Living your best balcony life is easy at Crest at Skyland Town Center

Balcony life is the best life! For anyone that lives in an apartment home with an outdoor space understands this very well. There’s nothing quite like being able to step out and get some fresh air right when you wake up or having a quaint setting to be able to entertain family and friends whenever they visit. A balcony is an expansion of your living space, which means it requires just as much if not more design thought than went into the indoor portion of your apartment. At Crest at Skyland Town Center Apartments, we know a thing or two about balcony life. We offer a wide variety of balcony-style floor plans that give our residents a perfect opportunity to express their outdoor creativity. Whether you already have a balcony space in your apartment or looking to get one soon, you must know the elements of making your outdoor space as inclusive as possible. Below is our curated list of some great ways to begin creating a balcony aesthetic that you can be proud of; having an outdoor space that you never want to leave no matter what season we’re in is the goal. Use these essential balcony tips to get started today! 

1. Add something cozy to step on.

One of the best ways to start your balcony design journey is by adding a soft flooring area. An outdoor rug or a turf placement instantly turns your outdoor space into an outdoor living room. There is something special about being able to step out to your balcony bare-footed on a Friday night or early Saturday morning and embrace the soft footing while enjoying incredible views. 

2. Lights, Lights, and More Lights.

Decorating your balcony in lights is a fantastic way to add a glow to your outdoor space. There are various light color options you can utilize to add a pop to your balcony paradise. When it gets dark outside, the intimate setting the lights create will make you want never to come inside! 

3. Greenery goes a long way.

Adding some greenery will always add a warm personality to your outdoor space! When you engulf yourself in some of your favorite plants, you turn your balcony into a place of serenity and peace. When shopping for outdoor plants, make sure you keep an eye out for outdoor-specific plants. Having plants made for an outdoor setting will save you a lot of time in plant maintenance. 

4. Outdoor Balcony Furniture, of course.

Having some kind of furniture on your balcony is a must! We know that balconies come in all different shapes and sizes. Whatever size your balcony is, be sure to get some outdoor furniture that will mix well with the dimensions of your outdoor setting, whether they’re small chairs with a table to match, larger recliner chairs, or even a couch. Creating a relaxed atmosphere on your balcony will serve you well in your apartment living experience. 

5. Think outside of the box.

One of the best things about your balcony space is that it’s not the first thing people see when they walk in. What does this mean? This means you have the green light to think outside of the box in your design process. Get crazy with color selections, get some super exotic plants, add a hangable picture. Whatever comes to your mind, do it! And then do it again! There’s no such thing as regrets when it comes to putting together your outdoor space. 

At Crest at Skyland Town Center, we offer great balcony floor-plan options that will make apartment living as enjoyable as you need it to be. Click here to check out our availability for our balcony-style options. 

Another Spring season in DC is here! And the time to decide which plants you want to grace your apartment home with this season begins now. If you are like most apartment dwellers, this is also the time of year where you begin to face the harsh reality that while having plants inside of your apartment home sounds nice, it can be hard to keep them alive at times.

But we’re here to tell you to, pick your chin up, stop your worrying, break out that seed starter, and put on those plant gloves because this is the season that you are going to grow and maintain those apartment plants successfully! And your Crest family is here to help!

One of the most common reasons why renters’ have trouble successfully maintaining the plants inside of their apartments is because of lack of time. Between work and social life, residents find that there are very few hours left in a day to give their plants the attention they need. Another main reason is remembering to apply the proper upkeep required for the plants to be able to thrive during the season.

So, what is the best way to combat maximizing your time and your memory?

Grow plants that don’t require as much attention!

Now, there are a countless number of “easy to maintain” plants out there, but we have taken the liberty of creating a list of five of our favorite, “low maintenance” plants for your Spring season.

We hope that this is the year that you will be able to overcome your plant growing slump, and officially obtain your green thumb!

Happy planting!

Snake Plant

The Snake Plant is the most ideal plant for the people who don’t have a lot of growing experience. 

These plants can be grown in low light and only need to be watered occasionally.

The Snake plant also has a beautiful design that enhances everything in the room. Owners also love this plant because it also removes toxins from the air. All of these things make it a perfect starter plant for any apartment home. 

Your visitors will surely want to mimic your apartment-style once they see this plant standing tall in your apartment.

Spider Plants

The Spider plant is easily one of the most popular houseplants. People gravitate to this plant because of its toughness, ease of growing and maintenance.

This plant quickly adapts to almost any condition making suitable to display on your private balcony.

Be sure to keep the plant in a bright spot and maintain slight moisture in the soil, and it will grow happily!

Peace Lily

The Peace Lily is among the most natural plants to grow indoors.

The Peace Lily can tolerate a wide range of lighting conditions and only needs moderate watering.

You will love the Peace Lily’s curved leaves and white flowers. This ultimately gives the plant an exotic and elegant look.

If you’re looking for a way to spice up your apartment this Spring season, this Peace Lily will immediately add a beautiful look to your residence. 

Lucky Bamboo

Lucky bamboo is a beautiful and natural plant to grow.

Provide it abundant water, and it’ll grow well even in indirect light. People love this plant because of its sturdy nature.

Protect the plant from cold drafts and provide iron fertilizer occasionally. Once full-grown, this plant will add a classic look to your apartment this season, and many seasons going forward.

Succulents and Cacti

Succulents and Cacti are ideal for those who tend to forget to water and care for plants.

These plants are very adaptable and can survive many adverse conditions.

They simply need to be placed on a bright spot with well-drained soil and a little water.

This plant is perfect for residents who have a balcony in their apartment home!

Winter is a thing of the past, and Spring is finally here! Along with warmer weather and cherry blossom season, the time to begin your spring cleaning is here. For renters this is an exciting opportunity to get a fresh jump on sprucing up your apartment at the front end of the new year!

We know that cleaning and organizing your apartment sounds fantastic, but we also understand that it requires time and energy that a lot of you reading this might not have an overabundance of in your everyday lives.

For this reason, we’ve decided to overview three time-efficient cleaning tips to make getting your apartment clean super easy just in time for the spring season! 

Tip #1: BREAK-DOWN “THE BIG 3” CLEANING TASKS 

 Cleaning your apartment can be broken down into what we call, “The Big 3” – The kitchen, the bathroom, and the bedroom. These are generally the areas of the apartment that are used the most and are going to take the longest to clean; this makes it super important that these areas are addressed first. Studies show that cleaning at least 1 of these three areas makes the most visual difference in the cleanliness of your apartment.

Cleaning is already exhausting enough as it is, don’t make it any harder by tasking yourself with cleaning every closet, nook, and cranny inside of your apartment in a single day. If you’re short on time, break down the significant 3 areas of your apartment as you see fit, and tidy up accordingly.

Tip #2: CLEAR THE CLUTTER

 A big factor in organizing your apartment home is knowing when to part ways with additional materials that create clutter; this means trashing the mountain of junk mail, old receipts, and even older grocery lists laying on all of your counter surfaces.

Doing this is a fast and effective way of cleaning your apartment when you’re in a time crunch. You will quickly find that having less clutter makes your apartment home feel more open and most importantly cleaner.

So, say goodbye to clutter, and hello to spring clean!

Tip #3: SMELLS GOOD, LOOKS GOOD.

 The smell of your apartment home matters when it comes time to freshen up. We all know that it’s unsettling when your apartment is a disaster area, but it’s even worse when the smell of your apartment matches the look.

Instead of adding insult to injury, try adding in a scent like a candle, a scented plug-in, or an essential oil diffuser to your cleaning process when you’re short on time. In no way are we saying a clean smell makes up for a messy apartment, but the aroma of your place goes a long way when you don’t have hours to deep clean your apartment.

Cleaning will always be a process, but that doesn’t mean it has to be a difficult process.