Renting an apartment offers tenants the chance to live in a space with a high degree of flexibility and a low level of maintenance and upkeep. For this reason, as many as 35% of Americans rent their living space, creating a total of 43,018,000 renter households in the United States. However, even with the wide variety of cheap apartments and apartment floor plans available in any given area, you may find yourself wondering how you could make a rented space feel like home. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to personalize your new place without violating your apartment lease agreement. Just use these apartment decor tips!
Use Removable or Adhesive Decorations
A lot of landlords don’t allow their tenants to paint or wallpaper their walls for fear of winding up with an unattractive that might be difficult to rent later on. The same goes for other permanent changes to your apartment decor, like new kitchen or bathroom tiling: unless the landlord approves, it’s likely not going to fly. With removable wallpaper, which is easy to apply and remove, you can get the look you want and even change the style as you see fit. Tile stickers can also add a fresh touch to your kitchen or bathroom. There are even “instant granite” adhesives available that can cover up unsightly countertops.
Fake Your Way to More Space
You may not have an entire house to spread your belongings around, but there are a number of ways to make your new place seem roomy. First, try strategically placing a number of large mirrors around to catch light and make the place seem bigger. Second, get creative with your storage: after getting rid of any unnecessary clutter, look for furniture like chests, storage ottomans and even old suitcases that can serve as seats, tables and decorations while keeping your apartment organized.
DIY Old Furniture
Customize your apartment decor on a budget by finding old furniture and painting, lacquering and swapping out hardware until it looks new. This is a great way to create tables, dressers, desks, and more that matches your overall design, but if you find that you need more counter space, you can also refinish an old kitchen or bar cart. Just remember to sand away any existing finish before you start painting, and apply a type of water-based lacquer, polyurethane or clear paste wax when you’re done to preserve your work.
A key component of an enjoyable living space is a style that makes you feel comfortable, allowing you to recharge in between work and other responsibilities. While decorating an apartment can seem like a challenge, there are actually a number of ways to make the place you’re renting feel like yours. Once you’ve found the perfect apartment for you, follow the tips above to start feeling at home! Read more here.
