Guest Room/Office Floor Update with FLOR Carpet Squares

Have I ever mentioned on here how much I love working with FLOR carpet tiles? I’m sure I have. I used them in my own living room and they’re the best ever. Blogger Krys Melo's 1960 Mid-Century Apartment

After seeing how easy they are to install and clean, and how durable they are, I knew I wanted to use them somewhere else in my apartment.

We’re currently in the process of decorating our spare room to be a multi-functional office/guest room. Instead of looking for an area rug to fit the wonky dimensions, I decided to use FLOR carpet squares again. I had the Mod Cafe pattern in mind because I thought the sputnik style design would bring in mid-century hotel and vibes. After receiving samples of all the color variations, I chose the color ‘linen’. It’s a blue-grey that changes to more one or the other depending on how the light hits it.

Mod Cafe Linen Flor.jpgThe cool thing about FLOR squares is that you can customize a rug to fit your needs. You can mix and match colors and patterns to create something truly unique, or you can just go with one all over pattern like I’ve done. They’re easy to cut and they simply stick together using the included FLORdots stickers. Flor Squares Install.jpgThe stickers hold the corners of the tiles together and only stick to the backing of the carpet squares. Nothing actually sticks to your floor underneath so you don’t have to worry about ruining it or having to deal with sticky residue underneath. Plus, when we move we can just stack them up and take them with us to the next place.

OH! They’re also a breeze to clean. Some one spill a drink? Dog had an accident? Just pop up the dirty square and wash it out in the sink. Let it dry and stick it back down. Or if one gets ruined you can replace it. 

Here’s what the room looked like before FLOR squares.Before FlorBefore FlorFirst I laid out the squares to make sure I was happy with the placement. Any parts that need trimmed are easily cut with a utility knife or box cutter.

Flor LayoutThis room is tiny so I decided to do the entire thing. Once I was happy with the placement I easily applied the stickers to the corners to hold it all together and voila!

Flor Linen Mod Cafe

Atomic carpet! All done in about an hour!Flor Mod Cafe Linen

The lines blend together more and more as the carpet fibers fluff up a bit. Vacuuming helps.

Here’s what it looks like now!

After Flor Mod Cafe LinenTada! I think it definitely makes the room feel more put together and adds some much needed pattern. I love the way the blue-grey looks against the blush pink velvet of our sleeper sofa, and the black and gold of the table. Bonus, it’s perfect for home office use because it immediately eliminated any awkward phone echo! After Flor Mod Cafe Linen.jpg

If you’re thinking about getting a little creative with your flooring, be sure to check out FLOR! They always have good sale events and you can purchase in expensive samples of all their patterns before committing.

The room isn’t completely done yet, but stay tuned for a few more DIYs and the final reveal!

 

 

 

Mid-Century Resort Inspired Flamingo Bathroom Refresh

Around this time of year I always get the urge to change my decor up in at least one room. Chalk it up to spring fever I guess. Anyway, after having such a successful attempt at wallpapering a focal wall in my bathroom with Tempaper’s tropical print, I decided I was confident enough to go wild and do new look and wallpaper the entire bathroom. As soon as I saw Tempaper’s new peel and stick flamingo print I knew it was meant to be and immediately jumped on the chance.

To quickly jog your memory, this is what my bathroom looked like before. 

Peel and Stick Wallpaper in Krys Melo's Apartment Bathroom.jpg And here’s the new new!

Retro Inspired Flamingo Bathroom.jpgIt’s kind of crazy how it makes the room feel bigger. I thought it might feel closed in with so much pattern on the walls, but nope! It works. The print is so lovely. It’s a lovely mix of soft pink and reddish pink that looks amazing against white and gold. As always it was easy to work with and very forgiving. You can refer to my previous post for installation tips that work for me. Bold Flamingo WallpaperI also added a few new accessories.Flamingo Wallpaper and Hanging PlantI got this hanging planter on Amazon and changed out the original chain with one from the jewelry making section at Jo-Ann.Flamingo Wallpaper and Fringe Window ValanceI kept the original window valance and shortened it in order to let more light in. I loved the fringe on the new towels and rug so I added some chainette fringe to tie it all together.Vintage Inspired Flamingo BathroomAbove the toilet I removed a badly installed towel rack and replaced it with a cute framed vintage Camay Soap ad.Flamingo Mid-Century BathroomI replaced the light fixture with a new mid-century inspired two orb vanity light from Lucent Lightshop. Flamingo Wallpaper from TempaperI personally like mixing metals so I went with brass, of course. Mid-century inspired two orb light from Lucent LightshopFlamingo bathroom with gold and fringe Over on the other wall I picked up a brass mirror/shelf from Target’s Project 62 line and a new metallic gold and white geometric shower curtain from Project 62 as well.Flamingo Bathroom MakeoverThe new “fancy towels” (you know, the kind you’re not allowed to use), are from Target’s Opalhouse line. I love the texture and fringe.Flamingo peel and stick wallpaperI followed the wallpaper all the way around the room, meeting the last seam in the most inconspicuous corner. Everything is reflected in the mirrors so it’s all pretty much visible from every view point, which was intentional and I’m glad it worked out.

Retro Flamingo bathroom makeoverThere it is! This year’s new bathroom look. I looooove the way it all came together. Yay!

Next up, the guest room and patio. Stay tuned!

 

 

 

Mid-Century Metallic Diamond Bi-Fold Closet Doors

Here’s an easy, inexpensive, and renter-friendly way to add a little pizazz to plain bi-folding closet doors.

When I moved into this newly renovated 1960’s apartment it was a blank white canvas, and I’ve been trying to find temporary and inexpensive ways to add doses of my personal style where I can.

As you can see, there wasn’t much character in here. Even after doing wallpaper and decorating the room, those closet doors needed help!

I thought about adding some kind of moulding, but I didn’t want to add weight or texture. I wanted something metallic to go with the wallpaper! Something inspired by brass inlays! That’s when I found metallic mylar tape*. Much easier, and much more renter-friendly than moulding.

All you have to do is just run the (very forgiving) foil tape between each center point where you want your points to meet, smooth it down, trim it with a blade, and you’re done! And if you hate it, it comes right off with no damage to the underlying paint.

I added vintage starburst knobs, which is another fun way to add a vintage touch to an otherwise stale door.

And there you go. Hope this helped solve some plain bi-fold door problems! Bye for now!

 

Bedroom Vanity Accent Wall | Removable Fabric Wallpaper

Before I show you my full bedroom reveal, I wanted to share this easy and renter-friendly project you can do with any lighter weight fabric. It’s a very forgiving DIY project, and a unique way to add pattern or colors to your walls without using wallpaper or paint. And cleanup is a breeze.

I used this  wall treatment and a remnant peice of fabric in the vanity nook of my bedroom’s built in shelves. You can find my past tutorial here, but basically all you need is some liquid starch and a paint roller to adhere your fabric to the wall.

I changed the hardware to a vintage set that I found on Etsy, and also changed the light to a beautiful brass Sputnik sconce from Lucent Lightshop.

When I move I’ll just peel it off the wall and wipe down any residue.

Yay I Installed Peel and Stick Temporary Wallpaper In My Bathroom!

I finally did something I’ve been wanting to do for years, but didn’t feel like it was worth it in my last apartment. I installed bathroom wallpaper!

As you probably know I’m a renter, so many of my projects have to be temporary. That’s why I decided to look into peel and stick wallpaper options. There’s such a great selection out there, but when I found this botanical print from Tempaper I was smitten!

Turns out installing this type of wallpaper isn’t as daunting as it seems. The paper is super durable and forgiving, allowing you to adjust and re-position as needed to get everything lined up and perfect. This is great news because bathrooms can be especially tricky. Working your way around a toilet can be a big pain in the ass. No pun intended (zing!).

The first thing you need to do is measure your wall. By the way, Tempaper has a cool calculator that helps you determine how much paper you need. I only needed one roll for this wall and had some to spare. Please note that this kind of paper won’t adhere well to textured or matte walls. Eggshell, Semi-gloss, or gloss paint works best. Bathrooms usually have semi gloss paint, so you should be good. 

How to install peel and stick Tempaper wall paper in a bathroom.jpgNext, pre-cut the lengths you need. This makes your life so much easier. Be sure to line up the pattern with each new piece you cut.How to install peel and stick Tempaper wall paper in a bathroom (2)

Remove any toilet paper holders or towel racks that might get in the way. Outlets are fine, you can just use a razor to cut around them later.

I did this entire job alone because there’s just not enough room in my tiny bathroom for this to be a two person job. If you have room for help, it’ll make the job easier, but if its just you don’t worry, you can do it. As you can see I could barely fit the step ladder.How to install peel and stick Tempaper wall paper in a bathroom (3)

Now the real fun starts. The first piece is the trickiest because you need to get it on there straight, that way all the following pieces line up. Use the wall corner and ceiling (and a level if you have one) as your guide and you’ll be fine. How to install peel and stick Tempaper wall paper in a bathroom (4)

As you can see I didn’t measure or pre-cut the window section. Just simply go around when you’re done and trim around any windows, outlets, and edges with a razor blade. Just keep lining up each piece at the side seams and use a Tempaper squeegee to push out any air bubbles and smooth it out.

How to install peel and stick Tempaper wall paper in a bathroom (5)And that’s it! If you’re wondering how well this paper might hold up in a bathroom, I’ll just say I took a steamy shower about an hour after I was done and no seams or edges came away from the wall. The paper is also non-porous, so it seems it’ll hold up to moisture well.

How to install peel and stick Tempaper wall paper in a bathroom (6)

I really love how much life it brings into this small room. I originally wanted to try to do the whole room, but I think the accent wall approach is actually perfect for in here.How to install peel and stick Tempaper wall paper in a bathroom (7)

I love pink and green together so I added pink and coral colored towels and rugs and a flamingo shower curtain.

How to install peel and stick Tempaper wall paper in a bathroom (8)

Major mid-century Palm Springs vibes, right? Now I just need to find some art work and make a valance for that window (stay tuned for that) and it’ll be complete!

 

Special thanks to Tempaper for being kind enough to provide product for this project. As always, all opinions are genuine and my own.