8 Essential Tips For Designing Your First Apartment
We know just how overwhelming it can be to look at an empty apartment and decide what to do with it. People pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for someone else to do that for them, but the truth is, you can do it yourself, and probably better. Who knows your style better than you? And more importantly, who is living in that apartment for the next few years? The interior designer or you? Trust your intuition and follow these simple tips, and you’ll be on the road to your dream apartment in no time.
If you’re a renter, you probably won’t be doing any extensive renovations, but your decor doesn’t need a significant change to improve the space. It could be as easy as moving a chair into another room. Every single item in your home affects the overall mood.
When it comes to decorating your apartment, it’s essential to know what elements work well together and will leave the best effect on your space. For those seeking to enhance their place, consider these tips:
1
Make a small room feel larger
Design with furniture pieces that have distinct/substantial legs. This allows the eyes to continue beyond the piece’s body instead of coming to a halt at its base, which happens with lower-to-the-ground items. Glass or mirrored tables help the room/furniture from feeling heavy. Low-to-the-ground beds allow for ceilings to feel higher. White walls can help open a space, but try adding a dark color on one accent wall. This gives the appearance of more depth and will make any small space feel larger.
2
Choose colors & patterns wisely
Stick to similar shades and themes of colors/patterns to create a cohesive space throughout the rooms. Little patches of cohesion make the apartment feel whole and make it easy on the eyes. For example, the colors/texture of your nightstand is in the same theme as your coffee table/side tables. So when starting to pick out furniture, remember to have a color theme in mind for all the pieces.
3
Have a statement piece
A statement piece serves as a focal point/distraction from any other problematic areas. Statement pieces draw the eyes towards a specific area and take form in several ways. You can have a splashy rug, a boldly painted wall, an accent chair, or anything else you can imagine as a statement piece as long as it’s bold and can immediately catch your eyes.
4
Be clever with your storage
Utilize your storage to diminish the amount of clutter in your space. You can use shelves, bookcases, baskets, collapsible furniture, furniture with built-in storage, and pegboards to keep everything out of sight, neatly organized, and aesthetically pleasing.
5
Create a gallery wall
A gallery wall serves a couple of purposes: it adds depth and interest to the room, keeps things out of the way and on display, and fills the space with color and character. You can opt for framed posters, personal photos, paintings, mirrors, wall art, or any other forms of art you can find.
6
Use mirrors
Mirrors are great for reflecting light and opening space. Tall mirrors can make the ceiling feel higher, which opens the room—hanging a mirror near a window in a small room or bathroom to make the rooms feel bigger and brighter. Mirrors also have the power to bring illumination to dimmer parts of a room.
7
Modify what you’re given
You may not be able to tear down a wall or renovate a bathroom’s fixtures, but you can spruce it up with a bit of DIY. For example, cover an outlet out of place by hanging a painting on it, or any loose cables with cord covers.
8
Use area rugs
Area rugs define the separate spaces in a room, which is excellent for small apartments with open floor plans. The carpet in the living room is where social activity takes place, while the area rug near your bed defines the boundaries of your bedroom.
