eBay Mobile Challenge: An Apartment Makeover Using the eBay Deals App

By Reena Jana
October 22, 2010

eBay deals Each fall, I face a bevy of visitors flowing through my family's Manhattan apartment—friends, family and house guests coming by for holiday get-togethers or just passing through. Last year, I vowed to my friend Bonny, a chef who travels through New York from L.A. on her way to her relatives' home in Connecticut for Thanksgiving every year, that I was going to "finally move in" to our apartment, meaning that I would actually get around to decorating the place I'd lived in for the past one and a half years.

I didn't realize what an apartment design challenge I faced, given the limited time I have for shopping while juggling work, a toddler, a newborn and a dog (a feisty Jack Russell no less!)—not to mention the fact that I, like everyone else, am designing on a budget these days.

Even browsing apartment design ideas online required finding the time to sit down with my laptop—not an easy task with a life so full. So I decided to do what motivates me the best: I gave myself a deadline—exactly 24 hours—and a design budget: $500 (not including shipping).

Next, I needed to find an online shopping solution that would not only help me save money, but also allow me to shop while on the go. So I decided to check out eBay's Deals app for the iPhone (it works on the iPod Touch, too), which would allow me to shop for cheap home decor while feeding the baby, taking my toddler to the playground, waiting for the bus, in the backseat of a taxi, even while fixing dinner. I'm not kidding.

When you open the eBay Deals app, which is available for free on iTunes, daily deals (items that are on sale for a day only) float in succession on the screen, and you can tap on the screen to look at or purchase items as they parade by. This means you don’t even need to conduct a traditional search to start shopping online, so there's no typing required. I could shop for interior design pieces literally with one hand. Some daily deals were so tempting I had to snap them up immediately, like a colorful alphabet floor play mat for my son's room, for only $29.99, marked down 77% from $129.99. I bought this item while walking around our apartment with my 6-month-old in a baby carrier as he napped.

When I had both hands totally free, I found that searching on the eBay Deals app is simple, too. You can type in apartment interior design keywords and choose by category, price range, even the amount of time an item is available, so you can also find home decor items that won't disappear immediately. When I was having my morning latte, I looked for a runner for our front hallway and scored a cool zebra rug. By the time I finished my coffee, I also had picked up a stylish pendant lamp for our dining room.

One of the best features of the app is how you update your list of search results with more products to peruse... by shaking your iPhone. This makes apartment makeover browsing and buying even more of a cinch. Here, take a look at the other inexpensive home decorating goodies I shopped for on my 24-hour spree. I even came in under my design budget. Which means that I've got a little more to spend on treats for my house guests.

Previous Next

Build & Play 56-piece Alphabet Puzzle Play Mat (buy it now price, $29.99)
My son will love this colorful floor mat, which will teach him the alphabet and protect him from falls. We plan to set this up in his nursery.
Set of Two Vintage Aluminum Sconces (buy it now price, $59)
No more mismatched bedside table lamps for me. My husband and I will read by the light of these sleek vintage sconces.
Black and White Shower Curtain (buy it now price, $10.99)
Even our black-and-white hallway bathroom gets a mini-makeover with this cute polka-dotted shower curtain.
Zebra Print 2' x 8' Runner (buy it now price, $27.49)
This long rug is a fun alternative to a traditional Persian runner and will jazz up the bare wood floors of our hallway.
Set of Two Ribbon-Edged Drapes (buy it now price, $139.99)
Curtains trimmed with red ribbon will be an elegant and stylish addition to the living room.
Set of Two Green Throw Pillow Covers (buy it now price, $9.98)
These silky taffeta pillowcases will add just enough pattern and color to spruce up our bed.
Black Storage Bench (buy it now price, $91.99)
Perfect for an entryway, this bench offers both a seat for guests to remove their boots, and two cute storage baskets where I can neatly tuck away my kids' playground toys when we return from the park.
Ikea Pendant lamp (buy it now price, $34.95)
This striking ceiling light is a hip alternative to a chandelier for our dining room.
Set of Two Brushed Nickel Table Lamps (buy it now price, $44.99)
Interior designers often advise to include pairs of home accessories in rooms to convey a pleasing sense of symmetry. These cool-looking table lamps will flank our sofa.
Vintage Road Map (buy it now price, $7.99)
Antique maps work well as affordable wall art. This one from 1965 harks back to the era of Mad Men (yes, my favorite TV show!) and references our family's home state, New York.