It’s late at night and you find yourself scrolling through yet another beautiful Instagram feed from your favorite home decor blogger. Why did I pick an apartment? I can’t decorate or personalize anything. That’s what you’re probably saying. Or you’re might be asking: When will I get a chance to have this kind of beautiful place? No worries. Even if you’ve chosen a life of temporary closeness with your neighbors there is still hope. 

 

More than ever landlords are allowing a few amenities to apartment design plans. Also, white paint comes in so many different shades these days. Many landlords allow tenants to paint walls in neutral white and sometimes even pastels shades. You’ll need to check with your landlord to confirm the individual rules. We’re going to cover 8 tips for decorating your apartment in this article. Let’s get started.

No decor scheme anywhere is going to work unless you know what you want in a design plan. This includes both homeowners and renters. Browse your favorite magazines and blogs of your favorite designers. You’ll get tons of inspiration from these masters of design. Take as much time as needed to gain an idea of your individual design style. We have a quiz to help you out with this step. Click here to take our style quiz.

Again before you can even start bringing new items into your floor plan, the area must be neat and clean. If stacks of magazines from 10 years ago litter your living room floor then it’s going to be hard to add new structural items. Here are some questions to ask yourself. Who will be using the space? What type of activities will take place in each room? Are there kids? Do you need a home office? Now is the time to think about the answers to these questions.

That includes windows, baseboards, kitchen walls, appliances, the works. Think of these things as your canvas. Every artist starts with a clean sheet of paper, right? This tip piggybacks on the end of tips number one and two and should very well go without saying. However, so many clients skip this step just to find out it was a very important one. Don’t be this person. You’ll thank me later for asking you to follow tips 1 through 3 before moving on to the next ones.

Yes, there is such a thing even for an all-white room. White paint comes in all shades and intensities these days. You need to know what appeals to you. KLDesigns can help you with this part of the plan. The paint scheme has to match your design style. That rug you’re oozing over needs to bring elements of your design style into play while creating a cohesive room. Throw pillows should reflect your design style and add splashes of color that can’t be achieved via paint. And if you followed our suggestions in tips 1-3 then you’re ready to tackle this portion of the plan like a pro. 

Unless you’ve lived under a rock over the past decade then you’ll know Pinterest is the happening spot for design ideas. As creatures of habit,  we humans tend to gravitate towards things that catch our eye. Pinterest is mo different. Create a board targeted for the specific room you’d like to decorate. In this case, you’ll want to create one to cover the target rooms in your apartment. 

 

Pin photos of spaces that speak to you design-wise. Once you’ve collected a minimum of 25 pens at the very least, take a look at the pattern. This is usually the fastest and most efficient way to determine my clients’ styles. It also helps them validate their choices. If you’re having a hard time deciphering the pattern amongst the melee of all your pens then enlist the help of a designer. That’s what our eyes are trained to do… To make sense of the chaos.

This part of the process is where so many people get hung up. Apartment design falls within a different scope than a large home. The bottom line basics for what you need in a bedroom is a bed, at least one side table, and a dresser. If you don’t have a lot of windows, then you’ll need more lamps. 

 

For the living room, you need a couch, a coffee table, a side table if possible, and space for your entertainment center. Everything else falls under the wish list category. You should scrutinize the urge to add anything outside the above-mentioned guidelines with caution. Don’t justify impulse purchases. Stick to your design game plan and budget by buying the essential basic furniture pieces first.

Do you have a lot of visitors? Then you’re going to want to keep the area between the front doorway and the first couch in the living room clear. One of the most useful rules for decorative spacing is to keep at least 24 inches between pieces of furniture. If you followed the advice in the previous step, then this won’t be a problem. 

 

Does your room have a beautiful feature? We recently designed a small living room inside of what I nicknamed The Mountain House. The windows fell into a pattern that presented gorgeous views of the landscape. We enhanced this feature to the fullest extent of the design. Take a look at this photo to see what we mean.

 

Consider both the layout of your home and spatial needs when making plans for decorating. Dedicate one spot in each room to a gorgeous focal point.

This is perhaps the most important part of decorating your apartment… Taking time to enjoy your hard work. Look around and see all of the tips we mentioned in this article that have come to life around you. It feels great, doesn’t it? 

 

Here at KaSonndra Leigh Designs, we’ve helped several renters find their design mojo. We also have a package called the Airbnb plan for homeowners who are ready to take their whole house plans to the next level. This plan also works well for renters because it employs the design of several rooms at once. 

 

No matter which way you choose to go, whether it be on your own or with a professional interior designer, then keep in mind that your space ultimately reflects who you are as a person. This goes for both homeowners and renters alike.