META: Are you living in an apartment that doesn’t fit you? Maybe it’s too small, bland, or simply doesn’t feel right.
Are you living in an apartment that doesn’t fit you? Maybe it’s too small or too bland, or simply doesn’t feel right. Take a look at our tips to make your apartment your home.
Multi-function Your Furniture
The main problem for us who live in apartments is a lack of space, and the best way to save space is to be careful with what furniture you buy. A table is never just a table anymore. It’s a storage unit, or it folds away, or it’s actually an art piece. Try and find pieces that serve at least two purposes. That can be simple enough when most furniture comes with “hidden storage”, which is particularly useful if you’re in a small space.
Buy a daybed that folds away or a loft bed that lifts above a desk or storage. Buy an ottoman with storage or drawers with wheels that roll under your bed. Buy a bookcase with a pull-down desk or a mirror with storage behind it.
There are a lot of options out there that will provide space or another function and save you money on two pieces of furniture.
Add Some Color
As we go on to mention, apartments, particularly rented apartments, tend to be painted white to appeal to everyone. This can get quite oppressive and cold, depending on what you think about white, so you’ll naturally be thinking of ways to better introduce color into your home without making a change that the landlord will have a problem with. But remember that before making any home improvements for your rental apartment, you need to speak to your landlord.
There are more options than ever when it comes to this problem. Renter-friendly vinyl floor tiles, backsplash tiles, wallpaper, and more are all hitting the market, giving you more options than ever.
Additionally, you can add color to your décor. Get a cover for your couch cushions. Add a fun throw or a bright rug. Add accent colors to every piece of décor you buy, or even paint your furniture to upgrade it.
Make it a Safe Space
Your home is where you want to come to unwind. With mental health the way it is, that’s easier said than done. Now, we’re not saying switching up your décor is going to fix any clinical problems, but it can help lift your mood a little.
We all know the healing power of nature. Every problem seems to be prescribed a walk in the park. So, consider adding plants to your home to really let the room breathe. They can oxygenate the room, improving air quality and therefore helping you feel calmer. There is also research that says that caring for your plants boosts your mood and reduces stress.
Other tips include surrounding your home with friendly faces, decluttering, adding pleasing textures, etc. Additionally, natural light is known to brighten a mood and your home, so you might want to maximise that.
Maximize Natural Light
An apartment usually has quite limited window space. You’ve got buildings on either side or in front, and no sunroof with neighbours above you. That means you really have to take advantage of what little you get.
There are a lot of ways you can maximize natural light, like painting the room white, which luckily a lot of renters already have due to the fact that white paint makes a room look bigger and landlords have jumped on that trend. You can also add mirrors for light to bounce off and replace your heavy-set curtains with mesh curtains.
If you’re worried about privacy, consider blurring your windows with film or glue. They tend to be removable and easy enough to do yourself – and therefore are renter-friendly. Plus, when the light hits them right you can get some nice rainbows.
Or Indulge in a Passion
One trend that is taking over is the idea of the function room. It might have started with the idea of a reading nook, or a home gym, but it has expanded into just about every hobby. If you have a spare room, you can fill it with whatever makes you happy.
At the moment, listening rooms are taking off, with instruments, quality sound systems and comfy chairs for you to simply enjoy music in your own space, but there is also the idea of a games room, a walk-in wardrobe, and plenty more.
