As a renter, you probably don’t have the choice to renovate your living space. You might even have limitations on hanging artwork or painting the walls. Fortunately, there’s still plenty you can do to dress up even a small apartment and make it feel like home. Follow these apartment living tips and decorating ideas to create a stylish, comfortable living space.
- Inspect the unit carefully upon move-in: Before you get decorating, make sure you write down and submit to your landlord any existing damage or flaws so you’re not held liable when you move out.
- Dress the windows: If hanging curtains is an option, do so immediately after moving in. The right window coverings add style, privacy, and light control to help you optimize your living space.
- Mount temporary decals: You might not be able to paint the walls, but you can personalize them with temporary decals. You can even cover unattractive bathroom tiles with removable vinyl decals that completely transform the space.
- Replace light fixtures: Switching out a dull flush-mount light fixture with an attractive hanging pendant is an easy, reversible way to personalize your apartment.
- Clean regularly: Nothing disrupts a beautifully decorated apartment like an unmade bed or dishes piled in the sink. Take pride in your living space no matter its size to help your home look its best.
- Get creative with storage: Space comes at a premium when you’re in a small apartment, so you may need to store things creatively. Think collapsible furniture, bookcase headboards, storage ottomans, coffee tables with drawers, and more. Also, utilize the space under the bed, on the backs of doors, above cabinets, and on windowsills.
- Maximize vertical space: Utilizing the full height of your apartment with floor-to-ceiling shelves gives you a place to store and display books, photos, and treasures without taking up much square footage. Such shelving can even mimic the expensive look of built-ins if you get the measurements right.
- Make an art gallery: If you have permission to poke holes in the walls, create your own art gallery by hanging photos, paintings, and other framed artwork. Use removable adhesive strips to appease your landlord, if needed.
- Hang mirrors: A good small apartment decorating idea is to hang mirrors to reflect light and make the room look larger.
- Define living spaces with rugs and furniture arrangements: If your apartment has an open floor plan, lay area rugs and group furniture together to create zones without resorting to room dividers, which can make the space feel claustrophobic.
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