Skip to content

Top Navigation

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Food and Recipes
  • Culture and Lifestyle
  • Style
  • Holidays & Occasions
  • Home
  • Gardening Ideas
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Southern Living

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      Here are the haircuts you'll be seeing everywhere this year. Read More
    • How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      Learn how to season this Southern kitchen staple in five easy steps. Read More
    • 50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      Not sure what to write in a thank you card? Here's how to show your gratitude with a handwritten note. Read More
  • Food and Recipes

    Food and Recipes

    See All Food and Recipes
    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    It’s not all in the senses, but they sure can help.
    • Recipes
    • Quick and Easy Dinner
    • Kitchen Assistant
    • Casserole
    • Holiday and Occasion Food
    • Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Healthy and Light
    • Side Dishes
    • Party Food and Drink
    • Appetizers
    • Meat
    • Breakfast
    • BBQ
    • Drinks
    • What's Cooking
  • Culture and Lifestyle

    Culture and Lifestyle

    See All Culture and Lifestyle
    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    Let your besties know how much they mean to you with these unique nicknames.
    • Quotes and Sayings
    • Biscuits and Jam Podcast
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Healthy Living
    • Coastal Living
  • Style

    Style

    See All Style
    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The beginning of a new year often has us all feeling like starting off fresh by taking on better habits, getting rid of old ones, and—most commonly—changing up our look. While others are hitting the squats and going into the salon for a pixie cut, why not start slow and steady with a cozy winter manicure in a color that feels new to you? It takes only a little courage to step outside your usual OPI Lincoln Park After Dark or Essie Bordeaux, which is all you need to kick 2022 off on a fanciful foot.  From new wintry takes on classic dark nail colors to unique pops of color that'll have you feeling the opposite of boring, these are the best nail colors to try this January and tick off all the way into spring. 
    • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Fashion
    • Short Hairstyles
    • Nails
    • Medium Hairstyles
    • Skincare
    • Long Hairstyles
  • Holidays & Occasions

    Holidays & Occasions

    See All Holidays & Occasions
    • Thanksgiving
    • Gifts
    • Christmas
    • Mother's Day
    • Hanukkah
    • New Year's
    • Easter
    • Mardi Gras
    • 4th of July
    • Weddings
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    There's no denying how the pandemic fundamentally changed the world—including how we live (and work) inside our homes. An overall trend toward celebrating the history and originality of our homes is displacing ultramodern aesthetics and sharp lines as we all look to create cozier, colorful, more personalized spaces that better suit our lifestyles. We're turning away from big-box stores and toward vintage items—first, out of necessity due to supply-chain issues, and now, for design reasons—to add charm and character to every room in the house, including the kitchen. Here, interior designers from around the South share their predictions for what's trending in kitchen design for 2022 and beyond.
    • Home Decor Ideas
    • Idea Houses
    • Kitchen Design
    • Before & After Photos
    • Bathroom Design
    • Curb Appeal
    • Bedroom Design
    • DIY Home Decor
    • Color Palettes & Paint
    • House Plans & Builders
    • Inspired Communities
  • Gardening Ideas

    Gardening Ideas

    See All Gardening Ideas
    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    Plus a few strategies for keeping them out-of-doors
    • Container Gardening
    • Gardening Flowers
    • Fruit, Vegetable & Herb Gardens
    • Garden Pests
    • Plant Guides A-Z
    • Indoor Plants
    • Fall Plants
    • Landscaping Ideas
    • The Grumpy Gardener
  • News

    News

    See All News
    • Celebrities
    • Local News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Southern Living
  2. Home
  3. Home Decor Ideas
  4. 10 Tips for Apartment Decorating

10 Tips for Apartment Decorating

By Jennifer Berno
Skip gallery slides
FB
Apartment Decorating: Mix, Don't Match
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn
Bright colors and graphic patterns are hallmarks of Washington, D.C., interior designer Sally Steponkus, whose bold-yet-classic look is well within your reach.
Start Slideshow

1 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Sally's Approach to Apartment Decorating

Sally's Approach to Apartment Decorating
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Interior designer Sally Steponkus is a native Washingtonian, so she knows how to network. “D.C. is a big city with a small town vibe, and the design community is pretty condensed, so I try to be friendly with everyone,” she says. That sincere Southern charm is reflected in her approach to interiors: a smart and spunky mix of bright colors and bold patterns, blended with preppy restraint and a gracious, personal touch. “I have all sorts of influences, from old to new, high to low,” she explains. And Sally’s lively look is refreshingly within reach – her own home (which doubles as her office) is filled with easy decorating tricks and surprising sources for her “updated traditional” style. Take note of these ten capital ideas, straight from a D.C. expert.

1 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Add Detail With Trim

Apartment Decorating: Add Detail With Trim
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

In the living room, Sally applied patterned tape trim to solid white curtain panels for an easy custom look. The geometric trim ties in with other graphic elements in the room, including her classical Greek key throw pillows and the crisp white piping on her navy sofa. “Navy really is a neutral,” she says. “The white adds great contrast.”

Curtain fabric: #30987-284 by Duralee (duralee.com), available through Decorative Center Services; 713-961-9292
Curtain trim: Grand Galon Athenee-Chocolat #GGA8500-70 by Clarence House (clarencehouse.com), available through Decorative Center Services; 713-961-9292

2 of 11

3 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Reinvent Hand-Me-Down Furniture

Apartment Decorating: Reinvent Hand-Me-Down Furniture
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

The streamlined white club chairs in Sally’s living room once belonged to her parents – they bought the chairs for their very first home. Sally recovered them in soft white linen for a crisp look.

White chairs: vintage; for a similar look, try the Petrie Chair in San Marino Natural, from Crate & Barrel; crateandbarrel.com
Fabric on chairs: Artisan Linen in Natural #AL2 by Peter Fasano (peterfasano.com), available through Decorative Center Services; 713-961-9292
Pillows in chairs: Goldfinch 18” pillow, by thomaspaul; thomaspaul.com

3 of 11

Advertisement

4 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Layer Rugs Over Carpet

Apartment Decorating: Layer Rugs Over Carpet
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Sally’s plush carpet is comfortable underfoot, but she wanted to add texture and help define each space. Sally covered her neutral carpet with interesting area rugs – a braided jute version in her living room and an intricate needlepoint rug in her bedroom.

4 of 11

5 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Mix, Don't Match

Apartment Decorating: Mix, Don't Match
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

Sally bucked the “matchy, matchy” rule by placing different end tables and lamps on either side of the sofa in her living room. The mismatch works because, even though one table is a white Asian-inspired look and the other is a black step-like design, both tables are the same height. A sleek brass reading lamp pairs nicely with the simple white table, while a large silver-leaf table lamp fits with the more substantial black table. She stacks books, leans artwork, and displays sentimental objects, like a collection of seashells in a pretty yellow bowl, atop the tables to add visual interest.

White side table: Ming Cream, from The Kellogg Collection; kelloggcollection.com
Black side table: discontinued; for a similar look, try the Dunstan 3 Shelf Side Table in distressed black, from Ballard Designs; ballarddesigns.com

5 of 11

6 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Hang Wallpaper in Small Spaces

Apartment Decorating: Hang Wallpaper in Small Spaces
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

“Don’t be afraid of wallpaper,” says Sally. “The trick is to hire a professional because hanging paper is all about precision!” Sally uses wallpaper in compact spaces, like her entry way, bathroom, and kitchen, where small-scale patterns make a big impact. “My kitchen is pretty basic, but the fresh green trellis wallpaper pumps it up,” she says. Plus, zeroing in on tighter spaces keeps the cost down.

Wallpaper: #97317-11 Etoile-Gold/Tabac by Cowtan & Tout (cowtan.com), available through Decorative Center Services; 713-961-9292
Drop leaf table: DC Big Flea; for a similar look, try 1stdibs.com

6 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Splurge on Custom Framing

Apartment Decorating: Splurge on Custom Framing
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Sally’s walls are filled with a humble collection of artwork, almost all done by close friends and family members. To elevate the look, she took the pieces to her local framer for custom frames in varying finishes, from gilt gold to polished chrome. “Every piece has a special meaning to me,” says Sally. “So the frames not only look good, but they’ll help preserve the art, too.”

Artwork: fruit watercolors by Garine Magary; gmagary@yahoo.com
Wallpaper: Manuel Canovas #03021/02 for Cowtan & Tout (cowtan.com), available through Decorative Center Services; 713-961-9292

7 of 11

8 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Enlarge a Space With Mirrors

Apartment Decorating: Enlarge a Space With Mirrors
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

“I’m not necessarily a ‘bargain-shopper,’ but sometimes I luck out,” says Sally, referring to the dramatic gold bamboo mirror above her living room sofa, which she snagged for $25 on craigslist.org. The mirror coordinates with a similar bamboo version that hangs in her entry. Both mirrors serve to open up the spaces. A white lacquer mirror hangs in her bedroom to reflect light and make the space feel bigger.

Mirror: Malobar mirror in white lacquer by Worlds-Away; worlds-away.com
Chest: Vintage, from Circa Who (circawho.com); for a similar look, try the Elisabeth Buffet in Antique White, by Oly Studio; olystudio.com

8 of 11

9 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Artfully Arrange Bookshelves

Apartment Decorating: Artfully Arrange Bookshelves
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Sally divides the entry and living areas with a shiny white bookshelf that she’s filled with books, photos, and special mementos. She even corralled a small bar on a pretty silver tray, which is perfect for entertaining. “Everyone has bookshelves, and there’s really no hiding what’s on them,” she says. “So why not have fun with it?”

White bookshelf: White Parsons bookcase from West Elm; westelm.com

9 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Personalize Your Linens

Personalize Your Linens
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Sally’s sweet pink-and-white bathroom, wallpapered in a witty pineapple pattern, is girly without being over-the-top. A bright pink “S” embroidered on her white shower curtain and coordinating towels adds a personal touch. Her monogram also appears on a dainty lime green boudoir pillow, which is a special finishing touch on her well-dressed bed.

Wallpaper: Petite Pineapples by Peter Fasano (peterfasano.com), available through Decorative Center Services; 713-961-9292
Shower curtain: Pottery Barn; potterybarn.com
Custom monogram: European Designs embroidery workroom; europeande@aol.com

10 of 11

11 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Marry Form and Function With Lighting

Apartment Decorating: Marry Form and Function With Lighting
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

“Lamps should be beautiful as well as useful,” says Sally, whose assortment of sculptural table lamps completes each room. “And a good shade makes all the difference.” Sally rarely uses the shade that a lamp comes with, opting for custom colors or shades embellished with ribbon, like the ones on her bedroom chest. “These were a pair of vases that I used in a show house. The color was perfect for my bedroom, so I had them wired as lamps,” says Sally. She trimmed inexpensive white shades in green grosgrain ribbon to finish the look.

Green lamps: unavailable; for a similar look, try the Jonathan Adler Ceramic Vase Table Lamp in Grass Green, from Shades of Light; shadesoflight.com
Vases transformed into lamps: Rick Singleton; ricksingletonlighting.com

11 of 11

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Jennifer Berno

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 11 Sally's Approach to Apartment Decorating
    2 of 11 Add Detail With Trim
    3 of 11 Reinvent Hand-Me-Down Furniture
    4 of 11 Layer Rugs Over Carpet
    5 of 11 Mix, Don't Match
    6 of 11 Hang Wallpaper in Small Spaces
    7 of 11 Splurge on Custom Framing
    8 of 11 Enlarge a Space With Mirrors
    9 of 11 Artfully Arrange Bookshelves
    10 of 11 Personalize Your Linens
    11 of 11 Marry Form and Function With Lighting

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
    Southern Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • About Us
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Books from Southern Living
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    MeredithSouthern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. Southern Living is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab All Rights Reserved. Southern Living may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Southern Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.southernliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    10 Tips for Apartment Decorating
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.