Finding your own apartment to live in is an exhilarating moment. You’re now living on your own, and you now have to pay for rent as stated in your rental agreement using your own money. In a way, having your own apartment makes you feel like a true, independent adult.
But at the same time, having an apartment of your own is a challenge in and of itself for two reasons. One, the rent price can get astronomically exorbitant — particularly if you live in the city. And two you now have to decorate the space in a way that reflects your lifestyle and personality — and decorating any space can be costly as well if you’re not careful enough.
So, how exactly do you make your apartment uniquely yours without losing all the money you have? Here are some helpful tips for you.
Purchase Removable Wallpaper, Decals, and Art for Your Walls
The walls are probably the first things you’ll notice when you enter your apartment, so it’s not exactly appealing if you constantly go home to a room of blank, white walls. Because of this, you must splash some color and art on them.
Fortunately for you, removable wallpapers and wall arts exist. You can find them readily available in online stores like Etsy and your nearest Walmart store. And aside from being easily removable, they are cheap as well.
Take Advantage of Mirrors
Unless you can afford to rent a penthouse or something, apartments are generally small spaces. So, even before you start searching for your own place, you should already be realistic as UMoveFree suggests — and expect that your apartment will probably be the size of your childhood bedroom.
However, that doesn’t mean you can manipulate the space into appearing bigger. This is when mirrors come into play.
Mirrors have been proven to make any room look bigger than its actual size. This is because mirrors create an illusion of depth — an effect made by reflecting the light and color all over the room — so they can trick the eye into thinking that there is more space when really, there isn’t.
Because of this, you have to use mirrors to your advantage. You probably already have some in your possession, and you can also purchase more of them for a low price. Display them all over your apartment, and your place will appear bigger in no time.
Add Some More Lights to Your Place
The built-in lighting fixtures in your apartment are probably not enough to illuminate the place. For this reason, you should contemplate buying more lamps. The affordable ones will work just fine.
The key to lighting a room is to think in layers — from the bottom to the top. So, add some floor lighting and accent lighting to really make your apartment glow.
Get Crazy with Accessories
Before having your apartment, you most likely have some stuff in your possession. This can be some picture frames, books, throw pillows, throw rugs, etc.
If you own these already, then you should decorate your apartment using them. There’s no better way to add personality to a rental space than to place some of your personal accessories all over.
Get a Plant or Two
Want to make your apartment even more vibrant? Then consider getting a plant or two. Doing this will immediately add life and color to your place.
Of course, taking care of plants can be tricky to manage, so if you’re not sure if you can handle serious plant nurturing, you can start with self-sufficient plants, like cactus and succulents. They’re not high maintenance, and they look really pretty as well.
Conclusion
Decorating an apartment can be demanding in terms of energy and money — but this doesn’t have to be the case. There are ways to spruce up your place without breaking the bank.
The aforementioned tips are some of the tested and proven methods in apartment decorating, so you should pick which ones you like best and implement them on your own decorating journey. Once you do, the apartment will be brimming with life and personality in no time.