Realistic Apartment Decorating Ideas That Are Renter-Friendly
Whether you are decorating your first apartment or are an apartment veteran, these realistic apartment decorating ideas will give you some inspiration for your next home decorating project. Decorating an apartment can be tricky when you aren’t able to do anything permanent and (if you’re like me) do not want to spend a significant amount of money on things like removable wallpaper or peel-and-stick tile that you will get rid of when you move to a different apartment in a year or two.
These realistic apartment decorating ideas are accessible for people on a budget and can be used from one apartment to the next. Read on for how to make your apartment feel like a home with these renter-friendly decorating ideas!
This post is all about realistic apartment decorating ideas.
How to decorate an apartment on a budget:
- Thrift the items that you can!!
- Take your time and buy high-quality pieces that you won’t get sick of/will stand the test of time
- DIY your own art
- Do your research and make a plan. Don’t buy impulsively!!
Realistic Apartment Decorating – Living Room
1. Opt For Floor-to-Ceiling Curtains to Elongate Your Space
Floor-to-ceiling curtains are a great piece of home decor to invest in because they make your space feel elevated and mature. Taking the time to find curtains that will fit perfectly floor-to-ceiling is definitely worth it because they will look custom to your home.
2. Use Large High-Quality Frames For Enlarged Photographs
Investing in high-quality large picture frames is a must for your apartment. Displaying your art in a nice frame will make it look more presentable and precious. To save money on art, find some pictures that you like and make large prints at FedEx or your local print shop. It will save you money while not looking cheap.
3. Incorporate Large Rugs with Color and/or Pattern
When you can’t control the color of the floors and walls in your apartment, get a large living room rug that incorporates pattern and/or color. With your rugs, you definitely want to go large to cover up as much floor as possible and so every piece of furniture can partially be on the rug.
4. Replace Ugly Apartment Lighting – this is easier than you think!
Chances are that your apartment comes with some really ugly light fixtures. The good news is these are easy to change out! You can find a lot of unique light fixtures on Etsy or Facebook Marketplace. All you need to do is watch a YouTube video, find a handy friend, or hire someone through Task Rabbit (I highly recommend this app!!) to install your light fixtures.
5. Invest in High-Quality Vintage Furniture Instead of Fast Furniture
If your small apartment is super modern, just plain in general, or kind of cheap-looking then you need to find some character and sophistication in your furniture! Investing in high-quality furniture will look better in your space than anything that you will buy on fast furniture websites like Wayfair, Target, and Amazon. If you are on a tight budget, the best way for you to find high-quality furniture is second-hand on places like Facebook Marketplace or estate sales. Take your time with furnishing your small apartment and buy unique high-quality pieces.
Realistic Apartment Decorating – Kitchen
6. Add In Open Shelving
If you do not have enough shelving in your small apartment kitchen then add in some open shelving. Adding in shelving can be very budget-friendly if you go to Home Depot and get wood cut to the size you need and brackets. Open shelving adds that lofty feeling which is perfect in a small apartment. It is a great opportunity to store your favorite dishware to double as wall decor.
7. Replace Outdated Cabinet Hardware
You would be surprised by what adding in some more modern cabinet hardware can do for an outdated kitchen. I am not gonna say it will make your kitchen look brand new but it definitely helps elevate the space a bit! This is a super easy and affordable option to upgrade a small kitchen and you can likely reuse the hardware in other apartment kitchens.
8. Add Some Texture With Patterned Dish Towels
Bring some color and character into a small kitchen with your dish towels! Don’t just buy any plain old pack of dish towels from HomeGoods. Instead, find some unique pattern or color that you like to add some interest to the space. Treat your dish towels like decorative pillows for your kitchen.
9. Use A Lamp In Your Kitchen To Add In Warm Lighting
You wouldn’t usually think to put in a lamp on your kitchen counter but I promise doing so will elevate the whole kitchen! The lighting that comes from a lamp will create a much cozier kitchen than overhead or recess light. I would suggest that you get a lamp with a bulky base so that you can hide the cord behind it.
Realistic Apartment Decorating – Bedroom
10. Upholster Your Own Headboard
Why are nice bedframes so effing expensive?? The way around making your bedroom look expensive without dropping a bunch of money is by buying a second-hand bedframe and upholstering it yourself with a nice fabric. It is super easy to upholster a bedframe yourself because you only see one side of it. All you need is a bedframe that you can find super cheap on Facebook marketplace, fabric, and a staple gun.
11. Brighten Your Room With Colorful/Patterned Bedding
Small apartment bedrooms are often plain white boxes which is why you need to bring in color and texture with your bedding. The mix-matched bedding look is way more interesting and curated than the all-white bedding!! If you look on websites like CB2 or Nickey Kehoe you will notice that they make their bedding feel designer by mixing and matching patterns, textures, and colors.
12. Use Mounted Sconces Instead of Table Lamps
Adding in a mounted bedside lamp is a great renter-friendly way to make your bedroom feel more personalized. There are a lot of unique and affordable sconces on Etsy that are easy to mount to your wall.
This post was all about realistic apartment decorating ideas!
Let me know if you have any good apartment decorating tips. If you enjoyed this post you may also like this post on how to cozy up your apartment living room!
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