Trust me when I say: that it’s no easy feat making an apartment feel like home when renting. Lease agreements can have a multitude of restrictions from not being able to paint surfaces to the what you can hang on your walls. I’ve now undergone the process of decorating a rental twice, during which I learned a lot about my own taste and how to bring life to a small space on a tiny budget. Our first place was your typical post-college-just-moved-to-NYC rental. It was way too small and basically falling apart, but we did a good job with what we had! You can see my posts about it here and here.
I’m really proud of our current apartment. We’ve been living here for over a year and could not be happy more happy with our home. It was a standard white box when we moved in, but since then we’ve transformed it thanks to some simple hacks and smart decor purchases — none of which required any major alterations! Today I’m excited to share my second video with Maison Jules where I’ll be sharing some advice + giving you a peak into how we’ve decorated our home. 🙂
5 EASY & INEXPENSIVE DIY APARTMENT DECOR HACKS
Give White Walls Life. Hang a large piece of statement art or create a gallery wall to cover plain white walls. Check out my how-to guide here!
Dual-Function Storage. Lacking closet space? Then opt for storage options with dual functions that won’t be any eyesore like displaying shoes on shelves, utilizing a garment rack to hang items you regularly wear or swap in an ottoman to function as seating and storage.
Utilize Mirrors. Oversized mirrors are one of the best ways to make a small room appear larger. Place an infinity mirror opposite of a hallway or window to reflect light and give more perception of depth.
Decorate With Plants & Florals. Now that I live in a large city I appreciate nature so much more. I love bringing the outdoors inside with greenery and flowers. Succulents and fiddle fig leaf plants are great if you have a busy lifestyle like me because they require little care!
Pops Of Color. You can easily and inexpensively give your space personality by adding pops of color with decorative pillows, throw blankets and coffee table books.
Have You Seen These Posts?
Essential Fall Wardrobe Staples With Maison Jules
How To Find An Apartment In New York City
10 Everyday Life Hacks To Save Time & Money
5 Tips To Get Organized For Fall
What I Learned My First 3 Years In NYC
What I’ve Learned Since Graduating College
Thank you to Maison Jules for sponsoring this post!
Tess Felber says
I live in Boston and have the same renting struggle! Mirrors have become my best friend but they work in really making the space seem bigger! I love your shoe wall, not better feeling than feeling like you live in your own little shoe store 🙂
xx Tess | Sequins are the New Black
Katie says
Haha LOVE your comment about my shoes 🙂 And yes, a mirror can completely change the feel of a room!!
Gloria says
Great tips for small spaces and rental apartments. Thanks so much Katie, we appreciate all of your
helpful ideas. You have come a long way from your first rental.
Amanda from Anchored to Sunshine says
I’m all about mirrors! The open up a room in a second and can either be hung on a wall or even leaned against a wall. Easy to add or move!
Katie says
SO true!
Susan Janes says
Such an amazing post, thank you very much for sharing this post with us 🙂