
There are so many ideas out there to spruce up existing fixtures. Make sure your store the original shade or bulb so you can return it when you leave.
Don’t Do: I think changing the light fixture without permission is a bad idea. It never hurts to ask but don’t be mad when your landlord says no. My husband is a general contractor and even he won’t install a new light fixture in one of his rentals. Why? If the licensed and insured electrical company installs your fixtures, then if something goes wrong, only they are liable. How do I, as your landlord, know you know electrical work? If something happens then I am liable. If you are that passionate about it, tell your landlord you will pay for his electrician to come install it and then re-install the original one when you leave. Safe people are happy people, right?
7. Do take the closet doors off.
Again, as long as you store them well and put them back on when you leave then your landlord should have no problems with this removal.
8. Do use rugs to cover ugly floors.
Whether it is gross carpet or really ugly vinyl … a rug can right some wrongs. If you have ugly kitchen vinyl, buy a vinyl sheet remnant and cut it as large as you need it to be. Turn it over to the white side and paint it. Use rug tape and you have a water friendly and mop-able way to cover some serious ugly.
9. Do install outside mount roman shades to hide ugly or broken blinds.
In this living room makeover I hid the white blinds by pulling them all the way up and installing this bamboo roman shade over the window trim. You didn’t even know they were there did you? The family uses the roman shades when they want privacy and the broken white blinds are completely hidden.
10. Do use contact paper.
You can contact paper on walls, your kitchen cabinets, your fridge, your door and so many other places. You can even use frosted glass contact paper on a window to give you privacy.
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Your rental can feel like your home with these simple updates. On another note, while I would be fine with all of these updates, if you are not sure…go ahead and ask your landlord anyway. A trusting landlord will let you do more but you do have to gain the trust at first. Love this post and want more? You’re in luck, because we’ve got lots of great posts planned specifically for all you renters so stay tuned.
This 156.8 square metre home design project presented the task of uniting two separate apartments into one new residence. Visualised by Bureau Slovo, glazing around the perimeter of the property became the major feature of the reimagined abode, and so wall decor was kept minimal and white. Furniture and textiles fulfil opportunities for added colour, exploring a palette of warm coral, pale green, and hazy light blue. Furniture silhouettes and finishes are on-trend, boldly delivering curves, fluted texture, and swathes of wood grain. You’ll find an equally stylish kid’s room on board too, where unique accessories make up a creative playspace. Stay till the end for the floor plan.
The light-filled living room features a host of creative and colourful furniture pieces, from a pale green curvaceous sofa and a contrasting modern lounge chair to a Hay Bowler side table and stylish coffee table.
A Muuto Kink vase adds a drop of blue to the stone coffee table, whilst floor-length drapes hang warm framing around large living room windows.
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The wood herringbone floor in the living area stops short of the home entryway, where it is replaced by a durable white floor tile. A chic stool is set in front of a custom-cut floor-to-ceiling mirror to fashion a convenient dressing area by the front door.
The stool matches a modern console table on the opposite side of the entryway. A round mirror and sconce provide wall decor, whilst a small flower vase adorns the top of the unit.
A narrow nook is cut into the attractive partition wall to accommodate a tower of decorative shelving.
The dining chairs complement coral kitchen cabinets and a colour-matched full-height backsplash wall.
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A carafe and glass tumblers bring fashionable fluted texture to the table, which tie in with the dining table’s textured base.
The kitchen wraps around the dining area in an L-shape, changing suddenly from coral to pure white. Even the integrated oven is quietly soaks into the solid colour-blocked effect.
On either side of the tall white appliance housing units, glass doors are cut into elegant arch shapes.
The glass doors give access to a pale blue butler’s pantry, which is fitted with base units, open shelves, and a handy sink.
The modern kid’s room is cheerfully bright, thanks to radius panoramic glazing. A bespoke wood veneer headboard wall smoothly curves between two green wardrobes. Round wall art is illuminated at its centre.
A unique green kid’s seat matches with the wardrobes and a set of green toy shelves. A coral rug and a Flowerpot ceiling lamp brightly match the bed.
The toy storage area was designed to be easily removable, eventually to be replaced with a desk when the child is older.
In the kid’s bathroom, matt porcelain tiles of different dimensions form a modular backsplash.
The roundbathroom mirror is mounted above a novel vanity unit, which has a drawer pull that resembles a cute smile.
The unique bathroom sink provides fun contrast, whilst a white wall mounted tap blends into the background.
In the home office, an Eames bird occupies a floating storage unit, beneath a pair of eye-catching coral wall shelves.
The desk is pulled up to the window where the owner can admire the city view.
A coral desk lamp brightens up the wood and stone desk design, and a comfortable swivel chair slides in a purple accent.
Inside the master bedroom, a green bed sets the colour theme.
A decorative mirror makes minimalistic wall decor above the modern upholstered bed.
Various lighting options serve different purposes and moods. A matt varnished-fabric bedroom pendant light in the centre diffuses a cosy light. LED pendants by the bedside are adjustable for warmth and coolness of tone. Directional lamps supply focussed task lighting, whilst recessed spotlights take illumination into the corners of the room to chase away the shadows.
Special rounded room corners are emphasised by terrazzo skirting.
A rotating door gives entry into a terracotta closet.
The vanity table enjoys another city view.
There are three bathrooms in the renovated apartment, each with a different aesthetic. The master bathroom is a laconic design with a custom-made green-tinted shower screen.
A bold stone vanity unit dominates the space.
The WC area retreats into the shadows.
Light blue walls and a matching ceiling create a breezy aesthetic in the guest room. The bedroom rug adds cosy patchwork pattern.
A floating console unit is perfectly colour matched with the pale blue walls.
Blue tones add a calming look to the WC side of the guest bathroom too, whilst the other half is colourless around a modern pedestal sink.
A secret door leads to the laundry room and on into the pantry.
The bathroom is at one end of a circular route through the technical rooms, with the kitchen at the other.
The technical route means that the living space can be completely bypassed if required.
Floor plan.
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