So you found an apartment and now you want to make it feel more like home without spending a fortune. Trademark white walls and overhead lighting in some rental properties leave a lot to be desired, and decorating can be a challenge when your options are limited by rental rules.
So what’s a renter with style and a small budget to do? Whether your taste is traditional, eclectic, minimalist or kitsch, it’s possible to create a desirable living space without spending a fortune when you use a little creativity. Here are 5 ways to decorate your apartment on a budget.
1. Decide on your color scheme and stick to it to give your apartment a polished look. Mixing contrasting colors with white walls will make the space feel more open. Cool colors like green, turquoise, blue, and purple can make a room feel more spacious and elegant. Warm colors like orange, yellow, and red can make a space feel cozy and intimate.
2. Make your windows a work of art. There are numerous ways to creatively dress up your windows without costing a fortune.
Before you begin, measure your windows (starting from where you will install the curtain rod). This will help you determine how much fabric you will need (check with a local fabric store to help you determine how much fabric you will need for this project)
- Look for a basic, medium-weight fabric like cotton or a cotton-linen blend so it’s easy to work with. Bright colors or patterns will give a refreshing contrast to the drab white walls in your apartment.
- To make your ceilings appear higher, hang curtains 6 to 10 inches above the window.
- Check with a DIY website for easy sewing tips on simple curtains. If you don’t sew, you can always use duct tape.
- Hang your homemade curtains with inexpensive clip rings that can be purchased at most hardware stores or at any Target or Walmart.
- If you want an even easier window treatment, you can of course buy inexpensive pre-made curtains at most stores. Fabric shower curtains are another option and are easy to install. You can even make a window valance out of a scarf or tablecloth.
2. Bring in rugs to add more color. If you’re decorating on a budget, an area rug (or 2) is a great buy. Look for deals online and at discount stores like IKEA, thrift stores, or resale sites like eBay or CraigsList. Once you find the right rug to match your color scheme, place it in the middle of the room to frame your space.
3. Choose light and functional furniture (if possible).
Chances are you probably don’t have a budget to buy all new furniture. For many of us apartment dwellers, our furniture chooses us when we inherit pieces from our relatives. Despite popular belief, you don’t need as much furniture as you think.
- Remember: as soon as you move, you will eventually have to move. So go light and stick with the essential pieces: a few living room pieces for seating and storage, a dining table, a bed, and a dresser is all you need to get started.
- You can find great deals on used furniture at thrift stores or resale sites like CraigsList.
- If you buy a sofa from a thrift store, consider covering it with an inexpensive slipcover in a soft or muted color that matches your accent colors. Repurposing furniture from a thrift store is also a great way to go green.
- If you must buy new furniture, look for some that you can put together yourself (IKEA is a great place to find them). This will make moving in and out easier.
- Make your own cushions in the same color scheme as your curtains to match the look of your living room and bedroom.
- Go to your local discount store or dollar store for more basic items like cookware, trash cans, and more.
4. Get creative with storage. Rental properties typically don’t have a lot of space to work with, and storage is often a challenge.
- The first step is to take a big inventory of your things before you move. If you have an object or article of clothing that you haven’t worn in over a year (and it has no sentimental value), donate it, give it away, or sell it.
- Consider using kitchen counter walls for storage by hanging a line of hooks near the ceiling to organize pots and pans. You can also mount a magnetic strip to store knives.
- Visit the Container Store or IKEA and make a small investment in attractive storage containers that can be openly displayed on shelves.
- Add asymmetrical shelving along one wall to provide ample storage space for books and household knick-knacks (as an added bonus, it’ll also be a designer piece in its own right).
- When choosing your furniture, try to find pieces that also have storage, such as poufs, side tables, coffee tables, trundle beds or benches.
5. Cover up those standard white walls and ceiling lights with DIY art ideas!
- Add soft lighting throughout the apartment with affordable lamps with ribbon-edged lampshades for a custom designer look.
- Hang a scarf or square of neat fabric on the ceiling above a drab, dull lamp. The fabric hangs low enough that it doesn’t get hot or burnt, and the pretty colored light shines underneath.
- Staple the fabric onto a bulletin board. Hang it on the wall and fix your favorite photos on it.
- Plants add instant life to an apartment and are inexpensive. Check with a local houseplant nursery for suggestions that best fit your space. An added bonus: plants clean the air and give your apartment a fresh smell.
- Hang framed DYI artwork at eye level with inexpensive frames from a craft store. Use disposable hooks such as 3M Command Picture Hanging Strips.
- Create instant art with high-resolution digital photos; a display of artistic postcards in matching frames or scrapbook paper in trendy colors and patterns.