Six Simple Decorating Ideas For Your Apartment
Summer is almost over (and that’s not an easy concept for most of us to grasp just yet) and in just a few weeks, we may start seeing the first signs of leaves changing color and some crisp, cooler nights hinting to the imminent arrival of Fall. And then, before we know it, “the holidays” start creeping up on us.
The transition period from one season to the next is often a time where people feel that ‘”itch” to make some home improvements. For some, the projects may be larger scale like paint jobs, furniture updates, or customized closets. But for the apartment dweller – where options to update, upgrade and improve the interior of the home may be more limited – it’s nice to keep an inspiration list of some quick, simple and less costly ways to spruce things up in your own personal space.
Mirrors – Hang a framed mirror in a room to create the illusion of space. The room will instantly feel more airy and open and if you can place it on a wall opposite a window, you’ll gain the added benefit of light reflecting around the room.
Cozy Corner – These spots are often neglected areas but have the potential to add a lot of warmth and personality to a room. Try a small curio or bookshelf made just for corners, or a standing lamp with an unusual lampshade. An Accent chair in a complimentary print or pattern, or a small indoor tree (or silk if you don’t have a green thumb) are all possibilities to turn that empty corner in your living or dining room into a real eye-catching conversation spot.
Smart Storage – Removing some clutter from a living space or bedroom is easy to do with a small multi-functional storage piece. Look for a great trunk that can double as a coffee table, or an upholstered ottoman that opens up to allow you to toss a spare blanket and some magazines or books that otherwise are left strewn on the couch.
Floating Shelves – Get those knickknacks, collectors items and framed family pictures up and away. Hang a few floating shelves to offer some new space for displaying these items at eye level when standing, to add new interest to your walls without investing in new artwork.
Musical Chairs – A simple shuffle around of the couch, love seat and side tables, or moving the bed to a different wall in the bedroom and re-positioning the other furniture is a completely no-cost way to create a new fresh feeling in one or more rooms. By doing so, it may also inspire a new place for a piece of artwork to hang as well.
Window Treatments – What you hang, or don’t, on your windows, can completely transform the look of a room. If you’ve always had simple white or wood horizontal blinds in your bedrooms, switch it up with a set of fabric curtains or drapes in a rich fabric like velvet or satin, or a bold print. Use the curtain rod as another accent point by choosing a great metal finish with some finials or a coordinating tie-back to open things up during the daytime. A new complimentary valence or 2nd layer of coordinating fabric drapes in the living area can add some new color interest to the room.
