Your rental should be your sanctuary, and we have tips to help you make it that way.
Simple shelving staggered for a unique look works as a rotating display you might quickly update.
Fill the space with pieces you love to help make it your own.
Credit: Kim Cornelison
Choose a furniture piece for every room to be the focal point.
Hang hooks for stashing hats, purses, or light jackets.
Choose a unit with a shelf on top for grab-and-go items like your keys and sunglasses.
Credit: Scott Little
Finish the setupby hanging a large mirrorfor last-minute touch-ups on your way out the door.
Maximize Small Kitchen Storage
Apartments are notorious for having minuscule kitchens.
Maximize vertical space to take advantage ofevery inch of kitchen storage.
Credit: Maria-Carla Atencio
Use the upper shelves for lesser-used items you don’t need to access as often.
Keep items organized to avoid a cluttered look that will make the space feel smaller.
Use Peel-and-Stick Tiles
Finding non-permanent apartment decorating ideas is key to making a rental feel like home.
Credit: David Tsay
Instead,use peel-and-stick tilesthat are easy to apply and remove when needed.
Choose a small area, such as the wall above the sink, to keep costs low.
Use the design as a jumping-off point for other bath features,including towels, washcloths, and shelving.
Credit: The Wilde Project
Drape Your Space in Decor
Add luxury to a rental withgorgeous draperies.
For extra privacy, you could also use drapes to separateshared spaces, like bedrooms or offices.
Trick the Eye with Built-In Storage
Some vintage apartment buildings havegorgeous built-ins, ideal for storing necessities.
Credit: Kat Teutsch
If allowed in your building,install moldingsaround the tops of the shelves to reinforce the built-in look.
Tuck the bed in between two bookshelf units for a custom look.
When overnight guests come, this apartment decorating idea gives them a comfortable place to sleep.
Credit: Kim Cornelison Photography
Keep a large basket nearby forstoring extra linensto make the transition from sofa to bed easy.
Spiff Up a Studio
These smart studio apartment decorating ideas will make your all-in-one dwelling seem cozier.
Stick with aconsistent color palettefrom the kitchen to the bedroom.
Credit: Helen Norman
Similarly, repeat finishes and materials to create a cohesive look.
Employrugs to anchor different zonesand provide visual boundaries between areas to designate living, dining, and cooking spaces.
Go up and use a loft for sleeping.
Credit: Werner Straube
Thisdisplay of printsis installed withneon pinkwashi tape, proving that temporary can be clever.
Mixing mostly black prints with lighter images brings depth to the casual arrangement.
This technique works especially well inboho and eclectic homeswhere getting creative is the key to maintaining the look.
Credit: Kimberly Gavin
Use the furniture colors as a springboard for other apartment decorating ideas to incorporate into your space.
Repeat the colors on accessories and fabrics to keep them pulled together.
And as long as you’re updating the furniture with new paint, invest innew hardwarefor a complete makeover.
Credit: Brie Williams
Look Down for Inspiration
You’re often stuck with whatever finishes are in place in a rental.
Dress up your windows with easy DIY curtains.
This no-sew project can be done in a weekend!
Credit: Nicolas Gourguechon
Striped curtains you make yourself are a fun way to update dull windows without breaking the bank.
Decide if the room is large enough to divide into zones for a more functional space.
Then, get creative.
Credit: Brie Williams
The space on the other sideof the sofa can be used as an office or dining area.
Place a console behind the couch for storage to serve both zones.
Bring personality to your apartment with plenty of funthrow pillows.
Credit: Michael Partenio
Maximizing what you already have eliminates the need for additional storage units that can make a room feel cramped.
Stackable or pull-outstorage in a bathroomvanity fills the vertical space and organizes necessities.Utilize behind-the-door storageto maximize bathroom cabinets.
Hide Storage Out-of-Sight
A crisply-skirted table provides an apartment decorating idea that adds both style and function.
Credit: Greg Scheidemann
Beneath the fabric, you could use the open space or shelves for out-of-sight storage.
Make your skirted fabric a focal point in the room by choosing a bold pattern or bright color.
Include More Than One Accent Color
Neutral wallscan be a challenge to apartment decorating ideas.
Credit: David A Land
But rather than complain, use the sea of beige to your advantage.
Then, add a strategic punch of color.
Stick to a two-color scheme and place the colorful elements so the eye travels around the room.
Credit: The Wilde Project
Layer Area Rugs
Layering gives a ho-hum apartment a touch of sophistication.
Take this trick to the floor with a duo of area rugs.
Rather than cringe at something you don’t like, embrace it and find a workaround.
Credit: Kim Cornelison
Try a blue-green with powder blue tile or sherbet orange with salmon-color tile.
Enlist Space-Saving Ideas
The most effective space-saving apartment decorating ideas rely on multipurpose solutions.
Invest in a large, multifunctional bookcase that will servemultiple storage needs.
Credit: Kat Teutsch
Reflect the Sunlight
In any small space,using mirrorsis a decorating trick that works wonders.
They reflect light and make a space feel bigger.
Dine in Style
A cramped eating space can be dinner party-worthy with a few innovative strategies.
Credit: Shaun Sullivan
Use clear chairs or a glass-top table to expand the space and make it feel bigger visually.
If your dining area has a chandelier, see if you cancover the bare bulbs with shades.
Shades will diffuse the light, softening the glow.
Credit: Edmund Barr
Opt for Portable Furniture
Usecolorful garden stoolsas impromptu coffee tables or bedside tables.
Ottomans are also an apartment decorating idea that’s helpful for additional seating and tray-topped tables.
Watch as he shares the small apartment decorating ideas he used to make his own home look fabulous.
Credit: Richard Leo Johnson
Embrace these inspiring ideas and customize them for your own decorating needs.
Find Spots for Storage
This apartment decorating idea uses awkward features in a clever way.
Tap odd corners or small closets for storage or a cozy seating area for one.
Credit: Michael Partenio
The bright curtains add tons of personal style to a basic apartment.
A slender table with a drawer can be used for storage and as extra counter space.
A sturdy chair is aperch for clean towels.
Credit: Anthony Masterson
Brighten up a white bathroom with plenty of color to get your day started in a cheerful way.
The bigger mats will provide much-needed white space for an activedisplay and viewing.
Choose photos that make you happy and tell visitors what matters most to you for an extra personal touch.
Credit: Michael Partenio
Repurpose Familiar Items
Hampers can hold more than dirty clothes.
Use them around your apartment to stash umbrellas and hats, extra linens, orkids' toys.
Here, a basket clips to theside of the hamperto corral hats and scarves.
Credit: King Au
Invest in lamps to place on end tables, nightstands, and occasional tables.
Positionfloor lampsto illuminate dark corners and hang plug-in sconces in hallways or above sofas.
Plug-inundercabinet lightingwill give your kitchen work areas new life and make cooking easier.
Credit: Richard Leo Johnson
Select baskets that coordinate with theroom’s style.
This helps functional storage read as stylish decor.
Upgrade the Lighting
David Land
Good lighting is one of the most influential elements of a space.
Credit: David Prince
The first thing to do: swap out bright, cool lights with warmer, soft LED ones.
Second: consider swapping out a light fixture or two with something more modern or style-forward.
you’re able to even find plug-in pendants and chandeliers.
Credit: Jay Wilde
(Just remember to patch up the walls before you move out.)
Paint orpeel-and-stick wallpaperis a great way to improve the design of your walls.
Credit: Michael Partenio
Credit: John Bessler
Credit:David Land
