Trying how to make your apartment feel like home? Here are a few tips to help you!
These days, apartments are becoming more and more common, particularly in urban centers for young and even couples, which is not always bad as it lets you test out a new neighborhood.
I live in a place where most of the people live in rented flats, including myself. We still don’t have our own place, so until we do I love my rental apartment and I always find ways to make it feel like home.
I always noticed what these apartments often lack are warm, lived-in vibes of permanent dwellings. But imagine, what if this is going to be your abode for the next couple of years, so decide to decorate it in a way that will make you comfortable and relaxed.
The temptation to do nothing to somewhere you know will never be yours can be a little overpowering.
That’s an understandable emotion, but trust me you will soon get bored of those bare walls and empty room if you don’t desire to decorate it to make it feel like home.
Just because you live in an apartment, does not mean it can’t be made comfortable and cozy like home. Luckily, all it takes is a little clever styling to make any house feel like home.
9 Ways on How To Make Your Apartment Feel Like Home
Whilst most apartment landlords will insist upon minimal changes to the property, there are still huge tweaks you can do to personalize and customize your living space to make it a little more comfortable and home-like.
Here are simple 9 ways on how to make your apartment feel like home!
Know What Your Boundaries Are
The very first thing is to know what you’re allowed to do and what not. By this I mean most rented apartments come with their own rules and regulations.
Many landlords, as mentioned earlier, are not keen on tenants doing their own thing. It is always better to check the terms of your lease to find out if you are allowed to make renovations to the apartment, and if yes, what kind of decoration you can do.
Many times it is unlikely to be allowed to tamper with fixed fixates and fittings in kitchen and bathrooms, so ask beforehand so you don’t get into the trouble later.
After that, you can start with your own plan for decorating your rental. And anyone who has ever moved into a property that once housed a group of students will understand exactly the landlord’s reluctance to encourage too much freedom with a paintbrush!
Plan Your Transformation
Once you’ve established what you can and cannot do in your new home, you can start planning your remodeling. How far you can decorate your space, totally depends on your budget and the size of your apartment.
It is always best to make a budget plan before doing any changes to your apartment that fits your allowances. You can now start planning your home décor project. There many ways you can do it. I highly recommend joining Pinterest, as there are various ideas you can find to remodel your rental home.
You can search ‘how to decorate an apartment’ or ‘rental apartment decorating ideas’ and you will find a countless number of ideas on how to make your apartment feel like home, comfortable and satisfying.
Make Your Apartment Less Cramped
It is not always easy to decorate a rental apartment as the biggest challenge one has to face is the space – that right, they’re small! Some studio apartments are often little more than large closets.
Still, there are clever ways you can employ to make most of that space you have and for that de-cluttering is the first step. Make sure you have already decided what goes in and out of your home. Get rid of the items and stuff you don’t need and which will probably only clutter your space.
If you’re looking for ways to declutter your home quickly, here are some steps to declutter your home in a weekend!
Your furnishing also plays a role here. Make use of things which take less space, for instance, instead of buying a whole dressing table, invest in a large mirror with some racks you can fix on your walls to save space.
Choose wisely the furniture that opens out space, such as armless chairs or couches. Keep any furniture you bring small and compact and keep colors in the lighter in shades. You can always invest in shelves for storage where you can add items of décor, and this will serve the purpose of de-cluttering and decoration both.
Pick A Theme For Your Apartment
There are many ways to learn how to make your apartment feel like home, one of them is the theme you pick for your home. If you want your apartment to stand out, make sure you choose the right theme color depending on the space you have got.
Try to find a good theme and color of your choice, and make things nicely coordinated, so your home doesn’t look like the mishmash of junk. While you select one theme for your home, you can exclude your kids’ room and decorate it the way they want. I have an article that might help you with decorating your kids’ space.
You can visit Pinterest or search your local shops and can find some gems to enhance your theme. You could get yourself a new rug and bedding and decorate your home in accordance with them.
Visit my Pinterest Board ‘Homemaking Tips‘ to see more ideas on the decoration of your home.
Lighten Up Your Space
Even the saddest little space can be transformed with the right light. Whether its fake or natural, ambient lighting will make your home a relaxing place to be.
A key tip that most of the interior designers often pass on to clients is to use lighting, which means opening out windows by dumping dark curtains or blinds and instead of using drapes or lighter fabrics to let as much daylight flood into a house as possible.
All you have to do is put a bit of work in and your apartment will be really special! You can also invest in standing lamp strategically both to lighten and dress the room or updating tired lampshades, replacing bulbs or using candles, contributing to a variety of lighting will make your home a relaxing place to be.
Mirrors, when used correctly reflect the natural light, which will make space feel bigger. Using floor-length mirrors, group mirrors together, or create a fake window with a mirror by placing it so that it reflects an already-existing window will work wonders. You can purchase them from a shop or online store, or simply DIY.
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Get A Nice Wall Paint
Most landlords will allow you to paint as long as you do not use dark colors. It just needs to be a color that can be easily painted over later for new tenants. Remember, painting the walls of any room can change its character and the look of the entire flat.
If you’re sure your landlord is ok with you painting your walls then there is no better way to make your home, feel lively by adding color or your choice to your walls. The rule for painting your walls is again the same for buying big and cramped furniture– consider if you can live with this for a long time and make sure it makes rooms look spacious and bigger.
Try painting a wall in a pretty pastel, as this will give your space a pop of color and make it feel like your own. Or go with white and add frames or shelves to make them lively.
Now there is another safe way, that’s the wall stickers – the renter’s greatest friend. They’re also great for kids’ rooms! You can simply stick them on the walls and remove them later if you have small kids scrambling here and there.
They are removable and the best part is they leave no marks on your walls. You can create a feature wall to stand out and make the apartment more personal. You can pick any pattern of your choice, but again it shouldn’t be too bold if you have a small space.
Get Creative With Your Wall
Once you have painted your wall, the next step is to decorate it. To make an apartment feel like home, it can be decorated with photographs of family members or even memories from the past. You can be as creative as you want, from adding photographs to wall lights to give your flat a nice look.
The choices are limitless; you can add some photos in beautiful frames to your walls or Maybe try a wall sconce or some other simple artwork around the rooms of your home. If you are away from your home, you can decorate your walls with a flag or posters from your home state or country.
Just adding a few pieces to your walls here and there you can make your apartment feel like home. You can add pictures of your memory or travel on string lights and your wall will look stunning.
Add Some Life With Plants
Having indoor plants is an excellent way you can make your apartment feel like home. It freshens up your space and tends to liven up the area and give the space a comforting feel. The choice is yours to use live plants or even faux plants.
You can check your local plant nursery for plants of your choice. You can place larger ones in the living room while small ones can easily go into your rooms on desks or bedside tables. Investing in hanging plants will also sparkle up your apartment.
A few great places to add plants are window sills, desks or tables, hanging in the kitchen or on living room walls, or other brightly lit areas of your home. If you want very well priced live or faux plants you can visit Ikea, they tend to have a good collection. These plants will bloom indoor, giving a nice colorful look to your living space.
DIY Your Own Space
Another way of jazzing up your space without spending too much money is to DIY. This can be anything but it will give your home a real personal touch. If you’re good at the arts, you can do some paintings or drawings to put on a wall.
Join your kids in this a create abstract art, it will a great piece of activity as well. Or else, you can paint your own items! You can paint your wardrobe of the chest of drawers with paint or stencils, adding a boost of vibrant colors. There are so many DIY options on YouTube to search for.
On the other hand, if this is not your thing, you can search on the Internet some great pictures, add them to a frame and there you go. In addition, get some nice photographs of special memories, not only will it make the place special for you, but also make you look really cool and spectacular.
It’s not just, words that can be just as powerful. You can put some quotations that inspire you, some motivational or love quotes relevant to your interests.
Alternatively, you can choose famous words of artists, motivational speakers, actors, or anything that really takes your fancy. Just download them, print and frame them and it will cost you less than a penny. It is as easy as it sounds.
Final Thoughts
What makes a rental apartment home is to fill it with things that represent you. Choose things that bring joy to make your apartment feel like home. It is always more than simply a roof over your head. And so, it deserves your attention and your love, too.
I really hope you liked my simple ways on how to make your apartment feel like home. If you’re living in a rental apartment or going to get one, what are your plans and how are you going to decorate it?
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I am the Wife, Mommy, & Blogger behind All Moms Blog learning to run my own home and raise up kids while chasing my dreams. I work to support, inspire, and encourage moms in the journey of motherhood to make their lives easier without losing your sanity.
This is a fantastic blog post. So essential. I love when you said to make your apartment less cramped. I always try to embrace minimalism in the best way and place everything I own in my storage building. I own my own home right now, but I did have an apartment several times and I would place my belongings into a storage unit.
Hi, Sarah! Thank you. I’m glad you found the post helpful. I am totally a minimalist and that’s what makes my small apartment spacious and comforting. It is important to get rid of clutter to save your own sanity as well.
The pictures are so inspiring. I like the declutter look of all the spaces and the use of light colors to make the rooms bigger. Really good, affordable, and practical tips.
Hi, Marisabel! Thank you. So glad you found the post helpful.
Love the idea of having indoor plants! Thanks for sharing.
Hi, Kelly! Indoor plants are great for getting enough oxygen, boosting freshness and healthy living. Apart from being good for health, they are great looking decorative stuff.