Decorating Mistakes Apartment Dwellers Make
Living in a small or rented space (or a small rented space) doesn’t have to mean cutting corners on style. Sidestep these common blunders, and you’re halfway to the good (and good-looking) life.
Buying Furniture Before You Move
Unless you’ve taken copious measurements and photos, you won’t know what you need in your new space until you’ve spent some time living in it. While it’s tempting to move in with a truckload of furniture, the perfect pieces (like this sofa and its accessories) are worth the wait — and it’s worth making a trip to see them in person instead of stocking up online.
Ignoring Window Treatments
Hanging a rod and curtains like these isn’t much more difficult than putting a picture on the wall. If you’re a renter, consider asking your landlord if he or she will assist you with an upgrade like this, as future tenants will enjoy the hardware, too. (Psst: Hang that curtain rod high, and make sure your curtains hit the floor.)
Living With Ho-Hum White Walls
Though many tenants receive firm instructions to leave their spaces unpainted, reaching for a brush isn’t the only way to add color and character to a room. It’s never been easier to upgrade with removable wallpaper.
Leaving a Litter Box Out in the Open
Giving your furry friend a discreet place to go — whether it’s tucked in a cabinet or utility closet or enclosed in a customized piece of furniture — is a win-win-win (for him or her, you and visitors). No one wants to do their business in mixed company.
Cluttering the Bathroom With Toiletries
High-end, color-coordinated supplies like these can hang out on the counter. Extremely personal hygiene items, on the other hand, should take a powder somewhere else when you’re expecting company. Dinner party guests don’t need to mingle with your shampoo and deodorant.
Choosing Furniture That's Too Big...
In a massive, open-plan space, a boho sectional like this one has the potential to be your home’s piece de résistance. In a smaller one... just resist.
...Or Too Small
If you’ve downsized so aggressively that your rooms look more like dioramas than adult humans’ living areas, it’s time to step away from the dollhouse catalogs. Two properly-proportioned chairs, for example, are preferable to a quartet of diminutive ones (unless you throw tea parties for stuffed animals on a regular basis).
Skipping Front Door Decor
Who says apartments can’t have their own version of curb appeal? Multi-unit dwellings might not leave much room for personal expression, but everyone can have a door mat to welcome guests.
Skipping Front Door Decor
Who says apartments can’t have their own version of curb appeal? Multi-unit dwellings might not leave much room for personal expression, but everyone can have a door mat to welcome guests.
Neglecting Dirty Windows
If you live in an urban area, chances are good that your windows aren’t getting the TLC they deserve — and if you’re a renter without a washing clause in your lease, there’s little you can do to compel your landlord or superintendent to scrub them (or allow you or someone you hire to scrub them).
Going Overboard With String Lights
An artful strand like this one (which designer Brian Patrick Flynn customized with pingpong balls!) gives your place a quirky je ne sais quoi. Haphazard, standard-issue holiday lights, on the other hand, can take your apartment into "that one creepy house that still has an inflatable Santa on their lawn in March" territory. Fairy lights are like finishing salt, and should be used thoughtfully and sparingly.
Lacking a Recycling Bin
Keeping metal, plastic and paper products out of landfills is wonderful. Keeping them in a haphazard pile beside your kitchen garbage... is gross. Corral your recycling in repurposed stacking dog food bins like these.
Misusing Rugs
Large carpets and rugs get very expensive very quickly, and it’s easy to fall for smaller pieces with smaller price tags — particularly in smaller living spaces. That said, stranding them in the middle of the room with no connection to the rest of your furnishings does them (and you) no favors, and a bit of creative layering — as with this cowhide atop a sisal piece — can make all the difference.
Hanging on to One-Off Dishes
Edit your cupboards by sorting items into groups of complementary colors — and then, as Marie Kondo might suggest, thank the stragglers for their service and let them go. You’ll always have your memories of SPRING BREAK 2003 and your cousin Barbara’s wedding, and that’s what really matters, no?
Sticking to Posters
This DIY washi tape treatment is lovely — and it is in a dorm room. Your wall art deserves a chance to graduate, and a few good frames will lend it an air of sophistication in no time. If brackets and nails are non-starters where you live, layer pieces on sideboards, mantels or even the floor.
DISCLAIMER: i don’t own the source, just the editing only
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Danse Macabre by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
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