Three Tips for Decorating a New Apartment
Apartment hunting is a famously difficult task, especially if you live in a city where public housing is scarce. However, with some diligence and research, you will find apartments that meet both your budget and your lifestyle. But once you’ve signed the apartment lease agreement and are standing in your new apartment, your next step will likely seem less clear. How do you make this space your own? After all, while you can access many benefits when you rent an apartment, you are often limited in terms of decoration and renovation. Fortunately, by asking the right questions, finding some creative solutions and using some elbow grease, you’ll be able to build your new home. Read on to learn how you can get started!
First, Talk to Your Landlord
In a perfect world, any work your new apartment needs, like cleaning and basic repairs, will be completed before you moved in. Unfortunately, in the real world, this isn’t always the case. For this reason, ask your landlord or property manager about fixing that dripping sink or humming refrigerator if they are bothering you. You might worry about labeling yourself a needy tenant right off the bat, but the worst thing they can say is no. However, don’t forget that they probably spent as much time looking for tenants as you did trying to find apartments; they have a reason to keep you happy. Make any requests politely but firmly, try to be reasonable in your expectations, and don’t forget to ask about their rules on painting and other changes.
Add Some Color and Pattern
If you are allowed to paint your apartment, take advantage of this ability: disguise or modify any features you aren’t crazy about, whether this means repainting the bedroom or even the floor. If you aren’t allowed to paint, consider buying removable wallpapers, floor decals and other temporary changes to get a similar effect. However, if you don’t have the time or energy to paint or add removable paper, invest in window treatments, fun wall tapestries and other simpler, smaller projects. These products will help add color, texture and style, helping you feel more at home.
Accessorize
While you were trying to find apartments, you probably saw a lot of units where the decorating style of the current resident either appealed to you or completely disagreed with your own taste. Here’s your chance to get something good out of this process: add plants, pictures and artwork, furniture, bedding and other things to make the space your own. The look can be as simple or as intricate as you want, and you can spend as much or as little as you see fit: there are plenty of different products and options available, which allows people with a variety of different budgets to decorate their homes according to their own personal style. Lacking direction or inspiration? Search online for designs of homes both large and small to find out what appeals to you.
Are you trying to find apartments, or have you recently rented a place? Have you thought about how you will make the place feel like home? Tell us about it in the comments below!
