Lately I find myself buying more practical essential items for our apartment opposed to all the fun decor. These are often the things I put off buying because I would rather spend money on something fun, but I realized if I bought nicer alternatives to mundane things (like a trash can) it might make more of an impact. Of course I ended up spending a little more than I normally would if I just ran out to Target, but it is funny how even the smallest of accents can feel somewhat special with some thought put in. So I wanted to share a few favorite chic alternatives to some practical everyday items.

Garbage Can

I never liked our stainless steel kitchen garbage can because it stuck out like a sore thumb in our bright space. We prefer having an automatic open close top that is sensor and voice controlled. It may seem like a gimmick, but I love hovering over the can with my hands full and being able to say “can open”. In the spring we finally upgraded to this and I absolutely love how it looks and functions in our small kitchen. I also love the look of cute small trash cans in the bathroom or under my desk, so I will link some of those below.

Tissue Box Cover

I admittedly never used these until this year because I always had tissues tucked away. When my allergies got unbearable I decided it was time to keep them next to the bed and get a cute cover that blends into our decor. It really does make something so unattractive look cute!

Paper Towel Holders

I don’t think I had ever spent more than $20 on a paper towel holder before, but after going through multiples that fell apart I decided to get one that looked nice and was a little more heavy duty. I love the wood and leather detail on our kitchen shelves!

Remote Control Storage Box

This is a popular one a lot of you have asked about in the past. Whenever we have a tray on the coffee table I usually throw our remotes in there, but now that our console has drawers it makes them a little easier to tuck away. A chic box is the perfect way to hide the remotes completely while still having them at close range.

Pet Beds

Norman had quite the collection of beds at one point. Mostly because I am such a sucker for cute pet beds. I buy them all over and often find a lot of options at Home Goods, but lately I have been utilizing Etsy for just about everything. I love the array of size options and patterns a lot of the vendors have.