Sarah Zlotnick, junior editor at Project Wedding

What are your New Year's resolutions, and why?
"To start actually playing house! Covering fashion at Washingtonian kept me out every other night and mostly focused on making purchases that only benefited my closet. Great gig though it was, I basically only came home to go to sleep, so my apartment was depressingly bare. Now that I write about weddings at Project Wedding and my hours are a little more normal, my first priority is to step up my interior game so I actually enjoy coming home at night. (I'd moved into my 14th Street apartment in August, and it wasn't until last week that I bought bedroom furniture and unpacked my boxes.)

Someone (probably my mother — isn't it always your mother?) once told me that the place you begin and end your day has the biggest impact on your attitude. If you're starting and finishing each day on a bad note, it's that much harder to enjoy and be productive in the time in between. So, in 2013, I am taking that wisdom to heart and doing something about it. Out with the cardboard boxes and in with new sheets!"

Have you managed to keep it so far?
"Much to my and everyone else's surprise, yes! I've ordered this ikat duvet, this amazing yellow coat stand from CB2 that I love, these Julia Ostreva throw pillows, gold pig bookends, and some basic IKEA shelves.

Next step: being a (sort of) grown-up about wall art. I've got some Prinstagraming on the docket, and I've been going through my favorite Etsy vendors (see here and here) to find some colorful, affordable prints."

Has anything helped you stick with it?
"I've actually been referencing Meg Biram's blog a lot these past few weeks. Her 'how to hang a gallery wall' post is genius, and exactly what I need. Same with the 'how to organize your vanity' story — I have an open countertop in my bedroom now, and I've decided that 24 is the age I will stop using that space to throw dirty clothes.

Nikki Rappaport's Everygirl feature was also really inspiring. I feel like she and I have a lot in common lifestyle-wise (both young, busy, and living in small D.C. spaces), and I think she did a great job with her studio. I really took to heart a lot of things she said in the interview, especially the bit about the Expedit bookshelf from IKEA. Instead of getting a dresser, I ended up buying one of those (much cheaper) and turning it on its side, and it now doubles (triples?) as my bedroom storage space, a showcase of personal mementos and decor, and a counter space.

Finally, Pinterest! Obvious, I know, but I really didn't keep up with Pinterest on a personal level while I was at Washingtonian. But now, I'm finding it's the most helpful thing ever for judging if a bunch of different decor elements jive together or not. The board I'm using for bedroom decor is here."

What's the biggest obstacle to keeping your resolution?
"Biggest obstacle? Definitely scheduling. I don't own a car, just started a new job, and my boyfriend and I are long-distance, so I travel a lot. So finding time (and cars to borrow) to actually make my way to IKEA, flea markets, or even furniture stores in Georgetown is difficult. I feel like as I progress, I'm going to go several weeks between making purchases."

CB2 Spider Coat Rack, $99.95, available at CB2; West Elm Organic Chevron Duvet and Shams, $24-$109, available at West Elm.